Knee injury will keep Breazell out

Brandon Breazell, UCLA’s top returning wide receiver, will sit out the remainder of spring drills after suffering a knee injury Thursday.

Breazell, who will be a senior, partially tore a posterior cruciate ligament while attempting to catch a pass during drills. Coach Karl Dorrell said the injury would not require surgery and that Breazell should be ready when practice resumes in August.

“I went up to catch the ball and came down wrong,” Breazell said. “I tried to jog back to the huddle, but I couldn’t make it.”

Breazell had 21 receptions for 389 yards and four touchdowns last season, tops among returning receivers. Joe Cowan, a wide receiver, and Michael Norris each sustained similar injuries last August and sat out the 2006 season, though they returned to practice in November.

UCLA, which is installing a new offense, has already lost Chris Markey (stress fracture in his foot) and Derrick Williams (concussion), its top two running backs, for spring drills.