the staff is targeting december 3rd & 4th for the big official visit weekend
December 5th is the official day the transfer portal window opens. A 45 day window that likely is much more important to the immediate future of Cal football than the weekend of the 3rd and 4th.
The 'big" recruiting weekend will likely include a number of PWO candidates and offerees with few if any committable offers from other programs. Every single current Cal commit has already taken their official visit. Unless the staff has a bunch of "flip" candidates coming I do not expect the "big" recruiting weekend to be all that big.
The best player that may be there would be Jackson Harris. If he does not commit to Stanford on the previous weekend.
jack plummer's dad told me in boulder that his son's original plan was to play for cal for one season but that they realize he's not on the nfl's radar right now & that jack thinks highly of the skill players talent levels, fully expect him to return to berkeley next season as part of the 2nd year of the non academically challenging cert program...kai milner is focused on earning a spot in the haas/spieker biz school which is worth millions of dollars, maybe even tens of millions of dollars over a lifetime, plus he got great hair...and yeah my boy (yeah shocks is a baby daddy) 6'5" fernando mendoza is just like me, we both gotta lotta to talk about & we both make mistakes going 100% full speed with no fear (u should've heard my epic fail 1st substitute teacher class end namaste ramblings)
j-mike's uncle told me on the arizona gameday in berkeley that his nephew loves coach toler (as do all the wide receivers) & that he immediately apologized to coach wilcox for "messing up" with the touchdown celebration penalty in south bend, great respectful young man
the program's #1 priority this offseason will be to retain jaydn ott, check out my post yesterday re: the fragile nature of the running back room & coach thompson's challenges in dealing with this fluid situation
in that the fate of the 2023 season will be determined by cal's monster offensive line, the retention of both ben coleman & matthew cindric is also critical...ben's dad got 100+ starts in the nfl, he's gonna give his son realistic feedback...in speaking with matt's dad in boulder, he's probably 50/50 on returning for year 2 of his masters in education degree
key upcoming dates for the program:
november 13th thru november 21st coach wilcox conversations with players re: their 2023 plans, some scholly seniors will be offered the opportunity to return & some will be graduating with their berkeley degrees & playing their final season(s) of eligibility at other schools or retiring from football/entering the real world
november 19th: the big game vs stanford in berkeley
november 22nd: the release of the list of current players that will be walking as departing seniors for the ucla game
november 25th: ucla game in berkeley
november 28th: billy m's "retirement" announced at 10:42 am
december 3rd-4th: the final push to close out the 2023 class with multiple official visitors, the staff currently got 10 public schollys committed to players for the 2023 season...mr x, cal's silent commitment, likely announces his commitment once it's confirmed that his positional scholly is open via the departing seniors announcement...several offensive line prospects will be in berkeley for huge official visits, rightsizing the room from this season's 14 schollys to 16 schollys for 2023 is a priority
december 5th-january 18th: college free agency
outlook for the 2023 season:
this program got more overall talent that the current record reflects & i remain fully supportive of coach wilcox...with 10 potential returning staters (other than the rock solid daniel scott) the defense will take a major step forward if a healthy brett johnson returns & somehow an apex predator edge defender emerges (this hasn't happened yet)...and literally every player int the offensive 2 deep depth chart could also potential return too...michael luckhurst is gonna be a future nfl kicker & will add long range field goals that were missed in close losses both in south bend & boulder this season...elite kickers are worth a win or two
but the reality is that the 2023 season really hinges on the play of cal's monster offensive line & more specifically the tackles...with this year's sometimes painful learning experience for huge upside potential future nfl talent sioape vatikanai, cindo hopefully returning for a 6th season in berkleey, ben coleman playing guard rather than out of position in space at tackle which exposed his lack of mobility, brian driscoll's attitude moving from la jolla to national city this offseason & interlachen's bastian swinney finally healthy the interior line should be a strength next season...and the right incoming true freshman could even compete for a starting position like vats did this season, nothing is in stone
the tackles are another story & the 2023 trajectory depends upon them not operating like the new york city subway turnstiles at rush hour...tj session gotta move his feet faster with quick twitch reflexes & brayden rhome cannot play again at an undersized 285 lbs, huge upside jackson brown & intriguing trent ramsey will be given every opportunity during the spring to compete for the 2 wide open tackle jobs & the very athletic nick morrow gotta build his 6'8" frame over 300+ lbs
and yeah in a perfect ******* world, an impact tackle transfer will arrive this spring in berkeley
coach johnson needs to significantly step up his game & design better customized programs for the granite statutes in the o-line room that develops greater bend/flexibility/range of high twitch mobility, and yeah yoga/meditation practices should be part of the solution...what brian is doing right now is not working, we're gonna find out how adaptive is our s&c coach, right?
in a perfect world:
shocky would get a cypress point members bag tag & andrew mcgaw would replace moving shell con game jimmy k as cal's athletic director
jake plummer's dad told me in boulder that his son's original plan was to play for cal for one season but that they realize he's not on the nfl's radar right now & that jack thinks highly of the skill players talent levels, fully expect him to return to berkeley next season as part of the 2nd year of the non academically challenging cert program...kai milner is focused on earning a spot in the haas/spieker biz school which is worth millions of dollars, maybe even tens of millions of dollars over a lifetime, plus he got great hair
j-mike's uncle told me on the arizona gameday in berkeley that his nephew loves coach toler (as do all the wide receivers) & that he immediately apologized to coach wilcox for "messing up" with the touchdown celebration penalty in south bend, great respectful young man
the program's #1 priority this offseason will be to retain jaydn ott, check out my post yesterday re: the fragile nature of the running back room & coach thompson's challenges in dealing with this fluid situation
in that the fate of the 2023 season will be determined by cal's monster offensive line, the retention of both ben coleman & matthew cindric is also critical...ben's dad got 100+ starts in the nfl, he's gonna give his son realistic feedback...in speaking with matt's dad in boulder, he's probably 50/50 on returning for year 2 of his masters in education degree
key upcoming dates for the program:
november 13th thru november 21st coach wilcox conversations with players re: their 2023 plans, some scholly seniors will be offered the opportunity to return & some will be graduating with their berkeley degrees & playing their final season(s) of eligibility at other schools or retiring from football/entering the real world
november 19th: the big game vs stanford in berkeley
november 22nd: the release of the list of current players that will be walking as departing seniors for the ucla game
november 25th: ucla game in berkeley
november 28th: billy m's "retirement" announced at 10:42 am
december 3rd-4th: the final push to close out the 2023 class with multiple official visitors, the staff currently got 10 schollys committed to players for the 2023 season...mr x, cal's silent commitment, likely announces his commitment once it's confirmed that his positional scholly is open via the departing seniors announcement...several offensive line prospects will be in berkeley for huge official visits
december 5th-january 18th: college free agency
outlook for the 2023 season:
this program got more overall talent that the current record reflects & i remain fully supportive of coach wilcox...the defense will take a major step forward if a healthy brett johnson returns & somehow an apex predator edge defender emerges (this hasn't happened yet)...michael luckhurst is gonna be a future nfl kicker & will add long range field goals that were missed in close losses both in south bend & boulder this season...elite kickers are worth a win or two
but the reality is that the 2023 season really hinges on the play of cal's monster offensive line & more specifically the tackles...with this year's sometimes painful learning experience for huge upside potential future nfl talent sioape vatikanai, cindo hopefully returning for a 6th season in berkleey, ben coleman playing guard rather than out of position in space at tackle which exposed his lack of mobility, brian driscoll's attitude moving from la jolla to national city this offseason & interlachen's bastian swinney finally healthy the interior line should be a strength next season...and the right incoming true freshman could even compete for a starting position like vats did this season, nothing is in stone
the tackles are another story & the 2023 trajectory depends upon them not operating like the new york city subway turnstiles at rush hour...tj session gotta move his feet quicker with quick twitch reflexes & brayden rhome cannot play again at an undersized 285 lbs, huge upside jackson brown & intriguing trent ramsey will be given every opportunity during the spring to compete for the 2 wide open tackle jobs & the very athletic nick morrow gotta build his 6'8" frame over 300+ lbs
and yeah in a perfect ******* world, an impact tackle transfer will arrive this spring in berkeley
coach johnson needs to significantly step up his game & design better customized programs for the granite statutes in the o-line room that develops greater bend/flexibility/range of high twitch mobility, and yeah yoga/meditation practices should be part of the solution...what brian is doing right now is not working, we're gonna find out how adaptive is our s&c coach, right?
in a perfect world:
shocky would get a cypress point members bag tag & andrew mcgaw would replace moving shell con game jimmy k as cal's athletic director
A few key dates you left out. The date of the new OC hire. The date of the new OL hire and do not say it will be Saffell. The new OC needs to have a somewhat experienced OL coach to help implement the new OL concepts for what has to be a different offensive scheme. And the date they add a new TE coach to replace Geep who can go to work with his brother at whatever school Paul Chryst ends up at.
There easily could be other coaches that leave as well.
The S&C program has not developed the OL. They are neither more athletic or strong. It is beyond comprehension that an incoming freshman (Vatikani) could be stronger than any OL that has been in a major college S&C program for multiple seasons. I get Vatikani is strong, but the strength of the OL has been a huge disappointment along with the lack of athleticism.
Cal is a developmental program and they flat out do not develop players with the possible exception being the DBs. The lack of development at OL, TE, LB and DL is appalling. And QB is perhaps the biggest disappointment of all. Garbers was not much better in year 5 than year 2. And Plummer has regressed as the season has gone on.
We have heard over and over what great teachers this staff is. Nonsense. They develop nobody.
props to billy m for going counter tendencies in the 2nd half & actually attacking the middle third of the field which caught the trojans d schematically off guard & resulted in significant huge plays for the bears...and finally the utilization of the tight ends in the passing game along with the counter direction passes were crafty decisions...yeah let's see how the next 3 games play out, billy m's retirement announcement might be a bit premature
the real issue is the lack of bend, flexibility & quick twitch reflexes of cal's monster offensive line...while expanding the room from 14 schollys to 16 schollys & 2023 recruiting of key prospects are important corrective steps, it's very clear that literally every offensive linemen would benefit from a s&c program that better develops their athleticism
the numbers of times tonite the tackles failed to get a partial block or even make contact with a rushing edge defender was staggering
whatever s&c coach brian johnson is doing right now in the off season is not working, it's also possible that nutrition issues also need to be addressed
at the rivals site i told readers back in february that incoming true freshman sioape vatikani would arrive in berkeley as arguably already the strongest person in the program, how is that even possible that a 17 year old could be stronger than guys who have been working in the current s&c program for 4-5 years???
the talent difference between the bears & trojans tonite was not off the charts, cal got enough talent to potentially win the final 3 games of the season at oregon state & then at home vs stanford & ucla
but make no mistake about improving the athleticism of cal's monster offensive line this offseason should be absolutely the #1 priority both internally & externally in terms of media coverage
loved the 2nd/3rd passing downs personnel groupings with 3 edge defenders on the field in fast emerging explosive orin patu, myles jernigan (the most improved player on the team) & poly bad azz henry ikahihifo, only the +1 athleticism of caleb williams saved the trojans from multiple sacks
it's possible that the very recent surge forward in the development of orin patu might potentially give the bears the long sought apex predator edge defender that characterizes all elite defenses...orin is playing right now at a very high level in the opponent's backfield & can't wait to see what steps he takes forward against non slippery qbs like the ones at oregon state & stanford
it's also very clear to see now why last week's flurry of 2023 offers by the staff included multiple cornerback offers, more talent is needed at this position...one of the downsides of smaller cornerbacks (those under 5"10") is that they have difficulty in physically tackling in space wideout screens & also they are more susceptible to injuries (lu magia hearns injury absence is being ruthlessly exploited by opponents)
good to see ashton hayes aggressively returning kickoffs & not taking fair catches, he needs to be involved on the field to ensure the well constructed speedster sticks around to compete for playing snaps this spring
props to monroe young, he's a baller & also the wide receiving room's most physical blocker
Nice summary Shockster. I'm with you on Patu - he's really coming along and he's constantly disrupting and making plays. And he plays with some freaking fire in his belly.
loved the 2nd/3rd passing downs personnel groupings with 3 edge defenders on the field in fast emerging explosive orin patu, myles jernigan (the most improved player on the team) & poly bad azz henry ikahihifo, only the +1 athleticism of caleb williams saved the trojans from multiple sacks
it's possible that the very recent surge forward in the development of orin patu might potentially give the bears the long sought apex predator edge defender that characterizes all elite defenses...orin is playing right now at a very high level in the opponent's backfield & can't wait to see what steps he takes forward against non slippery qbs like the ones at oregon state & stanford
it's also very clear to see now why last week's flurry of 2023 offers by the staff included multiple cornerback offers, more talent is needed at this position...one of the downsides of smaller cornerbacks (those under 5"10") is that they have difficulty in physically tackling in space wideout screens & also they are more susceptible to injuries (lu magia hearns injury absence is being ruthlessly exploited by opponents)
good to see ashton hayes aggressively returning kickoffs & not taking fair catches, he needs to be involved on the field to ensure the well constructed speedster sticks around to compete for playing snaps this spring
props to monroe young, he's a baller & also the wide receiving room's most physical blocker
Yes they need more depth at CB. But a consistent pass rush would really help. Patu got some pressure last night. It was better but yes Williams is a stud. Mobile and elite arm talent. He made throws that very few can make. His different arm angles and scrambling to pass rather than run is very Patrick Mahomes like.
The Bears should take a hard look at the film and take note of how aggressive and effective the USC WRs block. They were exceptional. It makes a difference.
The Bears had a different pass rush set. They used Patu and Carlton on the edges and had Henry Ikahihifo and Myles Williams as down pass rushers. It created more pressure and was a nice innovation.
Young played very well. He made some strong plays. Glad for him.
props to billy m for going counter tendencies in the 2nd half & actually attacking the middle third of the field which caught the trojans d schematically off guard & resulted in significant huge plays for the bears...and finally the utilization of the tight ends in the passing game along with the counter direction passes were crafty decisions...yeah let's see how the next 3 games play out, billy m's retirement announcement might be a bit premature
the real issue is the lack of bend, flexibility & quick twitch reflexes of cal's monster offensive line...while expanding the room from 14 schollys to 16 schollys & 2023 recruiting of key prospects are important corrective steps, it's very clear that literally every offensive linemen would benefit from a s&c program that better develops their athleticism
the numbers of times tonite the tackles failed to get a partial block or even make contact with a rushing edge defender was staggering
whatever s&c coach brian johnson is doing right now in the off season is not working, it's also possible that nutrition issues also need to be addressed
at the rivals site i told readers back in february that incoming true freshman sioape vatikani would arrive in berkeley as arguably already the strongest person in the program, how is that even possible that a 17 year old could be stronger than guys who have been working in the current s&c program for 4-5 years???
the talent difference between the bears & trojans tonite was not off the charts, cal got enough talent to potentially win the final 3 games of the season at oregon state & then at home vs stanford & ucla
but make no mistake about improving the athleticism of cal's monster offensive line this offseason should be absolutely the #1 priority both internally & externally in terms of media coverage
Billy M has to go. It will be hard to sell recruits on what he has done in his overll tenure and despite last night the offense needs an overhaul in scheme. Cal has always had a couple of games where the offense plays pretty well. But way too many Colorado or WSU games where they are almost inept. A change is absolutely necessary.
Yes the OL is the biggest single concern with the current roster. But roster retention will be crucial. Ott, JMS, Anderson and Hunter can all play. All would be be highly sought should they make themselves available via the portal. The way the portal is these days, it seems almost like a foregone conclusion that they have attrition within that group.
Cal has enough talent to play competitively down the stretch. Winning all 3 will be hard. But lets get OSU and Stanford and make that last game something that matters.
for those of you hibernating in cj box's tricked out yellowstone chalet, the monster has been repeating for months (since february at the the rivals site) that future nfl hall of famer defensive mastermind & current asu analyst (he actually functions as the defensive coordinator but don't want any recruiting responsibilities, he's gonna retire after this season) marv lewis has told me multiple times at desert highlands (the lewis compound is on the right side of the par 5 11th hole) with a wicked snarky smile that "cal is the easiest team in the pac 12 to gameplan against" primarily because we don't attack the middle third of the field with downfield vertical passes which means opponents can put 7-8 defenders in the box & the safeties/outside linebackers can cheat to help in passing coverage on the predictable usually under 10 yard sideline routes
so what the **** happens when billy m's goes counter tendency & attacks the middle third of the field in the downfield passing game?...hello, anybody home, where is everybody?
Doesn't get much easier than that... Jack Plummer to a wide open Mavin Anderson for the 47 yard TD! #CALpic.twitter.com/SHJpYUNKcl
successful people in life constantly make adjustments to adaptively fine tune future results:
will billy m vertically downfield attack the middle third of the field vs oregon state?
will coach wilcox reconfigure the offensive staffing personnel after the ucla game?
will s&c coach brian johnson seek nfl counseling to customize the off season workouts to include yoga, etc. in recognition of the granite like mobility & chronic injury issues with cal's monster offensive line?
will oski successfully complete rehab after a 13th visit to the silverado institute for well being & finally earn a ******* degree after decades in berkeley?
fun cal's monster good looking offensive line contest:
prize: annual membership at shocky's t-rex yoga/meditation studio in yountville (including 2 free walkings rounds at brambles plus a tasty desert at bouchon bakery too) or a $1,000,000 promissory note
winning response requirements: 1st person to name all 15 california golden bears from the left bench front to back to the right bench front to back at arthur macs in oaktown
kinda helpful hint: graduate assistant zach werlinger from ocotillo's 3rd nine likes free food
rules: future head coach in waiting mike saffell is not ******* eligible to win this contest, all rules & winner determinations are completely both arbitrary and capricious & shocky reserves the right to award all prizes to a curvy brunette yoga female instead of some white dude that got good guesses or something...all entries that reference leo tolstoy will be deemed ineligible primarily because he's dead...multiple entries will result in immediate disqualification unless you got a tight yoga azz in which case u can do whatever the hell u want (just keeping it real here)
fun cal's monster good looking offensive line contest:
prize: annual membership at shocky's t-rex yoga/meditation studio in yountville (including 2 free walkings rounds at brambles plus a tasty desert at bouchon bakery too) or a $1,000,000 promissory note
winning response requirements: 1st person to name all 15 california golden bears from the left bench front to back to the right bench front to back at arthur macs in oaktown
kinda helpful hint: graduate assistant zach werlinger from ocotillo's 3rd nine likes free food
rules: mike saffell is not ******* eligible to win this contest, all rules & winner determinations are completely arbitrary & shocky reserves the right to award all prizes to a curvy brunette yoga female instead of some white dude that got good guesses or something...all entries that reference leo tolstoy will be deemed ineligible primarily because he's dead...multiple entries will result in immediate disqualification unless you got a tight yoga azz in which case u can do whatever the hell u want (just keeping it real here)
Who got most of the O-line snaps and what positions, versus the Trojans? Seemed like our pass protection was incrementally better, even if we still weren't opening up holes for the running game.
I saw Everett Johnson in there a lot. Aguilar, too (wow, our RT play has been problematic no matter who's in there.). Why not try Jackson Brown? Or have we? Give him some series; get him ready for the future.
EDIT: Am I hearing that Brown DID play last night? How many snaps did he get? How did he do? (not expecting miracles this year)
my favorite devastating smackdown in this highlite reel is the +1 athletic somersault block at the 1 minute 2 second mark, how is that even physically possible?
boyd got a 3.88 gpa (being recruited by harvard, he not a dumb azz) & would be able to acclimate very quickly to the berkeley classrooms kinda like 4.0 gpa true freshman sioape vatikani who is starting at guard as a true freshman...plus he got a good man hair bun like bobo
yeah would not be surprised if austin don't got voices in his head telling him "bury me, bury me, ima finished with you" before burying his next sorry azz broken down defender into a hole in the ground for the kill
the bears gotta rightsize the offensive line room from 14 schollys this season to 16 schollys next season (coach wilcox got a linebacker hoarding problem, he needs counseling or something), the 6'5" 286 lbs austin boyd would be an outstanding addition to the close room of true student athletes that toil in obscurity outside of the cal's monster offensive line thread
the university of california, berkeley=#2 ranked university in the united states (including its territories such as the harvest restaurant and so forth) https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/
the program's ongoing relentless search beyond the grassy knoll for an apex predator edge defender (all elite defenses got at least one of them to combat the modern spread offenses) resulted in outside linebacker's coach so'oto offering (which included a virtual zoom campus tour) tonite 6'4" 220 lbs rylan kennedy from mansfield lake ridge high school near ft worth/dallas
rylan is new to the game, he's a lifelong basketball player with major hops who just finished playing high school football for the 1st time as a senior...watch #25's +1 off the charts athleticism in this video, it's pretty special...it's also why washington just offered him tonite too with utah & houston on the cusp
kennedy is not a dumb azz, he got a presidential like 3.48 gpa...that's why he's looking forward to taking an official visit during cal's upcoming big final recruiting weekend on december 3rd & 4th which maybe gonna include a side trip to the chase center in san francisco
most importantly rylan got great hair, like top 10 hair in the entire nation for the 2023 class
the university of california, berkeley=#2 ranked university in the united states (and home of the golden state warriors) https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/
the program's ongoing relentless search beyond the grassy knoll for an apex predator edge defender (all elite defenses got at least one of them to combat the modern spread offenses) resulted in outside linebacker's coach so'oto offering (which included a virtual zoom campus tour) tonite 6'4" 220 lbs rylan kennedy from mansfield lake ridge high school near ft worth/dallas
rylan is new to the game, he's a lifelong basketball player with major hops who just finished playing high school football for the 1st time as a senior...watch #25's +1 off the charts athleticism in this video, it's pretty special...it's also why washington just offered him tonite too with utah & houston on the cusp
kennedy is not a dumb azz, he got a presidential like 3.48 gpa...that's why he's looking forward to taking an official visit during cal's upcoming big final recruiting weekend on december 3rd & 4th which maybe gonna include a side trip to the chase center in san francisco
most importantly rylan got great hair, like top 10 hair in the entire nation for the 2023 class
the university of california, berkeley=#2 ranked university in the united states (and home of the golden state warriors) https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/
He seems like what we missed out with Takkarist. Let's get him
agreed a +1 disruptive apex predator defender with a huge upside, moves in space behind the line of scrimmage with an unreal fluidity & suddenness
and yeah my favorite living kennedy got a 3.48 gpa
mt rushmore#
Kennedy is a clear plus athlete. But DC Peter Sirmon needs to change his approach. His conservative defensive style gets few TFLS and sacks. He needs to allow the players to play more upfield and make some plays.
We decry the fact this team gets few sacks. They rarely just turn the OLB/Edge guys loose. Sirmon and Wilcox need to really think hard about what sort of defense they want. I would welcome a more agressive style. Likely so would the DBs.
hear what ur saying & tend to agree with u that more blitzing packages would be more effective against spread offenses than just trying to fit the run game with guys that can set the edge but turning braxton croteau "loose" off the edge is not the solution, coach sirmon's d desperately needs a disruptive edge defender
almost half of the currently committed 2023 class r potential edge prospects, this is the d staff's #1 priority (finding more cornerbacks with height & length is the #2 priority)
hear what ur saying & tend to agree with u that more blitzing packages would be more effective against spread offenses than just trying to fit the run game with guys that can set the edge but turning braxton croteau "loose" off the edge is not the solution, coach sirmon's d desperately needs a disruptive edge defender
almost half of the currently committed 2023 class r potential edge prospects, this is the d staff's #1 priority (finding more cornerbacks with height & length is the #2 priority)
maybe orin patu is gonna be that guy?
We agree regarding Croteau. But he plays because he fits the style that Sirmon and Wilcox prefer. Yes 3 of the current commits project to that role. So does Tuitele and Thomas from last class. They brought in Isibor and Carlton in the portal. They added project Ieremia Ieremia as well. And JC OLB Ikahihifo.
Patu has some pass rush chops. So to does Myles Williams that they are now using as a down DL in sure pass downs.
They have inflated the numbers at that spot looking for the guy. Now they have like 14 guys. IMO the staff has mismanaged the overall roster numbers. So they have few spots and lots of needs.
JMO opinion but they need to abandon the conservative defensive style and get more aggressive. Not just with regards to blitz, but line stunts and generally look for more penetration along the DL rather than simply taking on blockers. If you want more negative yardage plays you have to gameplan for it. Not simply rely on finding the one elite edge guy. IMO they have a few guys that can be effective if allowed a bit more freedom.
