Underscored one thing to me: You need speed, size and athleticism in your front seven on defense to be an elite team. Big, tough, strong guys that can control the LOS, rush the passer, cover and chase down RBs and TEs.
Cal is on a nice trend line over the past seasons and we just finished a solid 8 win year. We've got a much improved OL coming back nearly intact next year and a bevy of solid talent at WR and RB. I really like the upgrades we've made via recruiting in our defensive backfield. Thinking about next year with Allensworth, Walker, Drew, Piatt, Turner, McCrary, Brown, Albert, Rambo, Vanderbilt, Psalms and Hawkins not to mention the incoming players and we've got some depth and talent back there.
What has me worried is our front seven on defense. We're simply not big, strong or fast enough to compete with the big boys along the DL and at LB. And it's not like this is an area where recruiting is killing it. You have to have the horses to compete and we don't have them yet. Here are the top 12 players for our front 6 (given that we're almost always in the nickel) for next year:
DT:
Looney - Very quick and powerful yet only 285/290lbs and not a great tackler
Mekari - Improved a ton and also quick and strong but 280lbs
Manley - 300lbs + but not as quick or athletic as the boys above
Bequette - 2 star RS Frosh
Palmer - 2 star RS Sophomore
Ude - 4 star DE that's growing into a DT
Paul/Yaghi - Undersized incoming frosh
DE:
Wilson - Solid but not spectacular player
Saffle - Promising pass rusher and high motor kid
Westerfield - Had a tough sophomore year. Does not look fast or quick enough
Emesibe - Has yet to show anything
Johnson - 3 star RS Frosh with good size
Becker - Incoming JC DE
Weaver - Stud incoming frosh that may need to play right away
LB:
Nickerson - Undersized and a step slow. Smart, instinctual and tough
Downs - Big, fast and athletic, needs to get healthy and put mental game together
A'noi - Good size and speed, needs to stay healthy
Kearney - Didn't play as well in '15 as in '14, almost exclusively a cover LB
Tongilava - Athletic needs more size and to stay healthy
Davison - Long arms and good short area quickness, another specialist cover LB
Goode - Small but athletic incoming LB
This is an underwhelming group. We need more big time athletes in that front 6/7 on defense. Has to be recruiting priority #1 if we want to win the Pac 12
Cal is on a nice trend line over the past seasons and we just finished a solid 8 win year. We've got a much improved OL coming back nearly intact next year and a bevy of solid talent at WR and RB. I really like the upgrades we've made via recruiting in our defensive backfield. Thinking about next year with Allensworth, Walker, Drew, Piatt, Turner, McCrary, Brown, Albert, Rambo, Vanderbilt, Psalms and Hawkins not to mention the incoming players and we've got some depth and talent back there.
What has me worried is our front seven on defense. We're simply not big, strong or fast enough to compete with the big boys along the DL and at LB. And it's not like this is an area where recruiting is killing it. You have to have the horses to compete and we don't have them yet. Here are the top 12 players for our front 6 (given that we're almost always in the nickel) for next year:
DT:
Looney - Very quick and powerful yet only 285/290lbs and not a great tackler
Mekari - Improved a ton and also quick and strong but 280lbs
Manley - 300lbs + but not as quick or athletic as the boys above
Bequette - 2 star RS Frosh
Palmer - 2 star RS Sophomore
Ude - 4 star DE that's growing into a DT
Paul/Yaghi - Undersized incoming frosh
DE:
Wilson - Solid but not spectacular player
Saffle - Promising pass rusher and high motor kid
Westerfield - Had a tough sophomore year. Does not look fast or quick enough
Emesibe - Has yet to show anything
Johnson - 3 star RS Frosh with good size
Becker - Incoming JC DE
Weaver - Stud incoming frosh that may need to play right away
LB:
Nickerson - Undersized and a step slow. Smart, instinctual and tough
Downs - Big, fast and athletic, needs to get healthy and put mental game together
A'noi - Good size and speed, needs to stay healthy
Kearney - Didn't play as well in '15 as in '14, almost exclusively a cover LB
Tongilava - Athletic needs more size and to stay healthy
Davison - Long arms and good short area quickness, another specialist cover LB
Goode - Small but athletic incoming LB
This is an underwhelming group. We need more big time athletes in that front 6/7 on defense. Has to be recruiting priority #1 if we want to win the Pac 12
