Cal's Starting Lineup - A Recruiting Ranking Perspective (Defense)

We’re continuing on in our look at our starting lineup for Saturday according to their recruiting rankings as high school players. Remember to read my explanation in my post about the offense, and keep in mind, this is for entertainment purposes only.

Now on to the defense.

Defense

DE - Ernest Owusu
Rivals: 3 stars (Ranking NA)
Scout: 3 stars

NT - Kendrick Payne
Rivals: 2 stars (Ranking NA)
Scout: 2 stars (Ranking NA)

DE - Cameron Jordan
Rivals: 3 stars (Ranked #37 at position)
Scout: 3 stars (Ranked #55 at position)

OLB - Mychal Kendricks
Rivals: 3 stars (Ranked #45 at position)
Scout: 3 stars (Ranked #29 at position)

MLB - Mike Mohamed
Rivals: 2 stars (Ranking NA)

MLB - DJ Holt
Rivals: 3 stars (Ranked #21 at position)
Scout: 4 stars (Ranked #11 at position)

OLB - Keith Browner
Rivals: 3 stars (Ranked #22 at DE position)
Scout: 3 stars (Ranked #44 at DE position)

DB - Darian Hagan
Rivals: 4 stars (Ranked #5 at position)
Scout: 4 stars (Ranked #5 at position)

DB - Marc Anthony
Rivals: 4 stars (Ranked #14 at position)
Scout: 3 stars (Ranked #40 at position)

Safety - Josh Hill
Rivals: 2 stars (Ranking NA)
Scout: 2 stars (Ranking #164)

Safety - Chris Conte
Rivals: 4 stars (Ranked #21 at position)
Scout: 3 stars (Ranked #65 at position)

-or –

Sean Cattouse
Rivals: 3 stars (Ranked #50 at position)
Scout: 3 stars (Ranked #53 at position)

-or-

DJ Campbell
Rivals: 3 stars (Ranked #58 at position)
Scout: 3 stars (Ranked #75 at position)

A few observations and thoughts after the jump.


Observations

- Compared to the offense, the defense looks fairly underwhelming when you look at the recruiting rankings. Most units average about 3 stars, with the lone exception being the defensive backs.

- Speaking of the defensive backs, you got like the combination of 4 star DBs in Hagan and Anthony. Hagan in particular was a prized recruit out of Crenshaw, and I remember how I excited I was when he chose the Cal hat. You also have to like the depth with 4 star Steve Williams waiting to snatch one of the starting spots. Williams was the biggest DB get since Hagan.

- I think the defensive line is Cal’s strongest unit on defense, although you wouldn’t really know it by the star ratings. Kendrick Payne was a mere 2 star recruit but has overtaken senior (and then 4-star recruit) Derrick Hill for the starting spot. While Owusu has flashed potential, look out for Deandre Coleman, a prized 4 star recruit who may end up as the starter when it’s all said and done this season.

- It gets a little harrier with the linebackers, and ironically the lowest rated backer is Cal’s unequivocal leader on defense in Mike Mohamed. After that, it’s a lot of question marks with 3 star Kendricks, Browner, and Holt all needing to step up this year. There had been a noticeable dropoff in linebacker recruiting up until last year’s class, which featured Nick Forbes, David Wilkerson, Cecil Whiteside, Chris McCain, all 4 star recruits. McCain and Whiteside are greyshirting, but look for Wilkerson and Forbes getting into the mix. Wilkerson may even end up starting a few games down the line.

- Though few players jump out too much, one has got to hope that this is far more the case of players being less regarded according to the recruiting rankings and still outperforming expectations. However, it does seem to fall into the general theme of the defense as a whole having a number of question marks. While there are a few star players in Jordan and Mohamed, everyone else will have a bit to show to be at least “serviceable” or “solid.”