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Cal Football: Injuries, No Bye Week, Inexperience The Biggest Concerns?-

Avinash Kunnath — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:30:06 -0000

What are your biggest concerns going into 2012?

1) Injuries. One remarkable thing considering all the turmoil last year; this team was one of the healthiest in the country. With maybe one or two exceptions, most of the starters played almost every game last year. Cal had only three starts missed due to injury last year. This isn't counting Eric Stevens since he went down before the season, but that's a pretty remarkable bill of health.

I'd imagine we won't be so fortunate this season. This camp has seen a lot of guys get banged up and seen two likely contributors in Gibson and Galas go down for most of the season. Austin Clark, Mustafa Jalil and Dave Wilkerson are all still healing up. It's a concern.

2) Bye week. Or the lack thereof. The recalcitrance by about everyone not to have a Thanksgiving Big Game is going to mean we play twelve up, twelve down, and an October Big Game. That will be fun for just about no one. Washington might have their brutal schedule, but at least they get a week off in between their bashing at LSU and subsequent bashing by Furd.

Cal gets Ohio State and USC, then has to turn right around and dig right into the heart of their conference schedule. The Big Game is sandwiched in between road trips to Salt Lake and the Palouse, and right after we play Utah we get five days to rest up and prep for Washington. Seven home games generally sounds nice, but this is as tough a slog as I've seen from an even-year schedule.

This could cause a lot of strain on our team unless we win a majority of our games by a lot. Otherwise there's a good chance we're going to be broken vessels by November.

What are your biggest concerns this season? Are we due for a rash of injuries? Is the lack of a bye week a big deal?

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(via Cal Bears Online)

unclesam22: You totally nailed it. Injuries and the schedule are by far the biggest concerns for me as well, for all the reasons you outlined. It just seems like a setup for a swoon.

The other thing the concerns me is our secondary. They were good but not great last year, but with McClure getting hurt and some inexperience back there I fear we might be a little vulnerable, which is a really scary thought going up against USC and their ridiculous passing game and then the rest of the pass happy Pac-12 teams. I think that the D-line and Linebackers could help make up for this somewhat by generating a strong pass rush that hurries throws, but I still think we might give up some big plays over the top and down the sideline.

Also, the kicking game worries me a bit. PAT's notwithstanding, Giorgio and Anger were outstanding and replacing both of those guys almost guarantees a drop-off.

Berkelium97: I am concerned about our unusual knack for shooting ourselves in the foot. Two of the team's biggest problems last season were penalties and turnovers, which have never been a characteristic of Tedford's teams.

We were 119th in the nation in penalty yards per game last season (72.4). Only ASU was worse than us. While some of this has to do with the way Pac-12 refs call games (seriously, compare our penalty rates to other conferences--it's ridiculous), we were still 11th in the conference. Tedford's teams had never penalty issues this bad. We had a propensity to shoot ourselves in the foot at the most inopportune times. There is never any good reason for a team to get backed up to 1st and 30 in overtime. Ever. How many of C.J. Anderson's TDs were called back in the Oregon State game? 2? 3? Many of these penalties were due to the O-line and we had a bad habit of racking up consecutive penalties. If we want to have some success against the stronger defenses we'll face this season, we cannot hand them 5, 10, and 15 yards at a time. I hope another year under Michalczik will further undo some of the bad habits picked up during the Marshall era.

Another issue I am concerned about is turnovers. Again, we had a knack for shooting ourselves in the foot, often repeatedly. How many times in the Tedford era had we had a 5-turnover game? I would not be surprised if it was never. How many did we have last season? Three! Maynard's interceptions played a large role, but Maynard and several receivers had fumbling issues throughout the year. We turned three very winnable games (USC, UCLA, Texas) into embarrassing losses with these turnovers.

With as much as Tedford focuses on attention to detail and the little things, he must have been furious with the turnovers and penalties last year. I hope he sorted these issues out during the offseason. The schedule says we're an 8-win team. Taking care of the little things will make the difference between a 9-win season and a 6 or 7-win season.

(via Cal Bears Online)

HydroTech: My biggest concern is our ability to just win games. It seems like for the past three years we've dropped games that we should be winning, or we've been shooting ourselves in the foot left and right.

"Duh" statement of the day: If Cal wants to get out of the middle of the Pac-12 and back towards the top, we have to win the games we're supposed to win, and it all starts with limiting your own unforced errors. Execution is key.

unclesam22: I guess I'd blocked the turnover thing out of my mind since it was so traumatic last year, but you are absolutely right about how they killed us. I can think of at least 3 games we lost, most notably USC, where we would have had a great chance to win the game going into the 4th quarter had we just held on to the ball. That has GOT to change for this team to win 8/9 games.

norcalnick: I suppose I'm concerned about injuries and turnovers, but I tend to chalk those two things into the random chance file while crossing my fingers and hoping for good luck. I think Maynard will improve enough that interceptions won't be a huge problem, and fumbles and injuries? Just luck of the draw.

My major concerns? Replacing our draft picks. Marvin Jones, Mitchell Schwartz, Bryan Anger, Mychal Kendricks and D.J. Holt were all very productive players, and there aren't necessarily obvious players ready to replace that production. I think there's reason to be optimistic in each case - Coach M. will shore up the offensive line, there's talent ready to step up at linebacker & wide receiver, etc. But those are all major uncertainties in my mind.

And he wasn't a draft pick, but I'm not expecting anybody to approach the year Giorgio had as a field goal kick last year. Special teams were generally solid to above-average last year, and I'm worried about a regression.

TwistNHook: Dude, I'm concerned about our kicking game. Losing Anger and Italian Stallion. Crying now.

(via Cal Bears Online)

Avinash: Another issue that people seem to be forgetting is the lack of returning starters. Two of our three wideouts. Starting tight end. Pac-12 defensive player of the year and his partner in crime. Two starting DEs, two starting safeties, two starting OLmen (not to mention Galas). Punter (who was really good) and kicker (who had a solid senior year). That's a lot of moving parts to replace.

There's definite depth to shore up some of these losses, but is there enough experience? A pro style offense demands a lot of experience and adjustment. Will a younger unit be able to adjust to the speed of the game?

Vincent S: I'm most concerned about the ILB position. We play a variant of the 3-4, meaning the linebackers form the core of our defense. Generally, as our linebackers go, our defense goes. The replacement of two senior linebackers will be tough. Will Hurrell and Mullins have the speed to cover sideline to sideline like Kendricks did? Will both of them have the ability to call out assignments and lead the defense? Will any of the freshman step up and start by midseason?

If the answer to all of these questions is not a resounding "Yes", I have a hard time seeing us go better than .500.

(via www.calbearsonline.com)

atomsareenough: I think Berkelium and HydroTech nailed it. The first few years of Tedford's tenure we were an overachieving team because we did the little things and didn't hurt our own cause. We haven't been that kind of team the past few years. I hope we can get back to that. I think it really does start with the O-line. The last game at Reser (with the famous Tedford glare/Coach Marshall shrug) really epitomized what's been wrong.

I'm less concerned about the new players with the talent we have on the roster. We'll have a bit of a learning curve at some positions, but even at inside linebacker, we are starting the year with experienced system guys (Mullins, Hurrell) taking the bulk of the snaps, and as the younger guys get a little less green, I expect their talent will earn them more snaps. I expect Forbes and Wilkerson to be major contributors by the end of the year, if they are healthy.

I'm sure the kicking game won't be quite as good as it was last year, but I'm not expecting a steep dropoff. D'Amato's been around and is an experienced guy with a good leg. I've heard nothing but good things about Leininger so far. We'll be fine.

Kodiak: I think B97 and Hydro nailed it. But not atoms.

Injuries to O-line or CB would seriously screw us.

Until proven otherwise, the O-line is the biggest question mark, followed by ILB, followed by safety. I'd be a lot more worried about the O-line if not for Coach M's track record of rehabilitating lines with less talent.

I honestly think we're a year away on D from having solid play at ILB and S. Damage control this year is the name of the game. Which means we'll need to score some points. Which means we'll need not-inconsistent Maynard. Which means we'll need solid O-line play.

I should probably say that special teams with two new starters at kicker/punter is a concern. But for some morbid reason, it isn't. Because I've already accepted that our special teams play will be ridiculously incompetent. I'm prepared. It's like a meditative trance for the perfect death. I have no confidence in the position coach. Or the lack of attention this phase of the game gets from the staff in general. So, I already know that there will be catastrophic errors at the most inopportune times. Anything mildly resembling competent play is gravy. And who doesn't like gravy?

(via Cal Bears Online)

atomsareenough: Thank goodness! When Kodiak starts to agree with me, it means we've gone through the looking glass.

unclesam22: I like gravy. And while I think everyone has valid concerns with different areas of the team, my biggest concern is their focus. This season is setting up to be a really tough one with no bye week to reset mindsets midstream. If we lose badly to tOSU and USC there is a chance that this team could go into a tailspin that they won't come out of. This is obviously worse case scenario but we all lived the 2007 debacle and we've watched a team that has been inconsistent and unfocused at some really bad times in the past couple of seasons. Some of, if not a lot of, that falls on Tedford but who else steps up as a vocal leader that rallies and focuses everyone back to the task at hand.

So yes, injuries to the O-line or CB corps would be really bad, and our ILB position is a little untested and ST are an unknown. But I think we'll muddle through in those areas. I just worry about the team as a whole falling apart early in the schedule and then not being able to bring it back in time to salvage the season.

Rebuilding or Reloading? Cal Linebackers Roundtable

Ohio Bear — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 19:00:01 -0000

When you lose your two starting inside linebackers off last year's team -- including the Pac-12 defensive player of the year -- it is inevitable to ask whether this year's linebacking corps will be able to be nearly as good. The Cal defense has had the good fortune to have good linebackers over the years. But this year's team has big shoes to fill with the departure of inside linebacking stalwarts D.J. Holt and 2011 Pac-12 defensive POTY Mychal Kendricks. How will the Cal defense adapt and move on? CGB's fearless leadership fearlessly addresses the Cal linebacker situation.

TwistNHook: The linebackers have been a strength position at Cal the last few years. Will that continue in 2012?

Kodiak: I'm afraid that we're set to take a step back this year. On the outside, we should have a nice trio of Scarlett/McCain/Whiteside with the steady Campo also in the mix. Scarlett and McCain have the potential to be incredibly disruptive and Whiteside really has a knack for rushing the passer. When we need to play coverage or assigned-based defense, Campo is very steady and does a good job spying on backs trying to sneak out late.

Inside is where I'm concerned. Right now, we have Mullins and Hurrell set to start. Neither of them have made much of an impact previously when subbed in. Most noticeably, there was a big drop when they replaced the injured MikeyMo against Nevada. The talent gap was significant enough for the coaches to shift Kendricks inside after starring on the outside. This year, we shifted Wilkerson back inside as well as Jason Gibson. Now that they're both hurt, it's Mullins/Hurrell backed up by Forbes and RS frosh Jalen Jefferson. There isn't a lot of significant playing time in this group. Khairi Fortt has experience, but won't be available for 2-3 games due to injury and may redshirt.

My concern is that our veterans may be steady, but not strong or fast enough to be consistently effective. On the other hand, our younger players may not be ready to make the right reads and get the defense in position.

I hope to be wrong, but I suspect that we're going to be particularly vulnerable in coverage and various types of mis-direction such as play-action.

(Wow, leave it to that Kodiak fellow to throw a wet blanket on things. Is he right? See what others think after the jump.)

Click here for the Cal depth chart

Ohio Bear: I am intrigued about our guys on the outside, Scarlett and McCain. With McCain, we know he is an athletic, speedy pass rusher on the outside. With Scarlett, we know that he had an outstanding training camp to launch to the top of the depth chart at OLB.

It's ILB I'm worried about. Mullins and Hurrell are the starters. These guys are veterans of the program. But as Kodiak said, neither one has been an impact player up to this point in his career. And they have big shoes to fill, replacing Pac-12 defensive POTY Mychal Kendricks and the solid D.J. Holt. We would be naive to think that we won't have a dropoff at the ILB position this year.

2011 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Mychal Kendricks: yeah, Cal will miss him.

norcalnick: The linebacking core strikes me as the most volatile unit on the team. And what I mean by that is that it wouldn't surprise me if the unit became a relative strength of the team, and it wouldn't surprise me if the unit was a weakness.

It could be a strength because I think there's lots of potential talent. I don't think we can be sure which guys will be the ones to step up, but Cal certainly isn't lacking for candidates. I think it could be a weakness because there's such a lack of experience and proven producers. Cal linebackers: the roulette table of 2012.

Vincent S: I would like to echo everyone's concerns about the ILB position. I will point out that Scarlett had one impressive highlight tape; that combination of size, speed, and power is amazing. I expect him to have a huge impact from the OLB position. I consider McCain proven at this point. On a basketball court, 6'6" is average; on the football field, that kind of reach is freakishly awesome. However, it does all go back to the ILB position. If they play their assignments well, we'll be okay. If not, it's going to be a long season.

TwistNHook: I wonder how Cecil Whiteside missing a few months will affect things?

via cdn3.sbnation.com

Cecil Whiteside making a sack against Washington State last season.

Avinash: I suspect he is out of the rotation and will not be a factor to start this season, although his talent as a pass rusher could get him back on the field at some point. He's missed a lot of playing time.

Ohio Bear: This brings to mind an interesting point. Could it be that we will see the linebacking unit improve in quality and depth later in the season? Whiteside certainly showed flashes of being a talented rush linebacker, so the Bears' defense could get a boost if he is able to play his way back. And Cal's inside linebackers could get a boost themselves when Khairi Fortt finally is game ready and gets into the rotation. Not to mention David Wilkerson, who had lots of playing team last season: if Wilkerson gets healthy, Cal gets another body with game experience to add to the mix.

HydroTech: I'm a little concerned about our linebacker situation. It seems like we're counting on a lot of guys who don't have a lot of experience. McCain is a sophomore. Likewise, Scarlett is a sophomore and doesn't have a ton of experience himself. While Mullins and Hurrell are seniors, they haven't had tons of playing time -- not like a three-year starter would, for example.

I would say that Linebackers is probably the one position on defense where I am pretty worried.

unclesam22: I'm excited to see how our young lb corps come along. I think that the talent is definitely there and with some seasoning I feel like this unit will become a dominant force for years to come. Obviously they are the key to the defense but I think that we all have plenty of reasons to be optimistic about our linebackers.

Poll

Which Cal linebacker do you expect to have a breakout year in 2012 and become the next in the succession of excellent Golden Bear LBs?

Chris McCain

80 votes

J.P. Hurrell

12 votes

Robert Mullins

3 votes

Brennan Scarlett

102 votes

Nick Forbes

20 votes

Other (tell us in the comments)

4 votes

221 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

Pac-12 Football Recruiting: The Top 10 Best Recruiting Classes of the Last 10 Years

Jack Follman — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:00:27 -0000

Recruiting experts and fans spend hours upon hours debating which schools pulled in the best recruiting class each year after national signing day, but very rarely do we go back and take a look at how these classes stacked up against each other once the signees have gotten a chance to show what they can do in college. Since the major recruiting services have started tracking the top classes online since 2002, a number of Pac-10/12 schools have pulled in classes worthy of the Top 10, with USC even pulling in the nation's most highly rated class more than once.

With 2002 a ways in the rear view mirror, it is now easy to go back and look at each class signed by every conference school for the last ten years and fully gauge how big of an impact each made for their program. After taking a look at each class signed by a Pac-10/12 school since 2002 I put together a Top 10 ranking of which classes end up featuring the best collection of players who pledged their signature to the same school on national signing day in a given year.

I was hesitant to put together this list at first, worried that it would simply be a ranking of the Top 10 classes that USC has signed since 2002, but when compiling my rankings, I was thoroughly impressed with some of the classes put together by other schools in the conference.

*Note - Obviously this list is going to favor classes less recent classes as recent classes haven't had the chance to fully establish themselves. I also decided to consider class from Utah and Colorado dating back to 2002 as opposed to only considering those that played in the Pac-10.

1. USC Class of 2003

Top Players - Reggie Bush, Ryan Kalil, Lawrence Jackson, LenDale White, Sedrick Ellis, Sam Baker, Steve Smith, John David Booty

Five first team All-American's, four first round draft picks, three second round draft picks and a Heisman, this might be the most impressive class in the history of the conference. Accurately rated by Scout as the top class in the nation for the year, it didn't take long for these guys to establish themselves and become a big part of why USC was so dominate for the next five to six years. Bush is the superstar of the class, but an offensive line of Baker and Kalil is incredibly impressive along with a defensive line that includes Jackson and Ellis - both first round picks.

2. Oregon Class of 2008

Top Players - LaMichael James, Darron Thomas, LaGarrette Blount, Jeremiah Masoli, Dion Jordan, Kenjon Barner, John Boyett, Josh Kaddu, Dewitt Stuckey, Kiko Alonso

Wow, this is like an all-star team of the recent Oregon teams that have taken the conference title home and it was not a highly regarded class when it was signed. James and Thomas have been the best QB/RB combo in team history and despite their troubles, Blount and Masoli aren't far behind on that list. Pretty amazing that all four of them were in the same class. The rest of the class is impressively rounded out by all-conference anointed standouts.

3. Stanford Class of 2008

Top Players - Andrew Luck, David DeCastro, Jonathan Martin, Chase Thomas, Delano Howell, Sam Schwartzstein, Michael Thomas, Chris Owusu, Konrad Reuland

It's not surprising that the Cardinal started their run of recent success immediately after signing this class. The signing of Luck out of Texas was an immediate sign that Jim Harbaugh knew how to recruit and meant business. Teamed with an offensive line led by the NFL bound DeCastro and Martin, Luck and the class of 2008 will go down as one of the best in Stanford history.

4. Oregon Class of 2007

Top Players - Casey Matthews, Jeff Maehl, Will Tukuafu, Kenny Rowe, David Paulson, Mark Asper, Terrell Turner, Eddie Pleasant, Carson York, Anthony Gildon, Talmadge Jackson, Darrion Weems

Another phenomenal class signed by Oregon that wasn't high regarded at the time. The defensive players in this draft have anchored Oregon in their recent success and Maehl and Paulson have been go to pass catchers for the last two seasons.

5. Cal Class of 2005

Top Players - DeSean Jackson, Tyson Alualu, Syd'Quan Thompson, Zack Follett, Desmond Bishop, Cameron Morrah, Anthony Felder, LaValle Hawkins

Cal has earned a reputation for bringing in top talent but never really being able to win with it and the fact that they didn't win more games with this huge haul that they brought in with the 2005 class is very supportive evidence for that argument. Jackson was one of the most explosive players in recent conference history and Alualu, Thompson, Follett and Bishop were All-Conference stalwarts.

6. USC Class of 2008

Top Players - Matt Kalil, Tyron Smith, Jurrell Casey, Nick Perry, Curtis McNeal, Khaled Holmes, T.J. Bryant, Wes Horton

You can't get much of a better offensive tackle combo than Kalil and Smith along with a defensive line that features Casey and Perry. Unfortunately for the Trojans, I feel like because of redshirts, these guys' career have been spaced out and they were never able to get on the same page. However, a few of the guys still have a chance to improve the legacy of the class even more as they are still on the team.

7. Cal Class of 2007

Top Players - Jahvid Best, Cameron Jordan, Mitchell Schwartz, Shane Vereen, Bryan Anger, D.J. Holt, Chris Conte, Sean Cattouse, Matt Summers-Gavin, Justin Cheadle

More confusing evidence as to how Cal brings in NFL talented guys and yet cannot seem to ever win as much as they should. With two running backs who went in the first two rounds of the draft and a bevy of offensive linemen, including second round pick Schwartz, this class also featured Anger who just went in the third round of the draft and Jordan who was a first rounder.

8. USC Class of 2004

Top Players - Dwayne Jarrett, Fred Davis, Keith Rivers, Deuce Lutui, Chilo Rachal, Jeff Byers

This is where the classes start to fall off a bit, but Jarrett was a two time All-American and Davis was the best tight end at USC for the last decade. Lutui and Rachal were All-Conference linemen and Rivers was an All-American despite not being as well known as some of the other USC linebackers of the era.

9. USC Class of 2007

Top Players - Kristofer O'Dowd, Joe McKnight, Ronald Johnson, Everson Griffen, Da'John Harris, Chris Galippo, Marc Tyler, Rhett Ellison

Each of these guys seemed to fall a little short of their sky high expectations coming out of high school, but nonetheless each made their mark as Trojans. McKnight and Johnson were two of the better playmakers on USC squads that were lacking big play guys, O'Dowd was one of the better centers in the country during his junior and senior season and Griffen, Harris and Galippo were solid players on defense.

10. Utah Class of 2005

Top Players - Zane Beadles, Sean Smith, Koa Misi, Brice McClain, Tony Bergstrom

Some of the key pieces of the Utah team that beat Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl and brought the program's success to the eyes of the national media and fans a few years before they joined the conference.

Poll

The best recruiting class of the past decade in the Pac-10/Pac-12 was....

USC 2003

233 votes

Oregon 2008

296 votes

Stanford 2008

21 votes

Oregon 2007

13 votes

Cal 2005

32 votes

Another recruiting class

26 votes

621 votes | Poll has closed

Justin Cheadle To Chiefs, Ernest Owusu To Vikings, Giorgio Tavecchio To 49ers, Anthony Miller To Broncos, Michael Calvin To Falcons, DJ Holt To Redskins, Sean Cattouse To Chargers

Avinash Kunnath — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:29:07 -0000

Time for the NFL to start scooping up undrafted players in free agency, and already a couple of Bears have been signed as UFAs.

Justin Cheadle is getting a chance with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Justin Cheadle getting his shot! RT @SirJCheadle: Kansas City Chief!#leggoo and the road begins :)
— GoldenBlogs (@GoldenBlogs) April 28, 2012

Ernest Owusu will join his teammate Trevor Guyton with the Minnesota Vikings.

SICK! RT @wus_as_a_goose: Excited to be a #MinnesotaViking with my teammate @TrevG92 #PurpleSwag
— GoldenBlogs (@GoldenBlogs) April 29, 2012

No official confirmation, but Giorgio Tavecchio's old teammate Jed Barnett did congratulate his fellow kicker about being signed by the 49ers.

UPDATE: Confirmed.

Giorgio Tavecchio confirms he's been offered UDFA contract by 49ers. Strong leg, could compete for job. Akers is good, but getting up in age
— John Breech (@johnbreech) April 29, 2012

Michael Calvin is headed to join up with Thomas DeCoud with the Falcons, reports his former teammate Jeremy Ross.

@TwentyAte28 aye bruh, take care of my Lil bruh @Mike_Calvin11 , he got picked up as a free Agent to the Falcons
— Jeremy Ross (@J_Ross_10) April 29, 2012

Anthony Miller gets a chance to catch passes from Peyton Manning with the Broncos.

Excited to get picked up by the #Broncos
— AnthonyMiller (@A_Millertime80) April 29, 2012

D.J. Holt apparently has joined RGIII in Washington.

Hearing DJ Holt to the Washington Redskins.
— Ryan Gorcey (@RGBearTerritory) April 29, 2012

And Sean Cattouse is going to the Bolts.

Cal S Sean Cattouse has agreed with the Chargers, agent Josh Arnold told PFW.
— Mike Wilkening (@mikewilkening) April 29, 2012

More updates to come when signings are announced.

Golden Nuggets: Cal Punter Bryan Anger Is Certain He Will Be Drafted

Berkelium97 — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:30:02 -0000

Punters don't often get drafted, but that's not going to stop Bryan Anger from holding a draft party on Saturday. At this point, the question is not whether he'll get drafted but how soon someone will steal the nation's top punting prospect.

"I think I'm the top guy that's going to go," Anger said of his place among punters in the draft. "I'm pretty much guaranteed to get drafted."

In reality, there's no such thing. Over the past six years, teams have drafted an average of only two punters per year. Just one was taken in 2011. Teams usually prefer to wait until after the draft, then sign a free agent at the position.

But Anger and Cal special teams coach Jeff Genyk are convinced this year will be different.

Anger is the consensus No. 1 punter among a half-dozen online mock drafts, and both CBS Sports and NFL Draft Scout project him to go in the third or fourth rounds.

Genyk said one NFL special teams coach told him Anger is the best college punter prospect in nine years.
...
Genyk said the quality that has NFL teams interested is Anger's ability to adjust to the situation. He said that was a key to Cal improving to seventh nationally last fall in net team punting average.

"A lot of that was Bryan's willingness to not think about how far he could punt the ball, but strategically how he could punt it ... how high, hang time, away from returners," Genyk said. "I think he improved his stock with scouts. They could see he was able to modify his punts to suit the situation."

After the jump the mock drafts start trickling in and water polo alum Mike Sample saves a man from drowning in the Bay.

Football

How can the Buffalo Bills earn an A in the upcoming NFL Draft? Drafting Mychal Kendricks in the third round helps.
Mel Kiper regrades the 2011 NFL Draft. Chris Conte was mentioned as Chicago's most productive pick while Cameron Jordan's limited success as a pass rusher makes Kiper wonder if his ceiling is not as high as initially thought.
Faraudo has more draft profiles: Marvin Jones and Mychal Kendricks.
Faraudo teamed up with Jon Wilner to create NFL Draft projections for all the Bay Area talent. They project Kendricks and Schwartz in the third round, Jones in the fourth, Anger in the seventh, and Trevor Guyton, D.J. Campbell, Ernest Owusu, and D.J. Holt as free agents.
NFL.com projects all 253 picks in the draft. Mychal Kendricks (2nd round, 52nd overall) goes to Tennessee, Mitchell Schwartz (3rd round, 67th overall) joins Alex Mack in Cleveland, Trevor Guyton (4th round, 110th overall) heads south to San Diego, Marvin Jones (4th round, 122nd overall) heads to Nawlins, Bryan Anger (5th round, 143rd overall) goes to Carolina, D.J. Campbell (6th round, 183rd overall) becomes the second Bear drafted by San Diego, and Ernest Owusu (7th round, 242nd overall) is the seventh and final Bear drafted as he joins the New York Jets.
ProFootballWeekly has its list of top-100 draft prospects: Schwartz is 55, Kendricks is 61st (and called a "mighty mouse 'backer with NFL explosion"), Guyton is 88 (and called a "tough, consistent, dependable performer"), and Jones is 92. Both Kendricks and Guyton are deemed underrated compared to how well they will perform in the NFL.
Pac-12 Network negotiations continue as the network is only four months from launch. Wilner has more on the network, including some hiring news and expected timelines for various announcements.

Softball

Baseball

The Bears completed a sweep of Utah.

Water Polo

Mike Sample was honored by the Red Cross for saving a man from drowning. Sample was on the Blue and Gold Ferry at Angel Island when he noticed a kayak had flipped over. Sample leapt into action and saved the man's life.

Volleyball

Joan Caloiaro transferred from University of San Francisco to Cal. A two-year starter and WCC All-Freshman Team member, she will fit in finely according to Coach Feller.

Gymnastics

Glen Ishino's NCAA Title earned him the Muscle Milk Student Athlete of the Week honors.

Golf

CalBears.com has a variety of questions to help us get to know senior Daniela Holmqvist.

Matt Kalil NFL Draft Scouting Report: USC Pass Protection vs. Cal, Part I

Avinash Kunnath — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:01:23 -0000

Former USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil doesn't overwhelm you when you watch him with his athleticism. But he's so solid fundamentally it's hard to find any marks that really detract from his performance. Let's take a look at the tape at one of his games last season against Cal. This first post looks at his first quarter pass protection.

Matt Kalil vs California 2011 (via JmpasqDraftjedi)

0:04: #44 Dave Wilkerson is trying to shoot the gap on Kali's inside to get to Barkley early, but Kalil is having none of it, getting assistance from his left guard #66 Marcus Martin to double-team Wilkerson and allow Barkley the time to deliver the outside route to his receiver.

0:10: #92 Trevor Guyton's turn to shoot the inside gap on Kalil, and again Martin has to come in and provide the double-team and contain. That does allow the Cal LB to swing to the outside and shoot the gap to get to Barkley, but not in enough time before Barkley gets the throw off.

0:16: Perfect man pass protection technique to deal with edge rushers. Kalil has active feet, keeps his body anchored and moving toward the outside instead of engaging #40 OLB Chris McCain too early or ignoring him. When Chris McCain does start curving toward Barkley, Kalil has covered enough range to push him off his original pressure.

0:23: Slide pass protection here to cover the linebackers anchored toward the right side of the formation. Kalil's original assignment #95 Ernest Owusu stunts toward the inside and finds a gap, so Kalil's new responsibility is the rushing Mychal Kendricks, who Kalil pushes into the help (the RB), then when Kendricks comes back his way, Kalil pushes him twice and out of the play.

0:29: More excellent man pass protection. With the athletic Wilkerson trying to press him back, Kalil keeps bending forward in his stance and blocks the linebacker totally out of the play without missing a beat. Wilkerson does a good job fighting, but there's no passing the Trojan OT.

0:38: Kalil does nothing real wrong on the play. He forces #95 Ernest Owusu to the outside of his body, and keeps him squared outside and away from his quarterback. Cal just manages better defensive scheming to break it up. The right side of the line slides to protect what looks like two rushers, leaving 3 Trojans on 2 Bears. When the LG and RB block the original blitzing linebacker #3 D.J. Holt, Kendricks has a free path to the quarterback, and he makes contact.

0:45: Kalil does exactly what he needs to do on the swing pass; unleash the cut block to take the OLB Wilkerson, making sure the running back doesn't have to be worried about being tracked from behind in the backfield.

0:57: More slide pass protection, this time preventing #43 Dan Camporeale from shooting the gap and getting to Barkley in the backfield.

1:06: This time sells the run by pulling and blocking out the OLB Wilkerson and keeping him away from Barkley, although he really isn't a factor to be sacked on this quick-hitting play, it's good see Kalil insert himself squarely between his quarterback and the defender.

1:13: Owusu tries to get past him. Kalil just pushes him back and forces him to think about another way to go. Payne stumbles into him. Kalil easily contains him.

So far, so good for the Trojans left tackle. The pass protection just looks real solid through one quarter.

Golden Nuggets: Ron Gould Grooms the Next Generation of Stellar Cal Running Backs

Berkelium97 — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:30:09 -0000

With Isi Sofele firmly entrenched as the starter and CJ Anderson sidelined with an injury, all eyes are on Brendan Bigelow and Daniel Lasco. If spring ball is any indicator, the future at running back is bright.

The highlight was seeing Bigelow take a handoff on a red zone drill, plant his foot, lower his pads and burst up the middle toward the goal line. When he tried to extend the ball over the goal line, however, the ball squirted loose, much to the displeasure of running backs coach Ron Gould.

"It was a nice run but a poor finish," Gould said. "If he keeps improving and holds onto the ball, he will (have an impact in the fall). If not, he'll be standing on the sidelines with me. There's a level of expectation these guys have to play at. Anything less is not acceptable."

Said Bigelow, "Coach G is something else. He's a great coach, though."
...

While the 5-foot-10 Bigelow is a speedster, fellow tailback Daniel Lasco brings more power at 6-1 and 204 pounds. He, too, is trying to show the coaches that he deserves a few carries this season.

"I can't wait until fall comes," said Lasco, a redshirt freshman. "I'm taking all the things Coach G taught me. I want to help the team out as much as possible, whether that's at running back or on special teams."

Lasco sat out Saturday's practice with a sore hamstring and had to watch as Bigelow came up big, especially on the run in which he lost the ball at the goal line.

"He's finally learning to get his pads down and he's using his speed to advantage," Lasco said. "He's going to be a sight to see."

After the jump the women's swimming team brings home two of the NCAA's most coveted awards, Mychal Kendricks prepares to visit a long list of suitors, and one lucky fan will get a chance to call a play at Cal's open practice at the end of the month.

Football

Tired of the way Tedford and Coach M are calling plays? Call one yourself! One fan will get this opportunity during the spring game.
Mychal Kendricks will visit Houston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Baltimore, and Atlanta.
Uncle Ted was in Berkeley over the weekend to watch the Bears' practice. He posts his recap and notes. He also has video interviews with Jeff Tedford and Zach Maynard.
Redshirt freshman Jason Gibson embraces the opportunity to try to fill in for Kendricks and D.J. Holt.
Sandy Barbour talks about finishing the stadium in time for the season opener against Nevada. Everything is going according to schedule and only a disaster would prevent the Bears from playing in New Memorial on September 1st.
Want to see CJ Anderson's dislocated thumb? You won't after clicking this.

Baseball

The Bears suffered an embarrassing 19-6 loss in the opener against Stanford.

Softball

CalBears interviews pitcher Jocelyn Forest of the championship-winning 2002 team. She pitched a one-hitter to win the championship game against Arizona and was a perfect 8-0 in the postseason that year.

Swimming

The NCAA named Teri McKeever its women's Coach of the Year and Caitlyn Leverenz was named Swimmer of the Year. Caitlyn is also in the running to be named the U.S. Sports Academy's March 2012 Female Athlete of the Month.

Tennis

Nick Andrews was named Pac-12 Player of the Week.

Water Polo

Breda Vosters' four goals in the upset over no. 1 UCLA earned her the Muscle Milk Student Athlete of the Week award.