Bears’ tight ends set to make strong impact
Just two days into Cal’s training camp, sixth-year senior tight end Ray Hudson said the Bears already had run more two tight-end sets than during his previous five seasons in Berkeley.
That might have been an exaggeration, but not by much.
With Hudson having been granted a sixth year of eligibility because of injury hardship and with the addition of Michigan graduate transfer Ian Bunting, a tight-end group that was depleted last season is suddenly loaded.
As Cal shifted to a multiple personnel scheme under offensive coordinator Be au Baldwin last season, he did his best by deploying fullback Malik McMorris as a tight end, rushed true freshman Gavin Reinwald onto the field and even found spots for former two-star recruit Kyle Wells to contribute.
The three combined on 17 catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns, numbers that represented less than 5 percent of the team’s receiving yards and which could be surpassed in Week 1 this year.
“A year ago, at this time, you’re going: ‘Oh, goodness. What are we going to do?’ ” tight ends coach Charlie Ragle said. “Now, they’re starting to look like tight ends . ... Those are vital pieces. Those guys are matchup problems.”
At 6-foot-7, 255 pounds, Bunting most closely resembles a prototype tight end, but each member of the eight-man position group has transformed his body into a tightend frame. The group averages 6-4½ and 232 pounds, giving Baldwin a chance for more creativity with personnel packages that can include even three tight ends or two tight ends and a fullback.
The “baby” of the group is McCallan Castles, a true freshman from South Lake Tahoe who is listed at 6-5, 235 pounds.
“I think we have seven senior tight ends, and they all coach me up on everything, from standing up straight to running around and blocking,” said Castles, referring to the five senior tight ends who often are joined in the meeting room by senior fullbacks McMorris and Justin Norbeck. “Just being with them the past few weeks, I’ve developed more than I did in high school. …
“It’s complicated, because I played outside receiver in high school, but right now, my strong point is receiving. Endzone routes are tailored to me, because the quarterbacks know I’ll go up and get it.” Jobs on the line: The defensive line was saddled with finding arguably the most important replacements in accountable nose guard Tony Mekari and dynamic defensive end James Looney and, by most accounts, the group has shouldered the heavy load just fine.
“I feel like Chris Palmer and Luc Bequette have been studying our playbook a little bit or something,” left guard Valentino Daltoso joked. “They’re quick to jump into some of those holes.”
Bequette is a steady, returning starter, massive Chris Palmer (6-2, 335) has made the transition fully from offense line to nose guard, and the most intriguing athlete of the bunch, Zeandae Johnson (6-4, 295), is back from injury. Add in technically sound Rusty Becker, training-camp standout Tevin Paul and “pass-rush guru” Lone Toailoa, and the Bears believe they’ve developed depth, have players unique enough to clearly identify roles and are having plenty of fun along the way.
The group does a club-striking drill mandating repeated rotation of their feet and hips that defensive line coach Tony Tuioti calls “Dance Dance Revolution.” When the defensive linemen fire off the ball and knock back an offensive lineman, they call it “getting a bobblehead.”
Bequette recently watched a replay of last year’s AlabamaGeorgia game, a high-level matchup filled with examples of the heads of offensive lineman snapping back and forth. “If we can get three bobbleheads on one play, that’s really going to set the stage for our entire defense.” Off and running: Joseph Ogunbanjo was part of the 400-meter relay team that qualified for the Texas 6A state track meet as a junior and part of the 800-meter relay team that pulled off the same feat as a senior.
The true freshman sprinter didn’t enter Cal as a receiver, running back or even a defensive back. Get this: The 6-3, 225-pounder is an outside linebacker.
Denver linebacker Von Miller, he of six Pro Bowls and 83.5 sacks, is Ogunbanjo’s favorite player, so Cal’s recruiting pitch was easy on its trips to Alief Taylor High School in Houston. Defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter coached Miller at Texas A&M.
“His burst is similar to Von’s,” DeRuyter said. “He’s not quite as big, but he’s got a really big upside. As a passrush guy, you notice him coming off the edge . ... He’s was a high-priority guy for us. In this defense, you’ve got to have edge guys who can make a difference, and we think he’s one of those special guys.”