I talked to the ASU Rivals guy about exchanging some analysis about spring practice, so we'll be getting that from him tomorrow. This is what I sent him:
Coming out of spring practice what were your impressions of the team’s offense?
Going into spring ball, there were multiple questions on offense, the biggest questions surrounded the wide receiver spots and who would be the man to replace Jared Goff. Neither of these questions have been completely solidified. At receiver, Cal is replacing their top 6 receivers. Luckily, the staff has recruited extremely well at the position, capping it off with the commitment of Demetris Robertson last Sunday. The biggest issue is how the coaches are going to handle rotating all the different wideouts, having depth at all four spots. If the season were to start today, I think you’d see Robertson, JC transfer Jordan Veasy, true freshman Melquise Stovall, and former walk-on Chad Hansen getting the first reps. That’s leaving out a lot of guys, such as Jordan Duncan, Ray Hudson, and Tennessee transfer Vic Wharton III. There’s a lot of talent, and you could ostensibly see ten different receivers seeing playing time every week. That being said, Stovall arguably had the best spring, and will be a terror in the slot for years to come.
Quarterback is a lot foggier. Coming into spring, there were five candidates, but Luke Rubenzer moved to safety, so it trimmed down a little bit. True freshman Max Gilliam looked good on the run, but his throwing motion looks a bit off and he’ll probably redshirt. That leaves Chase Forrest, Zach Kline, and Ross Bowers. Kline is the most interesting of these, having transferred out previously after losing a QB competition to Jared Goff. He still has to get into graduate school at Cal to be eligible to play in the fall, and he’s been left out when Coach Dykes has talked about replacing Goff. So that leaves Bowers and Forrest.
Forrest is the presumptive front-runner, sitting behind Goff for the past two years and getting the chance to study the number one overall pick up close. Forrest can be consistent like Goff in the short and intermediate passing game, but doesn’t have the same arm strength and touch on the deep ball. Bowers can throw the deep ball, but needs work on his touch and consistency, especially on back shoulder fades. This leaves out potential graduate transfer, former Texas Tech QB Davis Webb. Webb is currently committed to Colorado, but if he gets into graduate school, he could start come August 27th in Australia. Webb comes from a system similar to what new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital runs, which could boost his candidacy for the starting spot.
The offensive line and running back spots have been pretty solidified, with a three-headed attack of Vic Enwere, Tre Watson, and Khalfani Muhammad splitting reps in the backfield. It’s the first time in years that both these position groups are stable and ready to produce.
With the flux in the passing game, there will be some red zone issues early for this team, especially since the timing on the back shoulder fade isn’t there yet. One thing that hurts in that regard is that there isn’t a set “guy” for plays like that. Last year, it was Kenny Lawler who would go up and make those plays on the jump ball. New OC Spavital did excellent work with Christian Kirk last year at A&M, so Cal fans are hoping for similar results with their young receivers. The continuity in the running game could speak to more success in 3rd and short situations, which will help whichever quarterback ends up starting
Coming out of spring practice what were your impressions of the team’s defense?
Cal’s defense has made continual improvements since a 2013 season which can only be described as watching M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender in football form. To the credit of defensive coordinator Art Kaufman, the defense has improved from tire fire to about average in the past two years.
The biggest issue coming out of spring is the linebacker depth. There are currently, by my count, five scholarship linebackers. There will be seven when fall camp rolls around, but the position is dangerously thin. Cal does tend to play nickel often to negate these issues, but when confronted with a power running team like Stanford, the Bears have struggled to fill the gaps. One linebacker, Derron Brown, came down from his safety spot to play linebacker, and has flourished in the position, giving the Bears the flexibility to switch between base 4-3 and nickel looks.
The defensive backfield had lacked depth in the past, but it’s finally catching up after a couple solid recruiting classes. There’s a lot of unproven talent there that will need to step up come fall practice. Cal lost top returning safety Demariay Drew to a knee injury that could take him out for the season, so guys like Evan Rambo, Jaylinn Hawkins, Luke Rubenzer, and Griffin Piatt will have to step up. At cornerback, Darius Allensworth has solidified himself on one side, having started all of 2015, but JC transfer Antoine Albert and Malik Psalms will have to prove they can solidify the other side.
The defensive line lost their most productive pieces in Kyle Kragen and Mustafa Jalil, and have to prove that they can get a consistent pass rush in the base four man rush. Noah Westerfield has recovered from his sophomore slump to regain his starting spot, but him and returning DE Devante Wilson need to become more consistent for this defense to become more successful.
Who are the players on each side of the ball that were the biggest surprises of spring practice?
On offense, I want to go with Melquise Stovall. He was expected to play as a true freshman, but he showcased a certain shiftiness that hasn’t been seen from a Cal receiver in the slot. He showcased an ability to get by the first tackler during the spring game, finishing that game with 7 catches for 132 yards and 2 TDs. Combined with Demetris Robertson’s speed, Stovall will have lots of space to make plays in 2016.
On defense, I’m picking Derron Brown. His shift down to linebacker was unprecedented, but he’s adapted to the situation. He’s a hard hitter who gives the Bears the flexibility to experiment with their coverages, since he won’t be a liability in pass coverage.
What are the top items on the team’s to-do list going into fall camp?
There are three big issues going into the fall:
1. Choosing a quarterback is the biggest one. If you want Webb (if he comes) to be the bridge to Max Gilliam, then stick with it. If you want Forrest to be your guy for the next few years, then go with it. The Cal offense requires timing, which in turn requires familiarity, which requires a lot of repetition. They will be better starting that as soon as possible
2. Solidifying the receiver rotation will help with getting timing down as well. Acclimating Robertson and Stovall to the offense will be a big deal, and trimming down the receiver rotation to eight guys will go a long way to getting the new quarterback comfortable.
3. Seeing who steps up at the linebacker and defensive back spots. Linebacker is especially thin with the transfers of Michael Barton and Hardy Nickerson Jr. Unproven, but talented players like linebacker Devante Downs and safety Evan Rambo need to step up to that challenge.
Did this year's spring practice ultimately change expectations for the 2016 season?
Spring practice ultimately proved that there will be life on offense after Jared Goff. The offense was a lot smoother than I thought it would be by the end. The defense is still a work in progress, with depth and inexperience being the biggest issues. I thought at the start of spring that this could be a 5 or 6 win team. I now think that 6 wins are probable, with the potential for more. It is a very young team, so a lot could change.
Coming out of spring practice what were your impressions of the team’s offense?
Going into spring ball, there were multiple questions on offense, the biggest questions surrounded the wide receiver spots and who would be the man to replace Jared Goff. Neither of these questions have been completely solidified. At receiver, Cal is replacing their top 6 receivers. Luckily, the staff has recruited extremely well at the position, capping it off with the commitment of Demetris Robertson last Sunday. The biggest issue is how the coaches are going to handle rotating all the different wideouts, having depth at all four spots. If the season were to start today, I think you’d see Robertson, JC transfer Jordan Veasy, true freshman Melquise Stovall, and former walk-on Chad Hansen getting the first reps. That’s leaving out a lot of guys, such as Jordan Duncan, Ray Hudson, and Tennessee transfer Vic Wharton III. There’s a lot of talent, and you could ostensibly see ten different receivers seeing playing time every week. That being said, Stovall arguably had the best spring, and will be a terror in the slot for years to come.
Quarterback is a lot foggier. Coming into spring, there were five candidates, but Luke Rubenzer moved to safety, so it trimmed down a little bit. True freshman Max Gilliam looked good on the run, but his throwing motion looks a bit off and he’ll probably redshirt. That leaves Chase Forrest, Zach Kline, and Ross Bowers. Kline is the most interesting of these, having transferred out previously after losing a QB competition to Jared Goff. He still has to get into graduate school at Cal to be eligible to play in the fall, and he’s been left out when Coach Dykes has talked about replacing Goff. So that leaves Bowers and Forrest.
Forrest is the presumptive front-runner, sitting behind Goff for the past two years and getting the chance to study the number one overall pick up close. Forrest can be consistent like Goff in the short and intermediate passing game, but doesn’t have the same arm strength and touch on the deep ball. Bowers can throw the deep ball, but needs work on his touch and consistency, especially on back shoulder fades. This leaves out potential graduate transfer, former Texas Tech QB Davis Webb. Webb is currently committed to Colorado, but if he gets into graduate school, he could start come August 27th in Australia. Webb comes from a system similar to what new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital runs, which could boost his candidacy for the starting spot.
The offensive line and running back spots have been pretty solidified, with a three-headed attack of Vic Enwere, Tre Watson, and Khalfani Muhammad splitting reps in the backfield. It’s the first time in years that both these position groups are stable and ready to produce.
With the flux in the passing game, there will be some red zone issues early for this team, especially since the timing on the back shoulder fade isn’t there yet. One thing that hurts in that regard is that there isn’t a set “guy” for plays like that. Last year, it was Kenny Lawler who would go up and make those plays on the jump ball. New OC Spavital did excellent work with Christian Kirk last year at A&M, so Cal fans are hoping for similar results with their young receivers. The continuity in the running game could speak to more success in 3rd and short situations, which will help whichever quarterback ends up starting
Coming out of spring practice what were your impressions of the team’s defense?
Cal’s defense has made continual improvements since a 2013 season which can only be described as watching M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender in football form. To the credit of defensive coordinator Art Kaufman, the defense has improved from tire fire to about average in the past two years.
The biggest issue coming out of spring is the linebacker depth. There are currently, by my count, five scholarship linebackers. There will be seven when fall camp rolls around, but the position is dangerously thin. Cal does tend to play nickel often to negate these issues, but when confronted with a power running team like Stanford, the Bears have struggled to fill the gaps. One linebacker, Derron Brown, came down from his safety spot to play linebacker, and has flourished in the position, giving the Bears the flexibility to switch between base 4-3 and nickel looks.
The defensive backfield had lacked depth in the past, but it’s finally catching up after a couple solid recruiting classes. There’s a lot of unproven talent there that will need to step up come fall practice. Cal lost top returning safety Demariay Drew to a knee injury that could take him out for the season, so guys like Evan Rambo, Jaylinn Hawkins, Luke Rubenzer, and Griffin Piatt will have to step up. At cornerback, Darius Allensworth has solidified himself on one side, having started all of 2015, but JC transfer Antoine Albert and Malik Psalms will have to prove they can solidify the other side.
The defensive line lost their most productive pieces in Kyle Kragen and Mustafa Jalil, and have to prove that they can get a consistent pass rush in the base four man rush. Noah Westerfield has recovered from his sophomore slump to regain his starting spot, but him and returning DE Devante Wilson need to become more consistent for this defense to become more successful.
Who are the players on each side of the ball that were the biggest surprises of spring practice?
On offense, I want to go with Melquise Stovall. He was expected to play as a true freshman, but he showcased a certain shiftiness that hasn’t been seen from a Cal receiver in the slot. He showcased an ability to get by the first tackler during the spring game, finishing that game with 7 catches for 132 yards and 2 TDs. Combined with Demetris Robertson’s speed, Stovall will have lots of space to make plays in 2016.
On defense, I’m picking Derron Brown. His shift down to linebacker was unprecedented, but he’s adapted to the situation. He’s a hard hitter who gives the Bears the flexibility to experiment with their coverages, since he won’t be a liability in pass coverage.
What are the top items on the team’s to-do list going into fall camp?
There are three big issues going into the fall:
1. Choosing a quarterback is the biggest one. If you want Webb (if he comes) to be the bridge to Max Gilliam, then stick with it. If you want Forrest to be your guy for the next few years, then go with it. The Cal offense requires timing, which in turn requires familiarity, which requires a lot of repetition. They will be better starting that as soon as possible
2. Solidifying the receiver rotation will help with getting timing down as well. Acclimating Robertson and Stovall to the offense will be a big deal, and trimming down the receiver rotation to eight guys will go a long way to getting the new quarterback comfortable.
3. Seeing who steps up at the linebacker and defensive back spots. Linebacker is especially thin with the transfers of Michael Barton and Hardy Nickerson Jr. Unproven, but talented players like linebacker Devante Downs and safety Evan Rambo need to step up to that challenge.
Did this year's spring practice ultimately change expectations for the 2016 season?
Spring practice ultimately proved that there will be life on offense after Jared Goff. The offense was a lot smoother than I thought it would be by the end. The defense is still a work in progress, with depth and inexperience being the biggest issues. I thought at the start of spring that this could be a 5 or 6 win team. I now think that 6 wins are probable, with the potential for more. It is a very young team, so a lot could change.
