Preseason All-American Jaydn Ott Leads Cal’s Athlon Picks
Running back Jaydn Ott's third-team All-American selection highlighted eight Cal football players who were honored Monday when Athlon announced its 2024 preseason All-American and All-ACC teams. Ott was also a first-team All-ACC choice.
Linebacker Cade Uluave and defensive back Craig Woodson were on Athlon's second-team preseason All-ACC squad, while tight end Corey Dyches was a third-team selection. Four Golden Bears – wide receiver Trond Grizzell, outside linebacker David Reese, offensive lineman T.J. Session and defensive back Nohl Williams – were fourth-team All-ACC picks.
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Below are notes on each of Cal's Athlon preseason All-American and All-ACC selections:
Corey Dyches – TE – 6-2 – 220 – Sr. – 5th – Oxon Hill, MD (Maryland/Potomac HS)
– 2024 preseason All-ACC first team (Lindy's) and third team (Athlon)
– Played in 39 games over four seasons at Maryland (2020-23) and totaled 107 receptions for 1,193 yards with nine touchdown catches as each of his final three teams won bowl games over Virginia Tech (Pinstripe Bowl), North Carolina State (Duke' Mayo Bowl) and Auburn (Music City Bowl)
– Earned third-team All-Big Ten honors as a 2023 junior after being second on his squad with a career-high 49 receptions for 491 yards and two touchdown grabs following an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick as a 2022 sophomore when he caught 39 passes for a career-high 494 yards and three touchdowns
– Ranked as the No. 9 tight end in the 2024 transfer portal class by On3
Trond Grizzell – WR – 6-4 – 205 – R-Jr. – 4th – Park City, UT (Park City HS)
– 2024 preseason All-ACC fourth team (Athlon)
– Played in all 13 games including his first nine career starts as a 2023 sophomore, contributing 39 receptions for 590 yards with five touchdown catches
– A Big Game Hero in Cal's 2023 win at Stanford with seven receptions for 136 yards and two touchdown catches (all career highs as well as the most yards receiving and most touchdown receptions by a Cal player in a game in 2023)
Jaydn Ott – RB – 6-0 – 210 – Jr. – 3rd – Chino, CA (Norco HS/Bishop Gorman HS)
– 2024 preseason All-American third team (Athlon) and fourth team (Phil Steele)
– 2024 preseason All-ACC first team (Athlon) and second team (Lindy's, Phil Steele)
– Begins the 2024 season ranked second among all active FBS players with an average of 92.2 rushing yards per game, while his 119.58 all-purpose yards per contest are fourth
– Has rushed for career totals of 2,212 yards and 20 touchdowns on 416 carries for an average of 5.3 yards per carry, while adding 71 receptions for 514 yards and five touchdowns, as well as three kick returns for 144 yards and one touchdown, 2,870 all-purpose yards, 2,726 yards from scrimmage, 26 total touchdowns, and with the addition of one successful two-point conversion a total of 158 points
– Has the second-most rushing yards through his first 24 games of any player in Cal history behind only J.J. Arrington (2,452, 2003-04)
– Earned honorable mention All-America (Phil Steele) and first-team All-Pac-12 selections to highlight a long list of honors as a 2023 sophomore when he led the Pac-12 and ranked among NCAA leaders in per-game averages for all-purpose yards (135.67, No. 6 NCAA) and rushing yards (109.6, No. 9 NCAA), as well as total rushing yards (1,315, No. 14 NCAA)
– Earned All-True Freshman honors (Pro Football Focus), as well as first-team (The Athletic) and second-team (College Football News) Freshman All-America recognition as a 2022 rookie when he was second among all Pac-12 freshmen and ninth among freshmen nationally in rushing yards per game (74.8 ypg)
David Reese – OLB – 6-2 – 240 – R-Sr. – 7th – Fort Pierce, FL (Florida/Vero Beach HS/Fort Pierce Central HS)
– 2024 preseason All-ACC fourth team (Athlon)
– A fourth-team All-Pac-12 selection of Phil Steele, while he was an honorable mention choice of the league's coaches as a 2023 junior when he played in a career-high-tying all 13 games and made his first six career starts
– Contributed career highs of 36 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss (-61 yards), 6.5 sacks (-58 yards), three forced fumbles, three pass breakups and four quarterback hurries as a 2023 junior, with his tackles for loss, tackle for loss yards, sacks, sack yards and forced fumbles all team highs, and all of his stats other than tackles and participation the first of his career
T.J. Session – OL – 6-4 – 305 – R-Sr. – 6th – Menifee, CA (Montana State/Vista Murrieta HS)
– 2024 preseason All-ACC fourth team (Athlon)
– Has played in 34 career games with 30 starts over the last five seasons spanning three at Montana State (2019-21) and two at Cal (2022-23)
– One of Cal's four offensive players and seven overall to start all 13 games as a 2023 junior with all of his starts at right tackle
– Blocked for honorable mention All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 running back Jaydn Ott in 2023, as well as a Cal rushing offense that ranked fourth in the Pac-12 and 45th nationally with an average of 172.8 rushing yards per game that was its' highest since 2012
Cade Uluave – ILB – 6-1 – 240 – So. – 2nd – South Jordan, UT (Mountain Ridge HS)
– 2024 preseason All-ACC second team (Athlon, Phil Steele) and third team (Lindy's)
– Racked up the honors as a 2023 freshman, highlighted by first-team Freshman All-America recognition from The Athletic, College Football News and the FWAA, as well as a Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year selection from the league's coaches and Defensive Freshman of the Year recognition by Super West Sports
– Played in all 13 games as a 2023 freshman including the first six starts of his career, contributing 66 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss (-42 yards), 2.5 sacks (-26 yards), two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries that he returned for 51 yards and one of the team's three fumble returns for a touchdown, two interceptions that he returned for four yards and three pass breakups
– Led all Pac-12 freshmen and ranked among national freshmen leaders in tackles (No. 13) and tackles per game (5.1, No. 15T)
Nohl Williams – DB – 6-1 – 200 – Sr. – 5th – Portland, OR (Oxnard, CA/UNLV/Pacific HS)
– 2024 preseason All-ACC fourth team (Athlon)
– Has played in 39 career games with 33 starts over four seasons spanning three campaigns at UNLV (2020-22) and one at Cal (2023)
– Has contributed 151 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss (-7 yards), seven interceptions that he has returned for 62 yards, 16 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries including two that he has returned for touchdowns, and 60 fumble return yards
– One of Cal's three defensive players and seven overall to start all 13 games as a 2023 junior when he contributed career highs of 53 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss (-4 yards), a team-high-tying two interceptions, a career-high six pass breakups, a career-high and team-high-tying two fumble recoveries that he returned for a team-high 61 yards and a team-high two defensive touchdowns on a 52-yard return against Washington State and a nine-yard return at Oregon, one forced fumble and one kick return for 26 yards
Craig Woodson – DB – 6-0 – 210 – R-Sr. – 6th – Grand Prairie, TX (South Grand Prairie HS)
– 2024 preseason All-ACC second team (Athlon, Phil Steele) and third team (Lindy's)
– Has played in 33 career games with 27 starts since arriving at Cal as a true freshman in 2019 including each of the past 25 contests (every game possible during his 2022 sophomore and 2023 junior seasons) for the longest string of consecutive starts among the team's active players
– Has posted career totals of 175 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss (-15 yards), nine pass breakups, three interceptions that he has returned for 41 yards, including one that he brought back 39 yards for a touchdown as a 2022 sophomore against UC Davis, three forced fumbles, two quarterback hurries, and one blocked kick on a punt in the season opener as a 2020 redshirt freshman at UCLA
– A two-time honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection of the league's coaches as a 2022 sophomore and 2023 junior, while he also earned fourth-team All-Pac-12 honors from Phil Steele in 2023
– Contributed career highs of 81 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss (-7 yards), two forced fumbles and four pass breakups, while also picking up one interception as a 2023 junior