Goode, already creating buzz, set to anchor Cal’s defense
Coaches and players from offense and defense spending a portion of their media availability to praise the play of Cameron Goode has been a constant through the first nine practices of Cal’s 14-session training camp.
The most meaningful comments might be those from left tackle Patrick Mekari.
“Just the way he plays is special,” said Mekari, who regularly gets an up-close look at Goode’s rare blend of passrushing burst, strength and skill-position speed. “He’s going to turn a lot of heads this year.
“I’m really excited to see what he does.”
As a redshirt freshman, Goode had 46 tackles (including 5.5 for losses) and 1.5 sacks in nine games. With a year of experience playing in Cal’s 3-4 scheme, it’s not out of the question that the 6-foot-3, 225pound outside linebacker could double his production as a sophomore.
In similar defenses, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox had T.J. Watt (63 tackles, 15.5 tackles for losses and 11.5 sacks) at Wisconsin in 2016, and defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter had Von Miller (68 tackles, 17.5 tackles for losses and 10.5 sacks) at Texas A&M in 2010.
Goode has pass-rush abilities comparable to those first-round picks, something he flashed with three sacks during limited repetitions in Saturday’s 11on-11 sessions. He uses long arms to fend off linemen, some of whom outweigh him by 100 pounds, and he has the speed to run with receivers in the slot.
“When you have a guy who has his physical tools and who now has put in the work to understand the game, he’s really become a weapon for us,” said DeRuyter, who recruited Goode when he was the head coach at Fresno State. “The fact that he’s only a sophomore makes me excited.”
Goode, who chose Cal over Boston College, Fresno State, Nebraska and Vanderbilt, showcased his ability and provided one of the Bears’ most memorable plays last year when he clinched a 27-16 victory over Mississippi with a 32yard interception return for a touchdown.
Cal expects those types of plays from Goode this year, but it also needs the Houston-area native to be more of a nuisance to opposing quarterbacks. The Bears finished eighth in the conference with 28 sacks last season.
“In this defensive package, our edge guys have to be factors,” DeRuyter said. “It’s the glory position in this defense.”
It’s a position that Goode was expected to get a chance to grow into as Cal’s defense showcased Cameron Saffle, but Saffle played only one game last season and was forced into medical retirement in January. So, Goode has been asked to mature quickly.
He clearly recognized the situation this offseason, adding about 20 pounds of quicktwitch muscle to a frame that had dipped to less than 210 by the end of last year’s grind.
Goode said he also made a point of completely understanding the defensive scheme, allowing him to disguise whether he’ll use his versatile skills as a pass rusher or drop into coverage on any given play.
Cal has one-on-one passrush drills every day, and Goode often jumps to the front of the line to go against Mekari, who is the Bears’ best pass blocker and was named to the watch list for the Outland Trophy.
“He’s going to be something else for quarterbacks and offensive linemen across the Pac-12 to have to deal with,” Mekari said.