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.