SB Nation - Cole Leininger

Cal at Ohio State Post-Game Thoughts

Kodiak — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:00:07 -0000

Lost in the hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth is the fact that yesterday's loss was one heck of a college football game. Seriously. Yes, it doesn't change the big "L" on our record. And yes, we missed a golden opportunity to take down one of college football's bluebloods. But for a Cal fan and a sports fan, you got to see a competitive game that kept you on the edge of your seat for an entire morning. Isn't that what we want?

At this point, the line in the sand has pretty well polarized. The Tedford Haters will use this game as another excuse that he can't win the big one, or coaches not to lose, or is just good enough to make us the perpetual bridesmaid. The Tedford Sunshine Pumpers will see this as perhaps a glimmer of hope that he hasn't completely lost his mojo yet and might actually fulfill the promises and expectations endemic to the upgraded facilities.

I will freely admit that I've met Hydrotech. I've read Hydrotech. And I'm no Hydrotech. However, these are your post-game thoughts:

1) This Cal team was ready to play. We looked prepared both schematically, mentally, and emotionally. A lot has been made of how the stolid Tedford just doesn't know how to get his players to that fine balance between fired up and not out of control. Whatever he did yesterday, let's bottle that up and drink it, shoot it, smoke it, or snort it for the rest of the year. Maybe this is the impact of encouraging a team council for internal leadership, but the players didn't look intimidated or nervous in front of a crowd 105k strong.

2) The game planning was sound and the coaches didn't panic. In the past, it's appeared that the staff would quickly ditch their plans and almost overcompensate with changes too early in the game. Yesterday, they showed a lot of confidence in their players. Despite the fact that Ohio State is known for a stout run defense with question marks in the secondary, we leaned on our strengths instead of trying to avoid theirs. We leaned on our running game to set up play-action and plenty of quick, controlled passes. And we stuck with the run even when we fell behind by two scores. On defense, we didn't let a few deep passes and one missed tackle take us out of scheme designed to maintain gaps and to contain Miller as a runner.

3) Halftime adjustments. For all those (myself included) who have grumbled about the lack of effective changes coming out of the half, it's hard to argue with a 195 to 21 yard advantage in the third quarter. It's an incredibly good feeling to have the sense that your coaching staff is able to out-think, out-adapt, and out-scheme the opposition.

4) This team didn't fold under adversity. In fact, they seemed to play harder and showed more heart than any Cal team in recent history. Get lit up by a long TD run? Pound it down their throats the next drive. Jobbed by the officials and sent into the half trailing instead of even or up? Dominate the 3rd quarter. Get burned all day by long receptions? Come up with a key interception that could have led to a go-ahead score. Wins and losses aside, I'll take this type of effort any Saturday.

5) You know those things we were worried about? We were right to be worried. Oline and inexperience in the middle of our defense were the two areas circled before the season began. Unfortunately, these remain areas with serious work to do. Ohio State was able to sack Maynard repeatedly with nothing more fancy than a basic four man rush. They just won their solo match-ups with our linemen over and over again. Although our defense as a whole showed a lot more discipline with regards to gap integrity and their assignments, we're still lacking that playmaking presence in the last level. The young defenders at ILB and S need to grow up in a hurry, or we're going to be on the ESPN highlight reels for the rest of the year.

6) This is the new and improved Maynard that was promised to us in camp. He was poised, decisive, and generally made good decisions with solid accuracy. I'm not going to nit-pick a few missed throws or reads. Keep in mind that Ohio State primarily kept 7 in the box and were able to generate a pass rush with just four linemen. That means that the rest of their defense was in coverage. Last year, he struggled against this type of D. He's not the reason we lost. In fact, I think he out-played his more touted counterpart. When you throw in the occasional matador nature of our oline and the inconsistent snaps, I'm hard-pressed to think of a better performance by a Cal QB under adverse conditions in years.

7) Welcome back. It's nice to see our FB and TE positions contributing again. Eric Stevens is a solid player running, receiving, and blocking. Jacob Wark really held the rope and stepped up when our 1st and 2nd stringers couldn't go. Although he may not be a down the field threat, he showed reliable hands as an outlet and did a great job setting the edge or hitting the 2nd level all day.

8) Brendan. Bigelow. That is all.

9) Thank you, Coach Chandler. We needed the young wide receivers to be ready to contribute early and they're delivering. Not just as receivers, but they've all shown an impressive level of effort as blockers. For all that the last touted crop of frosh receivers didn't pan out, it sure looks like Harper, Treggs, and Powe are the real deal.

10) 0/2 on 4th down. How I wish this were 1/3. It's been debated to death by this point. I love the confidence Tedford showed earlier in the game going for it twice. Even though we didn't convert, I thought it fired up the team. It certainly got me pumped. Unfortunately, there's only so much Dread Pirate Tedford that we can allow in any given game. I really believe that he called that timeout to prepare his playcall. I was betting on a power formation up the middle, naked boot by Maynard around the edge. Then, he talked himself out of it. Or maybe his coaches did. From a stats-based view, it probably makes sense to try to take the points. I'm sure there are incredibly boring charts showing how often teams win/lose. My preference would have been to seize on momentum, remember that college football is a game of morale, and let your team live or die with that esprit de corps. But, I can't peg this one as a no-brainer. Up to that point, the defense had been playing lights out. And because we don't watch practice, we have no idea if D'Amato is usually money when they run their "clutch" drill. (Make the FG or everyone runs.) Maybe he's usually automatic and this past game was an unusually bad day. It's a judgement call that no one fusses over if we had won. Next.

11) Special teams remains special. On the plus side, it's really nice to see kickoffs go into the end zone. I suppose that's one way to compensate for spotty coverage. It was an interesting decision to let our more experienced JC transfer(Steffan Mos) kick the first two punts. On the one hand, this makes sense in not putting too much pressure on true frosh Cole Leininger. On the other, Mos' 2nd punt was an awful shank that set up an Ohio State score. I feel badly for D'Amato. He probably feels worse than any of us right now, so I'm not going to pile on. Let's face it - will bashing on the kid make him perform better? We're all sitting here in our armchairs reading instead of playing because most of us has experienced more athletic failure than success. Whenever I see kickers struggle, I remember the story of Alexis Serna. He missed three field goals on national television which cost Oregon State an upset over LSU.

"After the heartbreaking loss and the surge in press coverage, Serna received hundreds of letters of support from people across the country. One of these letters came from 12-year-old Austan Pierce, a boy receiving cancer treatment from Sacred Heart Children's Hospital in Spokane, Washington. Serna was so moved by his words of encouragement that he wrote an "A" on his left thumb and a "P" on his right thumb before each game from then on, to remind him of Austan's words. Serna went on to complete 29 consecutive extra points and make 17 of 20 field goals in the remainder of the season, earning Pac-10 special teams Player of the Week twice and becoming a finalist for the 2004 Lou Groza Award in the process."

We can either support this young man, or throw him under the bus. I hope he turns it around.

That being said, I really do hope that Coach Tedford addresses this phase of the game sooner rather than later. Looking forward, we can at least take heart that here's a fantastic kicker on the roster right now, James Langford, who will be eligible next year after transferring from Cal Poly. Incoming stud Matt Anderson will also arrive next year. But the rest of this year may be a bit exciting.

Taking a step back, how would you feel if this game had been the season opener? Without the bitter taste from the first two games, I suspect that many of us would look at this season far more favorably than we do right now. Keep in mind that we were unanimously predicted to be blown out. Instead, we went toe to toe with the #12 team in their famously hostile stadium and played well enough to win. Not mistake-free by any stretch, but this was a team that didn't give up and showed dramatic improvement from our earlier games. If you can't appreciate at least some of the positives, then you probably need to buy a bucket and tie yourself to a tree somewhere.

Do we need to get better? Yes. Does this ultimately fall on the coaching staff? Absolutely. But let's not forget that these kids are working hard to represent us and our alma mater. There have been comments from players and their parents that it's really troubling when fans are unrelentingly negative, critical, and unforgiving. We're a better fan base than that. Aren't we, Cal fans?

Next up, tough sledding becomes skiing in an avalanche as our Golden Bears have to set aside their disappointment in preparation for a really ticked off Trojan team. It'll just make it that much sweeter when they turn the Coliseum lights off early and send Traveler to the glue factory, right? Go Bears!

THUD! Nevada beats Cal, 31-24, to Spoil the Memorial Stadium Party

Ohio Bear — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 01:16:55 -0000

It was a day filled with so much anticipation and promise: the California Golden Bears opened up their renovated Memorial Stadium to a sellout crowd, ribbon-cutting ceremony and all, and looked forward to beginning a new era of Cal football that would snuff out the demons of "same old Cal" that haunted old Memorial Stadium. The visiting Nevada Wolf Pack, however, had other ideas about how the opening of Memorial Stadium should go.

You could say legitimately that Nevada made more mistakes than Cal on Saturday. But Nevada also made more plays, had the better quarterback, displayed a better running game, stopped the run better, defended better against the pass, and were just the better team all around. Though Cal hung around until the end, thanks in large part to Nevada mistakes, the Wolf Pack proved to be too much, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 36 seconds left to defeat the Bears 31-24 in the lid lifter to new Memorial Stadium and the 2012 season.

So much for the anticipation, promise, and fanfare.

If you are one for omens, the super secret news revealed right before kickoff was certainly an omen of the bad variety. Right before the game, Cal announced that quarterback Zach Maynard would not start the game, as punishment for having missed a tutoring session during the summer. Allan Bridgford got the start and quarterbacked the Bears in the first three offensive series, going a dreadful 1 of 8 for 8 yards and missing a wide open Keenan Allen on the game's first play for what would have been a touchdown if the ball had been thrown well enough for Allen to reach.

By the time Maynard entered the game last in the first quarter, Cal was behind 7-0 and looking decidedly stagnant on offense. Maynard did give the Bears a jolt with a 20-yard completion on the run to tight end Jacob Wark on Maynard's first pass of the season, but even Maynard's entry into the game could not prevent the Bears from having to punt four times in the first quarter alone. And when Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo (25 of 32, 230 yards passing; 20 rush, 101 yards, 1 TD) ran 49 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first quarter -- running around the missed containment by Cal's defense -- the Bears found themselves behind 14-0 just one quarter into new Memorial Stadium's existence.

Not only were the Bears behind, it was ugly. Cal was its own worst enemy in the first half, committing numerous mental-mistake penalties: two personal fouls, an illegal substitution, and an illegal running out of bounds on special teams were among the doozies that the Bears committed in the first half. And the game threatened to get even more out of hand when Nevada drove inside the Cal 20 in the second quarter. Luckily for the Bears, the Wolf Pack was in a giving mood. Nevada lost 21 yards on a bad snap on a third down, knocking themselves out of field goal range and keeping the Bears down by only two scores.

The break woke up the Bears, who took advantage of the good fortune of Nevada's foible. Maynard capped a six-play, 77-yard drive with a 37-yard touchdown strike to freshman Bryce Treggs to bring the Bears to within 14-7. (Hmmm...true freshman wide receiver, jersey number 1, scoring touchdown in first college game at Memorial Stadium. Sounds like Desean Jackson!) Cal had a chance to get even closer right before the half, but Vincenzo D'Amato pulled a 31-yard field goal wide left to keep it a seven-point deficit at halftime. Though the Bears were down by seven at the half, they had at least showed some signs of life on offense: Cal finished the half with 168 yards of total offense after having gained only 59 at the 7:23 mark of the second quarter.

Nevada, however, did its part to quell whatever momentum the Bears had. After Cal failed to recover a Nevada fumble forced by Keni Kaufisi on Nevada's second possession of the third quarter, the Wolf Pack made the Bears pay. Capping a 12-play, 79-yard drive consisting exclusively of Fajardo completions and Stapfon Jefferson runs, Jefferson ran for a 2-yard touchdown (one of his three touchdowns on the day) to give Nevada a seemingly commanding 21-7 lead with 6:20 left in the third quarter.

Bryce Treggs caught a 37-yard touchdown pass for Cal's first points of the season (via cdn3.sbnation.com)

But again, Nevada kept the Bears hanging around. After Jefferson's touchdown, Cal began the ensuing drive at its own 49 yard line after a short kickoff, a good return by Daniel Lasco, and a personal foul penalty on Nevada tacked on. From there, it took two plays for Cal to score, the capper being a 39-yard run by Allen on a reverse around the left side. Suddenly, it was 21-14. And it looked to get even better for the Bears when Kameron Jackson recovered a fumble (forced by J.P. Hurrell) at the Nevada 27-yard line on the ensuing kickoff. Cal settled for a 40-yard field goal by D'Amato and Cal was behind only 21-17.

Cal squandered a good opportunity early in the fourth quarter when Maynard fumbled at the Nevada 22, but the Bears sprang to life later with the game on the line. Down 24-17 with under nine minutes left, the Bears marched to the end zone on a five-play drive that was probably their best of the game: a 32-yard completion to Allen, two bruising runs by C.J. Anderson, and a 13-yard touchdown pass from Maynard to freshman Chris Harper tied the game at 24 with 7:24 remaining.

But a comeback victory in new Memorial Stadium's debut was not to be. Cal found itself in a field-position pickle when it was forced to punt from its 11-yard line late in the fourth quarter. Though freshman punter Cole Leininger booted a 50-yard punt with the help of the members' bounce, Nevada still began what would be its final drive with good field position at its own 39 with 3:24 left. From there, Fajardo was clutch. The Wolf Pack quarterback converted two third downs, the second one for 19 yards to Brandon Wimberly to put Nevada at the Cal 2-yard line with under a minute to play. Jefferson (35 rush, 140 yards, 3 TD) took it in from there for the winning touchdown and the final margin of victory.

To be sure, the loss is a bitter pill to swallow for the Bears. With so much optimism coming into the season, they have to be stunned to have been outplayed on their home field. Nevada amassed more yardage in total offense (449-359), completed a considerably higher percentage of passes (78% to 47%), and outrushed Cal by a wide margin (57 rushes for 219 yards to 29 rushes for 114 yards). On defense, Cal had trouble mounting a consistent pass rush on Fajardo and seemed bewildered at times defending the pistol -- again.

What do we make of this one? Certainly nothing good at the moment. The best the Bears can do is put this one behind them and focus on getting better. Goodness knows there's plenty to get better at.

Poll

If you had to give a game ball to a Cal player, it would go to---

Keenan Allen (69 receiving yards; rushing TD)

149 votes

Bryce Treggs (63 receiving yards, TD in college debut)

151 votes

Chris Harper (58 receiving yards, TD in college debut)

12 votes

Marc Anthony (3 TFLs)

13 votes

Brennan Scarlett (10 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 forced fumble)

79 votes

Steve Williams (11 total tackles, some nice open field tackles)

68 votes

Other (tell us in the comments)

27 votes

499 votes | Poll has closed

Cal Football: Strengths and Weaknesses

Kodiak — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 10:00:05 -0000

As fall camp comes to a close, a strange mix of excitement, anticipation, and irrational fear swirl together. Opening Day draws nigh. It's The Return to Memorial. Is our team ready? Are we ready? Could this year finally be our year?

With information becoming sparse due to limited media access during the final weeks of camp, we can but speculate as to the answers to our pre-camp questions. We'd also be remiss without thanking Avinash from Pacific Takes for providing excellent coverage throughout camp with his detailed and timely updates. (Links at the bottom)

Before game-planning against the Nevada Wolfpack begins in earnest, let's indulge a reader request (HT AndBears) for a unit by unit breakdown as we head into the season:

The Offense - Strengths:

1) Running back. Either Isi Sofele or CJ Anderson could start and the offense wouldn't miss a beat. It's a rare luxury to have a 1-2 punch of this caliber. With any luck, this tandem will remind us of our Lynch/Forsett days. Brendan Bigelow reportedly has his explosiveness back and offers a Jahvid Best-like home-run threat every time he touches the ball. Daniel Lasco was Scout Team Player of the Year last year and may very well be next year's starter with his slashing combination of power and speed. At fullback, the return of Eric Stevens could be significant. He's a solid lead blocker, a capable short-yardage runner, and has nice hands as a receiver.

2) The Gamebreaker. Keenan Allen is one player that the opposing defense has to account for on every snap, all game long. His size and athleticism make it difficult to play him one on one. Shading over a safety for double-coverage opens up opportunities for the rest of the offense. As much as we'll all miss him if he leaves after this next year, we're all hoping he has the type of year to vault him into an NFL 1st rounder.

3) Quarterback. Don't laugh. In most years, having an upperclassman as your quarterback, particularly one with starting experience, is the key to making a run at the conference title. When he's on, Maynard's ability to make plays with both his feet and his arm can cause serious issues for an opposing defense. His accuracy may still come and go, but better poise, footwork, and decision-making a la the Game Manager is more important than bringing back the mercurial Honey Badger.

4) Versatility. Although unproven, there are lots of young players at the skill positions that offer different sets of skills. For example, we have two tight ends and a fullback, Rodgers, Hagan and Stevens, who are capable of being split out wide as receivers in order to create mismatch issues. Conversely, they could start on the line and shift back into the backfield or go in motion like an H-back. Or, we could go with a group of larger wide receivers, Allen, Harris, Powe and use them to help set the edge on quick hitch or screen. With so many capable running backs, we might see two of them in the backfield at the same time. For someone who loves the chess match, the possibilities have got to be exciting for Coach Tedford. It's just a question of whether our execution is precise enough to make these different schemes work.

The Offense - Weaknesses:

1) Inexperience on the Oline. Tyler Rigsbee(LT) is coming off of injury and has no starting experience. Jordan Rigsbee(LG) is a redshirt frosh with no starting experience. Brian Schwenke(C) has plenty of starts...but has never played center before. Chris Adcock(RG) has no starting experience. Matthew Summers-Gavin(RT) has experience, but is still playing out of position at tackle instead of guard.

2) Lack of Oline Depth. Not to tempt juju in any way, but the cupboard is pretty thin behind our starters. Our primary back-ups to center and tackle may very well be true frosh, Matt Cochran, Steven Moore, Freddie Tagaloa. Geoffrey Gibson is slated to back-up at guard after inconsistent play led to his demotion from the ones.

3) The Youth Movement. With the exception of KA and Hagan, none of the other wide receivers and tight ends in the depth chart has any significant playing experience. Although the youngsters have accolades and talent, it usually takes time to adjust to Division I ball. The big concern here is self-inflicted errors such as penalties, drops, wrong routes, or missed blocking assignments that kill drives or lead to turnovers.

4) A Jack of All Trades, but the Master of None. A dizzying array of creative formations and motions is all quite exciting when they work. Not so when a lack of execution blows the play up. While incorporating so many different spread, pro-style, and hybrid elements is great schematically, I worry that it's a bit much to throw at an offense relying on so many young players and new starters.

The Defense - Strengths:

1) The D Line. This is a deep and talented rotation. The mix of size, strength, and speed allows Coach Pendergast to mix and match personnel groupings with abandon. Kendrick Payne is the steady veteran at nose tackle. Aaron Tipoti has a knack for penetrating the backfield and can play both nose and end. Deandre Coleman is a massive end who could slide inside as needed and is poised for a break-out year. Vei Moala is the Mountain Who Walks and will push both starters for minutes at tackle. Mustafa Jalil was talented enough to play as a true frosh. Todd Barr might have the fastest first step on the line and Puka Lopa is a tough, instinctive player. (Disclaimer: Let's just assume that they're all going to be healthy and politely ignore reports of all those nagging camp injuries as minor.)

2) Experience in the Secondary. Steve Williams and Marc Anthony are both returning starters. Josh Hill has played at corner, safety, and nickelback since his true freshman year and looks to fill one safety spot. All of them are steady veterans who should be very comfortable with Coach Pendergast's defense.

3) Speed on the Outside. Chris "Gadget" McCain really came into his own last year and showed both an ability to rush the passer as well as the range to drop into coverage. Brennan Scarlett has a freakish blend of DE size to go with OLB speed. Reserve Cecil Whiteside might have the best natural pass-rushing skills in the linebacking corps.

The Defense: Weaknesses

1) Inexperience at ILB. When you replace both starters at inside linebacker, the defense usually takes a step back. JP Hurrell and Robert Mullins are seniors, but haven't played extensively. Former US Army All-Americans Nick Forbes and Dave Wilkerson are strong, fast, and talented. However, they've both struggled to stay on the field because of injuries. PSU transfer Khairi Fortt will miss at least three games with injury and may redshirt. Former Cal great Mike Mohamed mentioned at the spring game that it took him a whole year before he could play instinctively and fast. On the plus side, Cal's proud tradition of covering the tight end down the middle of the field should be in great shape.

2) Depth at Corner. With super reserve Stefan McClure recovering slower than expected from his knee injury, that leaves Kam Jackson, Joel Willis, and Adrian Lee as our reserve corners. Both Williams and Anthony have shown a tendency to get nicked up in previous seasons. With so many teams using 3-5 WR sets, we could find ourselves dangerously thin on experienced cornerbacks.

3) Safety. Josh Hill is moving over from nickelback to safety. He's a smart player, but it's unknown whether his instincts will let him play fast enough to have the same range and impact as a Chris Conte type of player. The other safety will be a new starter with no game experience, either Alex Logan or Avery Sebastian. Of our top reserves, neither Michael Lowe (Coley) or Tyre Ellison have any significant game experience.

Special Teams - Strengths

1) KA and Bigelow are special athletes who offer big-play threats as returners.

2) New punter Cole Leininger has a big leg and hasn't been with the program very long. It's likely he'll still be kicking with the same technique in HS that allowed him to boom it.

3) Because the uniforms stay so clean, they're more slippery and are marginally harder for opposing players to grab.

4) This unit has lowered the bar of expectations over the past decade that Cal fans are likely to golf clap for plays that only end in minor disaster.

Special Teams - Weaknesses

1) It is strategically impractical to go for it on all fourth downs and to go for two points after each score.

2) Consistency. Whether it's snapping, blocking, fielding, coverage, or kicking, this unit has been the master of the unforced error. We have a new kicker and a new punter. Neither are proven under pressure situations.

3) Position Coaching and Schemes. First, we set a record for having extra points blocked. Then, we marginalized the best punter in America with rugby-style kicks. Why couldn't UW have offered a dinghy filled with Tostitos during the off-season? The unanswered question: Does this unit not get the players, not get the requisite attention during practice, not get top-notch coaching, or all of the above?

The Quick Overview:

- We have great running backs, a senior QB, and Keenan Allen is one of the best receivers in the country.

- Our offense will depend on how well the inexperienced Oline comes together

- We're relying on a lot of youth to step up at TE and WR.

- Our Dline should be the strength of the defense. Corners are solid, and our outside linebackers are fast.

- The middle of the defense, both at safety and at linebacker is an area of concern due to the lack of experience.

- Hide your eyes when the special teams are on the field.

And we're out, Cal fans. If you haven't already, check out AndyHogan's photos of the stadium upgrades to further whet your appetite. The Return to Memorial is just days away. Go Bears!

Previous fall practice stories: 8/18 | 8/17 | 8/16 | 8/15 | 8/14 | 8/13 | 8/10 & 8/11 | 8/9 | 8/8 | 8/7 | 8/6 | 8/5 | 8/4

Position roundtables: Quarterback | Offensive Line | Defensive Line | Linebackers

Offensive Depth Chart | Defense/ST Depth Chart

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Poll

How do you feel about our Cal team as it breaks camp?

Great! Lots of young guys are stepping up. I'm excited to see the new players.

51 votes

Good. Too many unknowns to be sure.

93 votes

Concerned. No bye week and lots of camp injuries already?

19 votes

I JUST WANT CAL FOOTBALL TO BE BACK!!!

65 votes

Cal football has broken my heart too many times. I don't know what to feel any more.

30 votes

258 votes | Poll has closed

Cal Football Depth Chart: Defense & Special Teams

Avinash Kunnath — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 16:00:03 -0000

From the Cal offensive depth chart to the defensive depth chart we go!

Defensive linemen

Seeing Aaron Tipoti and Kendrick Payne in the starting lineup is no big surprise. These two have been regular contributors for two years running, and they were going to be in the four-man deep rotation regardless. Tipoti at defensive end (plus switching him to nose tackle) will be something worth watching, since he's only played a little bit at the position. DeAndre Coleman will hopefully now have the consistency to wreck it on defense. Villiami Moala on the two-deep is immensely pleasing, because he is the man that can upgrade the 3-4 to upper echelon.

Mustafa Jalil being out stinks, but it does open up opportunities for guys like Todd Barr, who was a great DE talent coming out of high school, has all the fundamentals, and now seems to have put on the weight on to get the defense ready to rock. Also worth watching is Keni Kaufusi, a defensive end who's just had trouble getting into the rotation with the talent in front of him (three NFL players).

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Inside linebackers

So here was our surprise, except it wasn't really a surprise. The 3-4 inside linebackers generally have to be experienced and intelligent, which means senior talent that know the system. Mike Mohamed, D.J. Holt, Mychal Kendricks, now J.P. Hurrell and Robert Mullins. We'll see if they can hold their own in their senior seasons before guys who provide intelligence and talent like Nick Forbes rise up.

I imagine we'd eventually see Forbes rotating in as the first linebacker off the bench. It's good to see Jalen Jefferson hit the rotation, and he'll probably play some (although maybe not too much Week 1 against the intensive Pistol). Dave Wilkerson figures to get into the rotation if he ever gets healthy. And of course Khairi Fortt lingers whenever he heals up.

Outside linebackers

Chris McCain and Brennan Scarlett are set here. McCain will be all "Go-go-Gadget-form-tackle" on one side, with Scarlett providing a potentially special rush presence on the other side. Dan Camporeale is the super-sub who knows the playbook inside and outside and has as much experience as anyone. Nathan Broussard could also be a guy that provides some solid upside here, and maybe Fortt will see some time here when he's healthy.

This could be the best position on the whole defense if everyone stays healthy. Even better than the defensive line. Considering how crucial the 3-4 OLBs are in making the scheme go, I'm pretty excited to see them in action.

Cornerbacks

Steve Williams, Marc Anthony, Kameron Jackson. Those are your three corners you'll be seeing almost the entire season, particularly against the pass-heavy teams in the conference. This is a bit of a thin position with Stefan McClure likely to blue~~red~~shirt, so health at this situation will be critical. I like our top three though, although this becomes a worry spot against the Washington State's and the UCLA's (Mazzone now, not Pistol) of the world.

Safeties

Alex Logan has been getting kudos all spring and fall. Good to hear, because he's going to have to really step up and play solid at strong safety these next two seasons. This position is demanding in Pendergast's scheme, and it's a lot to ask of Logan to match up to his two predecessors. But what we're hearing sounds really good. It's also good to see Tyre Ellison sneak up on here in his final season.

Josh Hill has been playing forever (starting, shifting, nickelback, etc.), and now he's fitting right in at free safety. I'm pretty comfortable with our safeties despite losing both our starters to the NFL. That never happens!

Special Teams

Bryce Treggs is the big name starting as a frosh, and it's good to see him end up as the backup to Keenan Allen as the backup punt returner. I'm not sure who I'm more comfortable with (Treggs probably has better open field speed, while Allen might be more comfortable at the position and can handle the football better).

Brendan Bigelow at kick returner! Giddy giddy giddy. Also good to see Mike Manuel back here, and Daniel Lasco could get a shot.

Cole Leininger is the other guy starting as a frosh at punter, and all reports are that he's solid-looking. Considering who he's replacing, that's a good sign! Backup kicker too apparently.

Vincenzo D'Amato continues the Italian tradition at kicker. I don't know what to expect here. Can he replicate Giorgio Automatico?

Finally, we have long-snapper and placeholder two-deeps! What the what now? A WR at placeholder? We're so doing a fake field goal this year.

Depth chart reports: Fall Depth Chart | Offense Depth Chart

Previous fall practice stories 8/21 | 8/18 | 8/17 | 8/16 | 8/15 | 8/14 | 8/13 | 8/10 & 8/11 | 8/9 | 8/8 | 8/7 | 8/6 | 8/5 | 8/4

Position roundtables: Quarterback | Wide Receiver & Tight End | Offensive Line | Running Backs