Bears open spring camp looking to build on momentum
The trend line is positive for Cal football. Expected to spend last season in the Pac-12 North cellar, the Bears were surprisingly strong at the beginning of the season and competitive throughout, and ended up just a few points away from securing a bowl berth.
But how much more can the coaching staff squeeze out of the current twodeep?
Given the radical changes in style of play under second-year coach Justin Wilcox, as compared to what was deployed under Sonny Dykes, the Bears appear to be several recruiting cycles away from competing for a division title.
Maintaining momentum on the field is essential to supporting success on the recruiting trail — those endeavors typically move in lockstep.A significant backslide in 2018, therefore, could delay efforts to upgrade the personnel at key positions.
The margin for error remains thin.
Here is a look at the Bears as they open spring camp, which runs through the spring game April 28 (11 a.m., Pac-12 Networks).
COACHING STAFF
JUSTIN WILCOX >> The Bears believe they have their coach for the long haul. Whether Wilcox agrees is another matter — and one that will likely play out several years from now. He was 5-7 in his first year at Cal and is signed through 2021. ADDITIONS/CHANGES FOR 2018 >> Burl Toler (running backs) and Peter Sirmon (inside linebackers) are new. the Bears retained all but one assistant, Jerry Azzinaro, who joined Chip Kelly at UCLA, thereby bolstering continuity as Year 2 of the Wilcox era begins. There is one change of note, however: Offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin, while continuing to call the plays, will oversee the tight ends instead of the running backs. This is potentially a crucial move considering the long-range place of primacy the tight
ends are expected to hold in Cal’s offense, not only as in-line blockers for the run but also as options in the passing game.
THE PLAYERS
KEY LOSSES >> TB Tre Watson, DL James Looney, LB Devante Downs, CB Darius Allensworth, LB Cameron Saffle, P Dylan Klumph. ESSENTIAL ADDITIONS (BACK FROM INJURY) >> WRs Marqise Stovall and Demetris Robertson. The bigplay wideouts missed most or all of last season with injuries will add a needed dimension to the limited passing game. (The Bears averaged just 6.5 yards per attempt last season, 104th nationally). Robertson averaged 15 yards per catch and had seven touchdowns when healthy in 2016, while Stovall added three touchdowns.
ESSENTIAL ADDITIONS (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN) >> RB Biaggio Ali Walsh. The former 4-star recruit — and the top running back in Nevada in the fall of 2016 — Ali Walsh not only adds depth to a thin position, he just might join the playing rotation. He will get plenty
of reps in the spring as Cal limits presumptive starter Patrick Laird. ESSENTIAL ADDITION (JUNIOR COLLEGE TRANSFER) >> DL Lone Toailoa. The Auckland (New Zealand) product, by way of Mt. San Antonio JC, is a midyear enrollee who will be on the field for spring. The 280-pounder played rugby as a kid, naturally, but possesses loads of raw football talent. According to 247sports, he had scholarship offers from Georgia and Kansas State. LIMITED (AT BEST) FOR SPRING >> How much time do you have? The list of injured players expected to be held out of spring drills is lengthy. Names of note: Promising cornerback Elijah Hicks and linebacker Gerran Brown — the former because he needs all the reps available, the latter because the Bears are thin at linebacker. Additionally, 300-pound defensive lineman Zeandae Johnson, an expected starter who missed all of 2017, isn’t due back until training camp.
STAR IN THE MAKING >> S Ashtyn Davis. The former walk-on began his Cal career on the track team, tried out for football and quickly became an impact player on special teams (KOR). He started the final six games at safety in 2017 and enters spring as a leader of what might be the Bears’ best unit.
QB COMFORT LEVEL (1-10 SCALE) >> 6. In a worstcase scenario, the Bears have a repeat season from Ross Bowers (18 TDs, 12 INTs and completion percentage of 59). More than likely, however, a bettercase scenario unfolds. Either Bowers elevates his game to an efficiency level that can produce seven or more wins … or transfer Brandon McIlwain (South Carolina) outplays Bowers, wins the job, and gives the Bears a dynamic dualthreat force. McIlwain has limited starting experience but was a high-level SEC recruit.
UNIT IN THE SPOTLIGHT >> Defensive line. Cal’s defense is strongest on the third level, respectable on the second and vulnerable up front: The departures of end James Looney and nose guard Tony Mekari leave sizable voids. Interesting options are available — particularly Toailoa, Johnson and Luc Bequette — but marked improvement must be made before the line moves off the list of weaknesses. It would hardly be a stretch, in fact, to consider the entire front seven an area of concern entering spring, but the line is atop the list and in most need of repair. BOTTOM LINE ON THE BEARS >> Don’t let the competition across all units become a distraction. Spring is all about two positions: quarterback and defensive line. Cal doesn’t need complete clarity at either spot, but substantial progress is essential. Spring accounts for one-third of the offseason practices, and the Bears have a challenging September with a visit from North Carolina and trips to Brigham Young and Oregon. They cannot afford to enter training camp in search mode. There must be an established pecking order to maximize the reps available in August.