Grambling Probable Starters:
CB - Darius White: Had a rough 2014 but a very strong 2015 Spring Camp. Good length at 6'1" and a willing tackler if not a little light weight/strength wise. Seeing how much strength he's added for Fall camp will be of interest. White has good technique in coverage and can run, although he's better when he gets on a WR early and flashes less stellar catch up speed. He's a fluid athlete and has the burst and top end speed to match up with top receivers. I expect him to have a very strong 2015 campaign now that his confidence is back.
CB - Darius Allensworth: A highly touted recruit two years ago, Darius flashed potential but more often showed the struggles of youth in his first campaign for the Bears in 2014. He's listed at 5'11" but has long arms and is well built so he plays bigger than that. Very different from White in that he plays better in zone coverages where he presses rather than trying to run in single coverage. He's very good in jamming WRs at the line and has good ball instincts. I believe he'll become a very good tackler and run defender (he was inconsistent last year) but he lacks the top end speed and fluid hips to be a great pure cover guy.
Safety 1 - (Derron Brown): He's in parentheses because he didn't look like a starter from a mental perspective this Spring but hopefully he makes the jump faster than most JC transfers because we need him. Brown is a nice combo of size 6'2", lateral quickness, rangy speed and hitting ability. Showed good ball skills at the JC level and he flashed those this Spring but more often was out of position and was thinking rather than playing instinctually. He's not a burner, likely a 4.6 40 but in the Cal secondary, especially at safety, that makes him Usain Bolt.
Safety 2 - Daimaray Drew: Drew is coming off a solid JC season and has decent experience from his freshman year at Cal before that. He's stocky and athletic and plays with a high motor. He's one of those players that always caught my eye at practice because he sticks his nose into the pile and likes to come up and play the run hard. He's got good twichy athleticism, he long jumped 23' in HS but again is not a burner, likely a step slower than Brown but he makes up for it with good short range quickness. He plays with passion and a high motor. The key for him will be consistent tackling in open space.
Nickel Back - Caleb Coleman: He quietly had a very good 2014, especially the back half of the year. He doesn't look like he has great hips nor does he play as big as his 6' frame might suggest but he was rarely out of position and didn't miss tackles. Plus he had two timely interceptions. He can run, likely the 2nd fastest DB returning after White. If he can build on his solid debut campaign, he could help the team out a ton as we're not deep in CBs who can run and cover.
Key reserves:
Antoine Albert - CB/safety: I'll put my neck out and say that Albert will see time at Safety this year. Easier to make the jump from JC at CB but our needs and his size and skillset scream safety to me. He's big at 6'2" and very physical. An impressive tackler in space and he doesn't shy away from contact. Excels in press coverage. Some claims that he has run a 4.5 but I don't see that on film and his 11.7 100M time in HS would suggest 4.7. He does look quick and has the knack for getting on WRs hips to slow them down so perhaps his speed will not be an issue.
Trey Cheek - CB: Good all around athlete. I like his poise and aggressiveness. Another Cal DB who lacks speed. Could see him doing well in zone schemes. Not sure how he fits in this year.
Cedric Dozier - CB: Dozier really struggled last year. Both in coverage but more with his tackling and ability to shed blocks. He's a terrific short area athlete. Very good hips and initial quickness. Cal generously lists him at 5'10" and 180lbs but he looks smaller than that on the field. Allensworth clearly beat him out this Spring but he does have experience and his natural athleticism could set him up well in the slot or as a nickel back especially if Cal can find a pass rush. Lacks the physicality or the top end gear to excel IMO.
Stef McClure - S: Our captain and a strong leader in the secondary. By far, Cal's surest tackler in the secondary. Very strong and built, he's a physical presence in coverage and in run support. Knee injuries have robbed him of his speed (and he wasn't a burner to begin with), he's smart, savvy and can use use good change of direction quickness to be effective in zone coverage. His health is the issue. Latest report is that he is 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule.
Griffin Piatt - S: Had a very strong freshman campaign. Long armed and tall, he's very rangy with really good ball skills. Plays a strong centerfield and will only improve in this area with more experience. Needs to add some strength as his tackling was not great. He's got good first twenty yard speed but doesn't have ideal top end speed. Can really jump and will contest balls. His health is a big issue. If he's 100%, I expect to see him beat out Brown for one of the starting safety slots.
Cameron Walker - S: Moved him back to safety which is a more natural position for Walker. He's got similar challenges to Dozier in that he's a pretty good short area athlete and he has good natural ball skills but he's not big or physical enough nor does he run well. Really struggled as an open field tackler while playing CB, hopefully he finds his confidence in that regard. Has a wealth of experience.
Luke Rubenzer - S: Had some nice moments this Spring. Luke is feisty competitive and smart and he's got good quicks and athleticism. Looked more physical tackling and hitting than one might expect from a converted QB. Showed off good first step instincts and made a lot of plays on balls in the air. He's not real big and he's not fast which will likely limit him.
Aj Greathouse - S: Converted from CB. Long, rangy player whose film coming out of HS impressed me. Not a blazer but I think he runs better than 2/3 of our secondary and he has the size to be physical and play balls in the air. I like his potential but his brief appearances last year showed he has a lot of work to do
Quentin Tartabull - S: Played a lot of LB in HS. Reminds me a lot of Drew. 5'11" but very strong and explosive in short areas. Another SS type with limited top end speed (ran a 4.68 in SPARQ and didn't look that fast on film). Could be very effective in run support, blitzing and zone coverage.
Frosh:
Rambo, McCrary, Turner, Hawkins and Psalms are the newcomers to the secondary.
Psalms is my #1 choice not to redshirt. He's long and rangy and can flat out cover. Really good hips and excellent change of direction quickness. He can run better than most of who we have at corner and plays physically. He's skinny and confidence will be an issue with the jump from HS
Hawkins is a close #2 - Very explosive athlete, some Deltha O'Neal in him with his burst and elusiveness. If he doesn't play WR, he will make a strong DB. Can really accelerate and change directions. Very smooth. Quick and fast. I like his upside with 5-10lb of muscle added over time.
Rambo needs time in the weight room and he's more SS than FS as he lacks great speed. On the other hand, Turner and McCrary can burn it up. They will be among the fastest Bears on day one. Neither has played much defense. I see Turner as the better long term prospect but both are a year or two away.
Net Analysis: We are an average pass rush away from having an average secondary. I think we'll be fine at CB with White, Allensworth, Coleman, Albert, Dozier and perhaps Psalms. Safety is the issue. Even when we're healthy, we lack experienced players with plus athleticism. I see longer term potential here with Brown, Albert, Turner and McCrary, less so this year. We hopefully win with numbers creating good competition. If Piatt and McClure can come back and contribute I think we see some savvy ball skills and good tackling in tandem with Drew, Brown, Albert, Rubenzer and Walker. Brown is our big upside if the light goes on for him.
*** Note: I did not include Khari Vanderbilt in the above because he's not yet on the roster. If he does join, he presents another candidate to play FS as he's very long and rangy and can run a bit. As with Brown, I worry about any JC transfer stepping right in and playing safety given how much of it is about reading offenses and preparing mentally
CB - Darius White: Had a rough 2014 but a very strong 2015 Spring Camp. Good length at 6'1" and a willing tackler if not a little light weight/strength wise. Seeing how much strength he's added for Fall camp will be of interest. White has good technique in coverage and can run, although he's better when he gets on a WR early and flashes less stellar catch up speed. He's a fluid athlete and has the burst and top end speed to match up with top receivers. I expect him to have a very strong 2015 campaign now that his confidence is back.
CB - Darius Allensworth: A highly touted recruit two years ago, Darius flashed potential but more often showed the struggles of youth in his first campaign for the Bears in 2014. He's listed at 5'11" but has long arms and is well built so he plays bigger than that. Very different from White in that he plays better in zone coverages where he presses rather than trying to run in single coverage. He's very good in jamming WRs at the line and has good ball instincts. I believe he'll become a very good tackler and run defender (he was inconsistent last year) but he lacks the top end speed and fluid hips to be a great pure cover guy.
Safety 1 - (Derron Brown): He's in parentheses because he didn't look like a starter from a mental perspective this Spring but hopefully he makes the jump faster than most JC transfers because we need him. Brown is a nice combo of size 6'2", lateral quickness, rangy speed and hitting ability. Showed good ball skills at the JC level and he flashed those this Spring but more often was out of position and was thinking rather than playing instinctually. He's not a burner, likely a 4.6 40 but in the Cal secondary, especially at safety, that makes him Usain Bolt.
Safety 2 - Daimaray Drew: Drew is coming off a solid JC season and has decent experience from his freshman year at Cal before that. He's stocky and athletic and plays with a high motor. He's one of those players that always caught my eye at practice because he sticks his nose into the pile and likes to come up and play the run hard. He's got good twichy athleticism, he long jumped 23' in HS but again is not a burner, likely a step slower than Brown but he makes up for it with good short range quickness. He plays with passion and a high motor. The key for him will be consistent tackling in open space.
Nickel Back - Caleb Coleman: He quietly had a very good 2014, especially the back half of the year. He doesn't look like he has great hips nor does he play as big as his 6' frame might suggest but he was rarely out of position and didn't miss tackles. Plus he had two timely interceptions. He can run, likely the 2nd fastest DB returning after White. If he can build on his solid debut campaign, he could help the team out a ton as we're not deep in CBs who can run and cover.
Key reserves:
Antoine Albert - CB/safety: I'll put my neck out and say that Albert will see time at Safety this year. Easier to make the jump from JC at CB but our needs and his size and skillset scream safety to me. He's big at 6'2" and very physical. An impressive tackler in space and he doesn't shy away from contact. Excels in press coverage. Some claims that he has run a 4.5 but I don't see that on film and his 11.7 100M time in HS would suggest 4.7. He does look quick and has the knack for getting on WRs hips to slow them down so perhaps his speed will not be an issue.
Trey Cheek - CB: Good all around athlete. I like his poise and aggressiveness. Another Cal DB who lacks speed. Could see him doing well in zone schemes. Not sure how he fits in this year.
Cedric Dozier - CB: Dozier really struggled last year. Both in coverage but more with his tackling and ability to shed blocks. He's a terrific short area athlete. Very good hips and initial quickness. Cal generously lists him at 5'10" and 180lbs but he looks smaller than that on the field. Allensworth clearly beat him out this Spring but he does have experience and his natural athleticism could set him up well in the slot or as a nickel back especially if Cal can find a pass rush. Lacks the physicality or the top end gear to excel IMO.
Stef McClure - S: Our captain and a strong leader in the secondary. By far, Cal's surest tackler in the secondary. Very strong and built, he's a physical presence in coverage and in run support. Knee injuries have robbed him of his speed (and he wasn't a burner to begin with), he's smart, savvy and can use use good change of direction quickness to be effective in zone coverage. His health is the issue. Latest report is that he is 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule.
Griffin Piatt - S: Had a very strong freshman campaign. Long armed and tall, he's very rangy with really good ball skills. Plays a strong centerfield and will only improve in this area with more experience. Needs to add some strength as his tackling was not great. He's got good first twenty yard speed but doesn't have ideal top end speed. Can really jump and will contest balls. His health is a big issue. If he's 100%, I expect to see him beat out Brown for one of the starting safety slots.
Cameron Walker - S: Moved him back to safety which is a more natural position for Walker. He's got similar challenges to Dozier in that he's a pretty good short area athlete and he has good natural ball skills but he's not big or physical enough nor does he run well. Really struggled as an open field tackler while playing CB, hopefully he finds his confidence in that regard. Has a wealth of experience.
Luke Rubenzer - S: Had some nice moments this Spring. Luke is feisty competitive and smart and he's got good quicks and athleticism. Looked more physical tackling and hitting than one might expect from a converted QB. Showed off good first step instincts and made a lot of plays on balls in the air. He's not real big and he's not fast which will likely limit him.
Aj Greathouse - S: Converted from CB. Long, rangy player whose film coming out of HS impressed me. Not a blazer but I think he runs better than 2/3 of our secondary and he has the size to be physical and play balls in the air. I like his potential but his brief appearances last year showed he has a lot of work to do
Quentin Tartabull - S: Played a lot of LB in HS. Reminds me a lot of Drew. 5'11" but very strong and explosive in short areas. Another SS type with limited top end speed (ran a 4.68 in SPARQ and didn't look that fast on film). Could be very effective in run support, blitzing and zone coverage.
Frosh:
Rambo, McCrary, Turner, Hawkins and Psalms are the newcomers to the secondary.
Psalms is my #1 choice not to redshirt. He's long and rangy and can flat out cover. Really good hips and excellent change of direction quickness. He can run better than most of who we have at corner and plays physically. He's skinny and confidence will be an issue with the jump from HS
Hawkins is a close #2 - Very explosive athlete, some Deltha O'Neal in him with his burst and elusiveness. If he doesn't play WR, he will make a strong DB. Can really accelerate and change directions. Very smooth. Quick and fast. I like his upside with 5-10lb of muscle added over time.
Rambo needs time in the weight room and he's more SS than FS as he lacks great speed. On the other hand, Turner and McCrary can burn it up. They will be among the fastest Bears on day one. Neither has played much defense. I see Turner as the better long term prospect but both are a year or two away.
Net Analysis: We are an average pass rush away from having an average secondary. I think we'll be fine at CB with White, Allensworth, Coleman, Albert, Dozier and perhaps Psalms. Safety is the issue. Even when we're healthy, we lack experienced players with plus athleticism. I see longer term potential here with Brown, Albert, Turner and McCrary, less so this year. We hopefully win with numbers creating good competition. If Piatt and McClure can come back and contribute I think we see some savvy ball skills and good tackling in tandem with Drew, Brown, Albert, Rubenzer and Walker. Brown is our big upside if the light goes on for him.
*** Note: I did not include Khari Vanderbilt in the above because he's not yet on the roster. If he does join, he presents another candidate to play FS as he's very long and rangy and can run a bit. As with Brown, I worry about any JC transfer stepping right in and playing safety given how much of it is about reading offenses and preparing mentally
