Westlake’s Preston Reconsidering Decision to Attend Cal : Football: Former prep star disenchanted with Berkeley atmosphere; final decision expected after Shrine game.

Former Westlake High quarterback Todd Preston might leave Cal before his career even starts there because he has not adjusted to the atmosphere in Berkeley, his father, Mike Preston, said Tuesday.

Preston, one of the most sought-after quarterbacks on the West Coast after he threw for 2,427 yards last season, told his parents that he has not enjoyed the past four weeks attending summer school at Cal. According to Mike Preston, Todd has not become disenchanted with Cal’s football program; he simply is not adjusting to new surroundings.

“It’s just been difficult for him to go from one environment to the other,” Mike Preston said.

Preston, who will play for the South team in the 40th Shrine All-Star football game Saturday at the Rose Bowl, signed a national letter-of-intent with Cal after visiting the school in December. After an earlier visit to the University of the Pacific, Preston returned from Berkeley and immediately canceled trips to Washington, Oregon and USC.

He left for Cal on June 20 and attended summer school classes before returning to Westlake on July 15. Preston, who has been working out with the South team at Cal Poly Pomona since Thursday, could not be reached for comment.

“There’s no animosity with the coaching staff whatsoever,” Mike Preston said. “They’ve been real supportive and (Coach) Bruce Snyder has left the door open for Todd. They’ve gone out of their way and have been very patient.”

Preston likely will make a final decision whether to leave Cal after the Shrine Game, his father said.

“Right now, it’s a very touchy situation,” he said. “There are a lot of things going on. We hope that during the 10 days he spends with the other players, he gets his mind focused. After the Shrine Game, it becomes crunch time and we’ll have to sit down and make some decisions.”

Preston, 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, wants to play football at an established Division I program and will not play at the junior college level, Mike Preston said.

Preston threw for 5,579 yards and 46 touchdowns in three seasons at Westlake.