2021 CFP SEASON PREVIEW AUTUMN 11

CALIFORNIA
#6 PAC 12 NORTH: CONF 1-3, HOME 1-1, AWAY 0-2
Head Coach: Justin Wilcox (5) OC: Bill Musgrave (2) DC: Peter Sirmon (4)
OFFENSE:
QB: Starter Chase Garbers (771 YDS, 6 TD, 3 INT passing, 75 YDS, 2 TD rushing) is back for a fifth year. Ryan Glover
(832 YDS, 3 TD passing, 2 TD rushing in 6 games) transferred in from FCS Western Illinois.
RB: Returns Damien Moore (194 YDS rushing, 29 YDS receiving), Marcel Dancy (156 YDS rushing, 68 YDS receiving)
and sophomore Chris Street (2 YDS on 1 carry). Also returns a unit of a running back in senior 235lb Christopher
Brooks (65 YDS, 1 TD).
WR: Makai Polk (183 YDS, 1 TD) transferred to Mississippi State. Returns Nikko Remigio (90 YDS, 2 TD) who was
Cal’s top target in 2019 (513 YDS, 3 TD). Also returns Kekoa Crawford (232 YDS, 2 TD), 6’4 Trevon Clark (23 YDS),
Monroe Young (15 YDS) and 6’2 Jeremiah Hunter (2020 opt out of freshman season).
TE: Jake Tonges (80 YDS, 1 TD), Collin Moore (29 YDS) and Gavin Reinwald (10 YDS) are back. 4-star freshman 270lb
Jermaine Terry could get on the field.
OL: Lost OT Jake Curhan to the NFL. Center Michael Saffell, an NFL prospect, medically retired. The other three
starters are back including senior 305lb Valentino Daltoso who could have moved on to the NFL. However, the unit
gave up 15 sacks in a short season.
DEFENSE:
DL: DE Zeandre Johnson (8 TOT) is gone. Returns 300lb Brett Johnson (19 TOT, 1.5 sacks), JH Tevis (18 TOT, 2
sacks), DE Ethan Saunders (1 TOT) and 340lb NG Ricky Correia. True freshman DE Akili Calhoun is a 3-star. 295lb
Luc Bequette (18 TOT, 1 sack) transferred in from Boston College.
LB: Returns leading tackler OLB Kuony Deng (31 TOT in 2020, 119 TOT in 2019) and OLB Cameron Goode (19 TOT, 3
sacks in 2019, 57 TOT in 2019) who are both NFL prospects. Also returns ILB Evan Tattersall (14 TOT), ILB Mo Iosefa
(11 TOT), Braxten Croteau (8 TOT), ILB Blake Antzoulatos (6 TOT), OLB Myles Jernigan (2 TOT) and Orin Patu (2
TOT).
SF: Returns Daniel Scott (team third 20 TOT). Elijah Hicks (28 TOT, 1 INT) opted to return for another year rather
than go pro. Also returns Craig Woodson (18 TOT). Raymond Woodie (25 TOT) transferred in from Florida State.
CB: Lost first-team All-Pac 12 pick Camryn Bynum (19 TOT, 1 INT) to the NFL. Returns starter Josh Drayden (14 TOT,
1 INT) and Chigozie Anusiem (12 TOT).
SPECIAL TEAMS:
KR: Returns Dario Longhetto (9/10 PAT, 4/5 FG) who also kicked off.
PR: Returns punter Jamieson Sheahan (39.9 YD AVG). Longhetto (40.9 YD AVG) punted in 2019.
SPIN
Berkeley, CA – Few teams played less games in 2020 than California. The season
looked like a disaster until they upset Oregon in their fourth and final game of the
season. Returns 28 of 33 players who made a start last season. The offense averaged
319.5 total YDS/G (12 th lowest in FBS), 126.8 YDS/G rushing (26 th lowest) and 192.8
YDS/G passing (27 th lowest). Because the 2020 season was shortened by COVID, OC Bill
Musgrave had limited time in the preseason to work with his new offense in his first
year. Hopefully with a full offseason, he can get the offense on track. It will have to
start with the offensive line after not run blocking or pass blocking good enough to
win. The defense only allowed 197.5 YDS/G passing (23 rd best). If the offense can score
more points to help out the defense that has been solid under Wilcox and Sirmon, the
Bears could be a wild card in the North Division. Opening week vs Nevada could be a
problem if Cal is looking ahead a week to TCU. Three of the last four games are on the
road. The in-state rivalries are all at the end of the year. Depending on the offense, the
season win total should be around 6 or 7 with a max of 8.
Twitter @Autumn_Eleven