heartofthebear said:I would add that teams tend to improve as their lines mature.Bobodeluxe said:Injuries. The return of all healthy players, plus the addition of another tight end, and the supposed speedy wideout. If the line is average, the skill players can approach that level.GBear4Life said:Based on what? Certainly not the eye test or the recruiting rankingsBobodeluxe said:
There is enough returning talent on offense to be average.
The defense will be average, or slightly better.
I wait until the games are played to despair, and I never hope for much.
I am never disappointed, and occasionally surprised.
Cal has a significant percentage of both lines returning next season.
They lose Toailoa on the DL and Ben Hawk-Schrider OLB/DE and Bazakas on the OL.
Curhan may leave do to graduation but that has not been determined.
Anyway, that's it.
Cal will have returners on the DL that were at least part time starters.
They will have at least 4 of the 5 players slated to start on the OL at the beginning of the season.
Overall on offense Cal has at least 7 difference makers returning on offense:
Curhan
Craig
Saffell
Remigio
Garbers
Brown
Crawford
And they only lose one impact player J. Duncan and 3 players overall on offense.
Cal will lose only 8 players overall on defense but it will include 5 impact players
Toalioa
Hawkins
Davis
Weaver
Beck
But they do return several key players due to being granted 6th year eligibility and, in general they will return 9 significant players with
Maldonado
Bequette
Z. Johnson
B. Johnson
Drayden
Deng
Goode
Hicks
Bynum
While Cal has serviceable players to start at safety and nickle in Drayden, Humphries, Smith Woodson and Scott and at ILB with Deng, Smith and Antzoulatos, we will have very little depth in the interior back 7.
And there is always the question of how many R-Jr. players will not return because they have graduated and elect another school or the NFL over Cal for their post-grad football. Those players include guys like
Paul OLB/DE
Bynum CB
Goode OLB
Williams OG
Curhan OT
Udeogu OLB/DE
Most of those last players are key components to Cal's future success
Heart: Thanks for a very good assessment-interested to hear more from you and any others with inside information on potential player movement...