5 QB candidates making their cases
A week into Cal’s spring practice, fans already are clamoring to know who will replace quarterback Davis Webb.
Well, they’re going to have wait a little longer ... maybe even past the spring game April 22 and into training camp.
New head coach Justin Wilcox said five quarterbacks are equally splitting snaps, and the new coaching staff hasn’t set a timeline to name a starter.
Sophomore Ross Bowers, who appeared to win the No. 2 job last season, and junior Chase Forrest, who has completed 10 of 18 passes for 162 yards in his career, have to be considered the favorites.
But freshmen Max Gilliam, Collin Moore and Victor Viramontes are getting a fair crack. First-year offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin said he watched practice video of the quarterbacks from last season and even went back to view their recruiting tapes from high school before hitting the field with them last week.
“I’ve been extremely impressed with their progress, even from Day 1 to Day 2,” Baldwin said of the freshmen. “These are the only two days I’ve gotten to see them throw live, so we’re so early in it that there’s a long way to go. … I know some things from the past, but from only two days of true input, I saw some progress.
“I’m excited, because they’re excited to want to compete and to want to continue to grow in what we’re doing.”
Cal is installing a new offense — along with the vernacular that goes with it — but it’s also putting a huge focus on fundamentals. Even though the offense is expected to have multiple personnel packages and include the quarterback in shotgun formation the majority of the time, the quarterbacks also are taking snaps from under center to work on the footwork of their drops, keeping their base solid and improving pocket awareness.
Bowers joked that the new drills are a far cry from last season, when quarterbacks often could be seen stuck in a corner behind the end zone throwing balls at a stationary net. The Bothell High-Washington graduate also is enjoying the chance to work with new quarterbacks coach Marques Tuiasosopo, who was the last quarterback to lead Washington to the Rose Bowl.
“His last name carries so much weight where we’re from,” Bowers said. “It’s an opportunity. Having new coaches, they don’t get to see your past mistakes. You get to put your best foot forward and really show them what you can do.”
Tuiasosopo, who was in a quarterback competition his junior year with the Huskies, has been impressed with the fight he has seen at Cal.
“I’m really happy with how they’ve come out and how they’ve approached learning this new system and how we’re going to be doing things,” he said. “We haven’t been perfect, but they’re learning. They’re taking it to the meeting room, and when we apply some of the teaching, they’ve taken it to the field and done a good job. We’ve got a way to go, but they’re doing well right now.”
When asked about what he wants to see in his starting quarterback, Tuiasosopo didn’t mention a physical skill.
“I want to see effort,” he said. “I want them to practice hard, and I want them to play fast. I want them to continue to learn from practice to practice, and when we go through the film and make corrections, I want to see those corrections made the next practice.”
Before Cal names its starting quarterback, it first might have to name its offense, which had the “Bear Raid” tag during the Sonny Dykes era.
“I think all of the quarterbacks understand that it’s a little more challenging, but we’re getting it and trying to improve each day,” Forrest said. “It’s definitely multiple . ... I see a little pro-style dynamics and some kind of old-school stuff, which is cool. You can’t really put a name on it. “But it’s fun.”