Spring Preview: Tight Ends

(The coaching staff will need Hagan to step up among others.)

The team is on Spring Break right now which coincides with the short hiatus I took from blogging. While they're away, we keep chugging along with the next unit: the tight end group.

2011 Position Wrap-Up
After a solid sophomore campaign, departed senior Anthony Miller never seemed to get quite back to the level that most expected him to perform at. Miller caught just 26 passes for 263 yards and 3 TDs. While much of it was a product of Cal's offense that focused less on the tight ends in the passing game, needless to say, Cal's TEs were not a huge part of the offense last year.

The only other tight end to record any stats was Spencer Hagan, the converted WR turned H-Back. Hagan was asked to make the switch due to a lack of depth at the position, and was a pleasant surprise for a guy who had been a walk-on WR just the year prior. Hagan caught 12 passes for 94 yards and 2 TDs, including a TD catch in the Big Game. His hard work and commitment to the team led him earning a scholarship, capping off a nice story.

Other than that, tight end productivity was nowhere to be seen, with Spencer Ladner no longer a part of the program. And no, he ain't coming back either.


Spring Preview
With all that that said, Anthony Miller's presence will certainly be missed this year. Due to some recruiting misses this past recruiting cycle, the Bears will be featuring a group of talented, but untested players.

The coaching staff is expecting sophomores Jacob Wark and Richard Rodgers to step up into Miller's role as the primary tight end.

Wark is a big body at 6'4, 265 pounds, and was praised by the coaching staff his freshman year for his blocking abilities, and actually played as a true frosh before injuring himself in the first game of the season. His hands have been inconsistent though, so he may be a better fit as the blocking tight end in two tight end sets.

Richard Rodgers may be the favorite to slide into Miller's spot, as he features the same prototypical tight end size, but with nice pass catching abilities as well. Rodgers played as a true freshman, but was relegated to special teams as he struggled to pick up Cal's blocking schemes. Rodgers has admitted that the blocking game was a struggle for him last year, but has put the time in the weight room as well as familiarizing himself with the offense.

As for Hagan, the junior has continued to put on weight, and stands at a respectable 6'5 225 pounds. While he'll likely never be big enough to be a true tight end, he'll see plenty of playing time this year in the H-back role. He plays with nice pad level, and though he rarely dominates defenders, he usually holds his own. Look for Hagan to continue to be an asset in passing downs or in the blocking game.

Much like last year, the depth at tight end will be a huge issue. Don't expect a dramatic jump in terms of productivity, and despite my high hopes for Rodgers and Hagan, it's too premature to assume tight end numbers to spike dramatically.

In fact, at this stage in the game, most fans would likely be okay with the tight ends not falling off the map or becoming a complete liability in the blocking game. It's all you can really ask for with two schollie tight ends and an H-back.
Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Cal First Spring Practice Video 2012

Liking what Cal's Athletic Marketing Department has been churning out the past few days in terms of videos. The first video recaps the Bears' first rainy practice. It makes your ordinary practice look flat out epic, though part of it could be the first fresh football footage in over three months.

I'll take it.



Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Spring Preview: Offensive Line

(Dreaming of a return to dominance)

Cal's first Spring Practice was postponed to Thursday due to weather. Good call. Teams only get 15 during the spring, and you want to make sure you get good quality work in.

That don't stop me though. The only thing that does is laziness or apathy. Shooo...

Let's take a look at the offensive line.

2011 Position Wrap Up
By and large the offensive line seemed to be an improvement over 2010’s squad. During the last few regular season games, the Bears seemed to exude some of the tenacity that made offensive line coach Jim Michalczik’s squads famous.

Yet a closer look at the numbers makes you think otherwise.


Cal’s allowed a mediocre 28 sacks (2.15 per game for 73rd in the nation). This was actually a drop from former O-line coach Steve Marshall’s 2010 number (1.92).

And despite solid numbers from new starting RB Isi Sofele, the Bears posted their worst team rushing performance in nearly a decade, averaging just 154.85 rushing yards per game.

The unit also lacked the type of focus and discipline you’d expect from a Michalczik squad. The Bears were flagged an astounding 98 times, often times due to the offensive line’s false starts, clipping, or holding calls.

Moreover, the Bears’ offensive line was exposed as being at best mediocre when facing off against talented front sevens such as was the case against Texas in the Holiday Bowl.

So again while there were some encouraging moments, it was evident to everyone that line was still a work in progress, even by the season’s end.

With four-year starting blindside tackle Mitchell Schwartz off to the NFL, and the graduation of senior guard Justin Cheadle, the Bears look ahead to Year 2 of Coach M’s rebuilding project, looking to take major steps forward.

Spring Preview
There’s a lot of uncertainty behind the positions and a lot of possible shufflings. It’s almost like a really bad problem, of all the different permutations and/or combinations.

The biggest question will be who replace Schwartz’ position at left tackle. In terms of upper classmen, Bill Tyndall and Tyler Rigsbee were both the backups last year and will likely have the first shot. JUCO Junior Matt Williams hopes to earn some playing time after spending his redshirt season putting on some much needed weight and learning to deal with elite defensive linemen. And don’t count out redshirt freshman Brian Farley who walked on last year and reportedly impressed with the scout team.

An intriguing wildcard is early enrollee Christian Okafor who will be joining the team from spring practice. The “kid” is already 6’6, 315 pounds and is pretty much a grown ass man. He’ll need to catch on with the offense, but the coaches seem optimistic about his ability to learn quickly.

Bears’ fans will have to wait until the fall for freshman Freddie Tagaloa, another 300+ pounder with 6’7 size. The Salesian star has drawn the praise of nearly every coach that has come his way.

Matt-Summers Gavin is likely to man the other tackle spot. The returning senior starter just might be the Bears’ best offensive lineman, but he’s still not a natural fit at the tackle position. While he’s best suited as a guard, the Bears have far more depth in the interior, and will likely need his experience manning the right side of the line.

The guard and center position is where things get a bit more fluid. Brian Schwenke is likely to hold on to the left guard spot, but there’s a huge battle for the spot vacated by RG Justin Cheadle.

The coaches have been high on Alejandro Crosthwaite for a while, and I wonder if he’ll get any consideration at the tackle position given their need there.

Geoff Gibson is an absolute load, and has spent last season molding his 6’3, (now) 313 pound frame, and getting used to the speed of the game.

Also, don’t forget redshirt freshman OG Jordan Rigsbee who was the Bears’ best offensive lineman recruit just a year ago.

Sophomore Chris Adcock might actually be a favorite for the position, but he’ll be snapping the ball as a center, along with Mark Brazinski, with starter Dominic Galas missing his second spring due to injury.

Speaking of Galas, one could spend a bit of time speculating where he’ll end up. He certainly displays a lot of the tenacity and aggression you like to see from an o-lineman, but his snaps were all over the place all season. The coaching staff could consider moving Galas to the guard spot to make way for incoming freshman Matthew Cochran, who is likely the Bears’ center of the future. But at just 6’1, 286 pounds, you wonder whether he’d be able to handle the conference’s best defensive linemen.

The possibilities are endless. And that’s not even with addressing the rumor of seeing DE Gabe King at tackle. Say What?

Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Spring Preview: Wide Receiver

(No Spring Ball for Keenan Allen)

As Spring Ball starts up today, we take a look at the unit with the most immediate depth issues, the wide receiver corps.

2011 Position Wrap Up
While it would be inaccurate to label 2011 “the Keenan Allen Show,” one would be hardpressed to find many other suitable titles. With his brother slinging him the ball, Allen had one of the best single seasons ever by a Cal receiver, catching 98 passes for 1,343 yards. The only downside was his mere 6 TDs, but make no mistake, Allen established himself as one of the best pass-catching athletes in the nation. Allen earned 1st Team All-Conference honors to cap off a remarkable year.

Overshadowed a bit by Allen’s gaudy numbers was Marvin Jones senior season, which could be described as nothing less than solid, as had come to be expected of the consistent senior. Jones racked up a career-best 846 yards to go with his three touchdowns, and will likely find himself as a mid-round selection in next month’s NFL Draft.

Combined, Allen and Jones represented the best receiving duo the Bears had since Brian Treggs and Sean Dawkins in the early 90s.


Senior Michael Calvin performed admirably as the third wide receiver, catching 20 passes for 269 yards and his first and only collegiate touchdown. Not mind-blowing numbers by any means, but a nice end for a player who had been plagued by injuries for most of his collegiate career.

If there could be any knocks on the receiving corps, it’d be the lack of receiving scores and the lack of depth. The Bears racked up a solid number of yards, but their top three receivers combined for only 10 touchdowns all year. This was reflective of Cal’s offense as a whole, which often sputtered inside the red zone.

Also, the Bears’ lack of depth at the wide receiver corps was also apparent, with just two receivers (Quinn Tedford and Bryce McGovern) recording any other catches (2). This may not be too much of an issue given Jones and Allen’s productivity, but it provides immediate issues for Spring Ball.

Spring Preview
Last week, it was announced that Keenan Allen had injured his ankle and would need surgery, missing Spring Ball. Not too big of a deal given that Allen was likely going to see limited reps anyway.

But the Bears’ lack of depth at the wide receiver corps presents some mighty concerns. The Bears’ current WR group consists of redshirt freshman Maurice Harris (cousin of Keenan Allen and Zach Maynard), walk-ons Bryce McGovern, Jackson Bouza, and Stephen Anderson. That’s it. Oh, and maybe RS sophomore Terrance Montgomery, but I’ve seriously heard nothing about him in the last few years.

That’s a combined two career catches heading into Spring Ball. This just presents immediate challenges, even if they’re simply logistical ones. How do you run a scrimmage between the first, second and third team units with just four receivers? The Bears will have to be creative, and I’ve heard that redshirt freshman Joel Willis is likely to be converted to a WR at this point.

The good news is that the depth is likely to be just a temporary issue. The coaching staff did a fantastic job of addressing their WR concerns during the recruiting offseason, adding five talented WRs who will be arriving in the Fall: 5-Star recruit Bryce Treggs, 4-star recruits Darius Powe, Cedriz Dozier, Kenny Lawler, and three-star Chris Harper. We’re likely to see at least three of those players see immediate playing time, with one possibly having the opportunity to start.

Still, it would have been nice to have at least one of those guys enroll early for everyone’s sake.

It’ll be interesting to follow Spring Ball, but don’t be surprised to hear reports of the passing game completely flopping this Spring. The Bears simply don’t have the manpower. For now.

Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Spring Preview: Runningback

(Is Daniel Lasco ready? image:Scout.com)

We’re continuing on with our look at each unit in preparation for spring ball. Next up, runningback.

2011 Position Wrap Up
Isi Sofele was the unquestioned starter all season, dating back to his claiming the position outright during spring ball. Many Cal fans had clammy hands about the notion, not sold on Sofele’s ability or size as an every down back.

“He’s too small!” said one Cal fan.

“He doesn’t have Jahvid speed!” said another on Tightwad.

“Or Marshawn strength!” claimed an EECS major at Foothill.

But none of it seemed to matter, as Sofele surpassed nearly everyone’s expectations but his own, and rushed for 1,322 yards and 10 TDs with a solid 5.25 ypc. Sofele earned all-conference honorable mention, and a spot on Ted Miller’s All-Conference Underrated Team.


More than anything, Sofele seemed to get better as the year wore on. His vision for running lanes became visibly better, as did his ability to make moves in the open field. While he didn’t consistently take it to the house on long runs, he did show he was able to beat the edge for large gains. He also showed impressive strength for his size, making contact with impact and showing less of a propensity to go down at first contact.

Like Maynard, Sofele had his best stretch of performances in the last four games, averaging 142 yards per game with a 6.5 ypc. Like Maynard though, his performance dropped off in the Holiday Bowl, but any Cal fan will tell you that the offensive line struggled mightily in that game.

There’s no doubt that there remain fans who question Sofele’s ability when compared to previous Cal backs, but few can question his productivity. Want a comparison? Joe Igber, Marshawn Lynch, Shane Vereen. All names of great Cal backs that Sofele has had better season statistics than.

Juco transfer CJ Anderson also emerged as a solid option. Much like previous Juco transfers, Anderson became better over the course of the season as his conditioning and knowledge of the offense improved. Anderson provided a stark contrast to Sofele, showing far greater physicality and size.

CJA gained 342 yards and 8 TDS with a 4.72 ypc and became a solid option in short yardage situation as well as in the passing game. Anderson’s pass catching ability was probably the area that surprised me the most, with Anderson catching just 7 passes but earning 186 yards on those catches, including a memorable 74 yard catch and dash against ASU. If Anderson can improve his pass blocking, he’ll become the ideal 3rd down back.

As a whole, Cal’s rushing offense improved moderately from the previous season, but is still a ways away from being the dominant rushing attack Cal fans had come to expect during the mid 2000s. Make no mistake about it though, there are many encouraging signs.

Spring Preview
Fortunately, there are far fewer questions at the RB spot. Sofele is likely to be limited in Spring ball, to avoid unnecessary injuries and to increase the reps between the other backs.

While the seniors, CJ Anderson and Covaughn Deboskie Johnson will see their share of carries, the coaching staff likely knows what they’re going to get with those back by now.

They’re likely far more interested with the progress of redshirt freshman Daniel Lasco and Brendon Bigelow.

I’ve long been a big fan of Daniel Lasco and have been intrigued by his combination of speed and size. You just don’t see a 6’1 back with 4.4 speed too often. Lasco redshirted last year, and rightly so, to put some muscle on his already impressive 190 pound frame. The last I heard, Lasco was at 200-205 pound mark, and should be creeping around 210 pounds of solid muscle when Fall camp starts.

As the Offensive Scout Player of the Year, Lasco impressed against the first team defense, so much so that the coaching staff has gone on record in praising him in recent media appearances. Tedford has stated that he’d be first up to get reps after Sofele, possibly splitting second-string reps with CJA. With three senior runningbacks on the roster, I don’t anticipate Lasco dominating this year statistically, but I’d reckon he’ll make the very best of his opportunities this season and in Spring Ball.

Another to look out for will be sophomore Brendon Bigelow. The high school phenom played sparingly his last season, trying to recover physically and mentally from his two torn ACL injuries from high school.

While some may question whether it was prudent for Bigelow to use a year of eligibility on just 6 carries for 25 yards and kickoff returns. I do think Bigelow needed as much time on the field as the situation permitted however, as getting over two potentially career-ending injuries is no small task.

In my humble opinion, the coaches just need to let it rip with Bigelow. Give him 10-15 carries a scrimmage between the tackles, and just let him go. He needs to get his feet underneath him so that the coaches can really get a fair sense of whether he is ready. If not, the team has plenty of options ready for this year, but it’s in everyone’s best interest that Bigelow gets his confidence back his sophomore season.

Trajaun Briggs and Dasarte Yarnway are also likely to see reps, but neither have been healthy enough to instill too much confidence. Darren Ervin and Mike Manuel also round off the list of backs who will carry the rock a few times in Spring Ball.

Read the rest of the post and comments here >>

Spring Preview: Quarterback

(Will Maynard be looking over his shoulder this season? (Daily Cal))

We’re taking a look at each unit as the team prepares for Spring Camp which starts up March 14th and ends on April 21st.

We start with the most scrutinized position in all of football, the quarterback spot.

2011 Position Wrap-up
Most praise and blame fell on the shoulders of newly anointed starter Zach Maynard. The junior transfer from went through a series of ups and downs throughout the season, finishing the year with the highest passing yardage total (2,990) since 2006. He completed 57% of his passes, with just 17 TDs to 12 INTs, and a 126.98 passer rating, good for just 8th in the conference. Statistically, Maynard’s numbers were actually the best since Nate Longshore’s solid sophomore campaign, but many Cal fans still found themselves pulling their hair at the enigmatic signal caller’s inconsistency.

Maynard started the year on a tear, throwing 9 TDs to just 3 INTs in his first three games with a 142.8 passer rating.

Then during the Bears’ three game losing streak, the passer rating fell to 110.8, with just 2 TDs to 3 INTs during the span. All three interceptions came against USC, with opposing Trojan players claiming that Maynard had been telegraphing his throws all game.

Maynard rebounded well enough against Utah, but had his worst game of the year against a mediocre UCLA defense, throwing 0 TDs and 4 INTs. The performance had many Cal fans demanding the end of the Zach Maynard experiment.


Tedford stuck with his quarterback however, and the team and Maynard appeared to prove him right as the Bears responded by winning three of their final four regular season games, including a near upset of Stanford. Maynard shined during stretch, completing 68 percent of his passes, tossing 5 TDs to just 1 INT and a 154 passer rating.

By the end of the season, I stated:

“(of ASU) It's the type of performance Cal fans had hoped they would get from Maynard, an athlete with an ability to make plays. Most unfairly expected this performance from Maynard right from the season's get go, and many had lost faith in both Maynard and the coaching staff after some very painful growing pains in bad losses to Oregon, USC and UCLA.

Yet, credit Coach Tedford and Coach Arroyo for continuing to stick with and develop Maynard. Tedford and Coach Kiesau have done a much better job in the second half of the season in finding a formula that works for both Maynard and the offense. They've seen enough progress from the running game to help develop Maynard into a game manager, calling plays that suit his strengths as an athlete and passer.

And credit Zach Maynard for his growth and maturity this year. The guy is unflappable, and has bounced back from some tough games and criticism to really come on strong towards the end of the year. You can see his understanding of the offense, and his ability to go through his pre-snap checks improving with each game. If he can continue his growth, you have to feel a lot better about this offense moving forward.”

And all seemed good until the Bears stumbled against Texas in the Holiday Bowl. Maynard threw 0 TDs and an interception against a staunch Texas defense, and the offense as a whole fell apart in a disheartening end to the season.

Spring Preview
So after all the ups and downs, with a apparent upward projection, the Bears’ faceplant against Texas seemingly dropped Maynard back to square one, at least in many fans’ eyes. Few seem to be sold that Maynard is the answer, though few seem to know who else exactly to be clamoring for.

Most of that is due to the fact that Maynard has shown flashes of brilliance throughout the season, though some of the doubt can be attributed to the lack of evidence in favor of any of the other candidates.

It seems the job is indeed Maynards’ to lose. In Coach Tedford’s press conference, Tedford cited Maynard’s progress throughout the season:
"He really started managing the game well; he let the game come to him. He was smart with the football in terms of not turning it over. He needs to continue to understand the speed of the game. I think he's taken big steps in understanding what we're doing on offense, and now I think through his experience, he understands how to manage the game. When he did that, he played really well for us."

In an interesting possible twist however, I am hearing whispers that Maynard may or may not be academically eligible for the first four games of next season. The official line is that “as of now,” there aren’t any changes, but most presume that is because there has been no official ruling, only a tacit understanding of what will indeed happen unless Maynard is able to successfully complete a number of units in the Spring and Fall quarters.

So it seems there may be increased opportunities for the four other candidates to show off what they can do. The first at bat will be junior Allan Bridgford who saw his first collegiate snaps as a backup last year. It was visible that Bridgford was inexperienced, but did appear to show decent accuracy on a number of his throws. There are still some questions about whether Bridgford had fully recovered from his shoulder surgery which sidelined him for over a year, and whether he was physically capable of handling the punishment a Pac-12 QB usually endures throughout the season. Bridgford, in response though, has reportedly been putting in his time in the weight room.

RS sophomore Austin Hinder RS freshman Kyle Boehm are both two big, athletic QBs who have looked impressive in their limited reps in previous camps. Both will have an uphill battle in knocking off either Maynard or Bridgford, but neither can be completely ruled out.

The true wild card might be heralded recruit QB Zach Kline. The Gatorade CA Player of the Year is about as accomplished of a HS recruit as Tedford has ever had, and few QB prospects for the Bears have had as much hype or as much expected of him by fans as Kline.

Kline graduated early and enrolled this Spring in hopes of getting a leg up in acclimating to college and begin working with the offense.

Tedford appears to recognize his talent but seems wary of placing too high expectations on the youngster.

"While he is a gifted guy, I think we have to be careful about putting too much pressure on him. He's a talent and working really hard. I'm glad he's here this spring so he can get some experience under his belt."

I fully expect Kline to impress in his limited reps, while still showing signs of youth. Very rarely does a true freshman beat out four other upperclassmen, especially before the season starts. Most signs point to Kline redshirting this season, but who knows how the season might unravel? There may be a set of circumstances leading to Kline seeing some playing time this season. Unlikely, but possible.

At this point, I’d wager that Maynard will be the 2012 starter, though if he is out for the first four games, all bets are off. Bridgford would be the first in line, but is he physically cut out to take all snaps over the course of the season? What would happen then if Maynard returns midway through the season? And who can truly rule out neither Bridgford or Maynard being the QB starter come October?

A lot of possibilities, and a lot of uncertainty moving forward. At the most crucial position in football. Hurray.
Read the rest of the post and comments here >>