Saying someone is going to be the next great player before they've played a down at a school may be a little premature, to say the least.
However, in the case of Braylin Presley, the chance to be great at TU is certainly there.
The electric Presley, a Bixby grad and OSU transfer, is going to get the opportunity to show what he can do this season for the Golden Hurricane.
New coach Kevin Wilson isn’t going to say a player is going to be great, because they have to earn it. But it is clear that Wilson knows Presley is a special talent for Tulsa.
"Young Mr. Presley has looked very intriguing. He's got some natural feel and space, instincts of a playmaker," Wilson said. "He flashes, but it is early. He's got a chance to be a really good player."
The fact that Wilson used the term "Mr." when talking about the 5-foot-6, 167-pound Presley is telling. Anyone who talks with Presley comes away impressed.
Presley set the world on fire at Bixby in helping his high school win four state titles and 49 consecutive wins while being a running back who ran, caught passes, and was also a kick returner.
The 2021 Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year and two-time Tulsa World Oklahoma Player of the Year scored 102 career touchdowns at Bixby -- 75 rushing, 23 receiving and 4 on kick returns. He rushed for 4,978 yards at 8.6 yards per carry, while catching 145 passes for 1,684 yards.
His highlight films drew the admiration of new offensive coordinator Steve Spurrier, Jr.
"I always tell people, have you watched his high school highlight reel? It's unbelievable. Nobody ever touches him," Spurrier said of Presley. "We've got to find ways to keep getting him the ball."
For Presley, the human highlight reel, coming to Tulsa from OSU was not something he took lightly after not getting the playing time he should have last season. He caught 5 passes for 26 yards as a true freshman in 2022, and also ran the ball 2 times for 3 yards, as well as returning a kickoff for 19 yards.
He had followed his older brother Brennan to OSU where Brennan has been a standout.
"It was a process that was difficult to make. I had a lot of prayers about it. I talked with my family about it a lot. It felt like a great decision for me," Pressley said.
"I talked with Coach Wilson. He was honest with me. He talked about the people who he produced and he got to the league (NFL). I know he can help me do that. It was a decision that was made by me that I had to make as a man."
The wide receiver room offers opportunity for young players this season, as Malachai Jones is the only player with real college experience at TU.
Presley will be coached up by former Dallas Cowboys Ryan Switzer (receivers coach) and Lance Dunbar (assistant receiver coach).
"Coach Dunbar and Coach Switzer have been amazing coaches," Presley said. "Getting knowledge from them about how to do things or how to go about different things, whether it be football or how to be a man. Or with taking care of my body, they've instilled so much into me that I will take with me all the rest of my life and probably take it to my kids. They have really helped me."
So where will Presley be utilized by Wilson and Spurrier?
"I'm at receiver but I'm wherever the coaches need me, that's what I'll do," Presley said. "Slot receiver is the only place I've been at. Running back, I really haven't heard it."
Perhaps Wilson has a surprise for Presley?
"Maybe we can get him in the backfield a little bit too, now," Wilson said of Presley. "He's a gifted player. We've got to be smart with him. He's still young. Very young."
Spurrier's ideas of utilizing Presley extends to more than just getting him the ball.
"Sometimes he'll be a decoy," Spurrier said. "We'll run him right down the middle of the field and he'll take three or four guys with him. He's a talented guy with the ball in his hands, and we're going to find ways to make sure we do that with him."
Wilson elaborated on Presley's talents.
"His spatial awareness is just kind of natural," Wilson said. "I think that is why he's scored all those touchdowns. I think he has a feel for people, space, running triples, and setting guys up. He made a couple of plays the other day, I said, wow. That was real good.
"Coach Switzer is a great coach, but sometimes he just naturally has a gift of changing directions and body control. And he actually catches the ball. He's a smaller target, so his catching radius isn't as big, but he catches the ball really well. He sets up to be pretty good."
The biggest challenge for Presley since coming to TU has been gaining weight. Ideal playing weight is something Wilson has been stringently pushing. When Presley came to Tulsa, he was 151 pounds. He is up to around 167 now, trying to get to about 170.
"It's very hard, especially for someone like me," Presley said of gaining weight. "I've always been someone who has a fast metabolism. So, I have to eat, eat, and eat. We have one of the best strength and conditioning staffs in the country. They've all been nothing short of amazing at helping me gain my weight.
"It's not necessarily about what I eat differently, but how much I eat. I probably eat four times a day with snacking in between. I like to eat a little bit of everything, but I'm starting to try and eat healthy for longevity."
Coming back to his home area has been special for Presley.
"Being back in the town of Tulsa and being able to play football -- it's something that sometimes I get speechless about. It's that special," Presley said. "Not in a million years do I think it was something I would get to do after high school. God has brought me back to this place, and I'm very grateful and very thankful to be back to where it all started.
"I used to practice little league football less than 10 minutes away from here. High school football and middle school football 25 minutes away from here. So, to be back where it all started, it's a blessing to come to a great university. Coach Wilson, Mr. Rick (Dickson), they've done a great job."
As far as expectations for Tulsa football this year, the sky's the limit in Presley’s mind.
"Do we want a conference championship? We want a little bit more," Presley said. "We want a New Year's Six bowl, we want that college playoff ranking."
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