Scott And Sirmon Lead Cal’s Athlon Preseason All-Pac-12 Picks

BERKELEY – Cal has eight selections on Athlon Sports' Pac-12 Football 2022 All-Conference Team announced Thursday with first-teamers Daniel Scott and Jackson Sirmon leading the way. The Golden Bears also had four third-team picks in Matthew Cindric, Ben Coleman, Brett Johnson and Damien Moore, as well as a pair of fourth-team selections in Lu-Magia Hearns III and Jeremiah Hunter.

Below are notes on each of Cal's eight selections with an extended bio available by clicking on each of their names.
 
Matthew Cindric, OL, 6-4, 295, R-Sr., 5th Season At Cal (Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS)
— Has played in 28 games with 27 starts over the past three seasons with 14 starts at right guard and 13 at center including 11 of 12 contests in his 2021 junior campaign when he earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors from the league's coaches
— Helped Cal roll up over 500 total yards of offense three times as a 2021 junior (636 at Stanford, 534 vs. Sacramento State, 517 vs. Oregon State) and more than 200 yards rushing on four occasions (352 at Stanford, 255 vs. Oregon State, 246 vs. Sacramento State, 213 vs. Colorado)
— Helped Cal break a Big Game record as a 2021 junior with 636 total yards of offense that were its most since also compiling 636 in a double overtime home win over Oregon in 2016, while the Golden Bears' 352 rushing yards were their most since rushing for 431 against Washington in 2008
 
Ben Coleman, OL, 6-4, 325, R-Jr., 4th Season At Cal (Murrieta, CA/Linfield Christian HS)
— Expected to be Cal's starting left tackle in 2022 after moving to the position in spring practices
— Started 11 of 12 games as a 2021 sophomore all at left guard and has played in a total of 14 career games including three off the bench as a 2020 redshirt freshman
— Helped Cal roll up over 500 total yards of offense three times as a 2021 sophomore (636 at Stanford, 534 vs. Sacramento State, 517 vs. Oregon State) and more than 200 yards rushing on four occasions (352 at Stanford, 255 vs. Oregon State, 246 vs. Sacramento State, 213 vs. Colorado)
— Became the first Cal player to win Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week honors since its' inception in 2019 for his performance in the Golden Bears' 41-11 win over Stanford in the Big Game as a 2021 sophomore when he had the highest internal grade of Cal's offensive linemen (90%) during a historic performance with Cal producing a Big Game record 636 yards of total offense including 352 on the ground that was the most by the Bears in any game since Cal rushed for 431 yards against Washington in 2008, and threw a key block to spring Marcel Dancy on a 76-yard touchdown that was the Bears' longest since an 81-yard touchdown run by Brendan Bigelow at Ohio State in 2012
 
Lu-Magia Hearns III, CB, 5-10, 170, So., 2nd Season At Cal (Pittsburg, CA/De La Salle HS)
— Earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors, as well as honorable mention recognition for the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year presented by Nextiva, both from the league's coaches, as a 2021 true freshman when he played in 11 of 12 games with eight starts that were the most among four Cal true freshmen that started contests
— Registered 28 tackles, one interception, one fumble recovery and team highs of 10 pass breakups that ranked tied for second in the Pac-12 and 11 passes defended that were third, while his 1.00 passes defended per game were also third in the conference
— First Cal player to win Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors since its' 2019 inception for his performance in the 124th Big Game at Stanford when he had his first career interception on the second Cardinal offensive play, four pass breakups and three tackles
 
Jeremiah Hunter, WR, 6-2, 200, Jr., 3rd Collegiate Season (Fresno, CA/Central HS)
— Played in all nine of his career games as a 2021 sophomore including his lone career collegiate start against Sacramento State 
— Second on the team and the Pac-12 with an average of 18.5 yards per reception (#20 NCAA), while he was third on the team with 388 yards receiving on 21 catches
— Tied for second on the team with eight receptions of 20 or more yards with at least one catch of 20+ yards in seven of his nine contests

 
Brett Johnson, DL, 6-5, 300, R-Jr., 4th Season At Cal (Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista HS)
— Has played in 17 games with 13 starts since arriving at Cal as a true freshman in 2019 and posted career totals of 46 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss (-26 yards), 3.0 sacks (-19 yards), one pass breakup, one pass defended and one fumble recovery
— Played in all 17 games possible during his first two seasons at Cal as a 2019 true freshman and 2020 sophomore before missing the 2021 campaign due to injuries suffered in an automobile accident but returned to the field for 2022 spring practices and is expected to play in 2022
— All-Pac-12 Preseason Second Team (Pro Football Focus) as a 2021 junior and All-Pac-12 Preseason Third Team (Athlon) as a 2020 sophomore
— Earned Freshman All-American Third Team and All-Pac-12 Third Team (Pro Football Focus) honors as a 2019 freshman when he played in a career-high all 13 games with nine starts including seven of the last eight contests and recorded career highs of 26 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss (-18 yards), while adding a career-high-tying 1.5 sacks (career-high -12 yards) and his lone career fumble recovery
— Started all four games in a season shortened by COVID-19 as a 2020 sophomore and was tied for third on the team and first among defensive linemen with 20 tackles, while adding 2.5 tackles for loss (-8 yards), a career-high-tying 1.5 sacks (-7 yards), one pass breakup and one pass defended
 
Damien Moore, RB, 5-10, 215, Jr., 3rd Season At Cal (La Puente, CA/Bishop Amat HS)
— Has played in 15 career games with eight starts over the last two campaigns since his arrival at Cal in 2020 and totaled 712 yards rushing and six touchdowns on the ground on 138 carries while adding 14 receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown receiving to total 807 all-purpose yards
— Had career highs as a 2021 sophomore in games played (11), games started (8), yards rushing (518), rushes (100), rushing touchdowns (6), total touchdowns (7), receptions (13), yards receiving (85) and touchdown receptions (1)
— Earned honorable mention recognition for Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year, presented by Nextiva, when he was one of three Cal true freshmen along with Muelu Iosefa and Trey Paster to play in all four games of a 2020 season shortened by COVID-19, with all of his appearances off the bench
 
Daniel Scott, S, 6-2, 215, Sr., 6th Season At Cal (Pasadena, CA/St. Francis HS)
— A member of the preseason watch list for the Lott IMPACT Trophy given annually to a defensive player who has the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field and one of two sixth-year seniors on the 2022 Cal roster along with graduate transfer Odua Isibor
— The lone current member of the Golden Bears' program who began his collegiate career at Cal in Justin Wilcox's first season as head coach in 2017
— Has played in 37 career games with 16 starts at Cal over the last four seasons after redshirting as a true freshman in 2017 and registered totals of 122 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss (-37 yards), 1.0 sack (-27 yards), one forced fumble, four picks he has returned for six yards and one touchdown, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two quarterback hurries and three pass breakups
— Earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors from Pro Football Focus and was PFF's second-highest rated safety in the conference behind only teammate Elijah Hicks as a 2021 senior when he had career highs in every defensive category he has recorded career stats in other than fumble recoveries with 82 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss (-37 yards), 1.0 sack (-27 yards), one forced fumble, three interceptions returned for six yards, two quarterback hurries and two pass breakups
 
Jackson Sirmon, ILB, 6-2, 240, R-Sr., 5th Collegiate Season/1st Season At Cal (Brentwood, TN/Washington/Brentwood Academy/Loyola HS)
— Transferred to Cal from Washington in January of 2022 and participated in the Golden Bears' spring practice sessions in April of 2022
– Compiled four-year totals over 33 games played and 16 starts at Washington from 2018-21 of 147 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss (-10 yards), one interception that he returned 20 yards, one pass breakup, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one safety
– Earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors as a 2021 junior when he started all 12 games and finished tied for fifth in the Pac-12 with a career-high 92 tackles, while adding 0.5 tackles for loss (-6 yards), one forced fumble, his lone career interception that he returned for 20 yards, one pass breakup and one safety.

Other stories:

Bear Insider Ultimate Insider Podcast E29: Cal QB Kai Millner -Audio

2022 Cal Rush End/OLB Signee Curlee Thomas: Why I Chose Cal