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Cal Football

Wilcox Introduces New Additions to '23 Class in NSD Presser

February 1, 2023
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Fresh off the announcement of three new signees on late NLI day this morning, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox fielded questions from the media on the new players as well as coaches added in the last two months, starting with 6-7/330 LA City College OT Martin Tine‍.

“Martin is a big, athletic guy,” Wilcox said. “Came from Houston and then to East LA. Young as a football player. Hasn't played a lot of football, but really big frame and can move. So really looking forward to getting him here this summer. I would also say we're also gonna get a number of guys kind of back off of injury, which should help us in spring ball. I know Coach Bloesch is really eager to get to start to work with those guys and then it wouldn't be surprising to add another name or two as we enter into summer (at OL)

Wilcox was asked how quickly Tine is expected to play or make an impact at Cal.

“Well, to be determined,” Wilcox said. “When we recruit a transfer player or a junior college player, we're always looking at how quickly we think that they could help us on the field. And some of that, there's not an exact science to it. You look at the traits, you look at the work ethic, you look at the kind of the football IQ and just because they haven't played a lot doesn't mean they can't do that. There's a lot of guys that have played a long time who struggle to make the transition. So it doesn't rule it out by any means. I think what's key is what happens between now and June, and when he gets here in summer. What happens between June and the first game, and there's gonna be a lot of learning going on, but there's a lot of learning going on for a lot of people. We do feel good about him and his athletic ability and the traits that he's shown, and now it's about putting in the work.”

Tine’s time on the hardcourt as a prep basketball player is one of the traits his OL coach cited at LACC that gives the 6-7/330 OT an edge at the position.

“tt's hard to play a good offensive line if you don't have good feet,” Wilcox said. “It's just very rare. So the athleticism is key. Some guys have better feet than others, but I don't I don't think you see a lot of good offensive linemen with bad feet. So that's one of the things that jumped out is the athleticism, as mentioned before. And he's got a, a really big frame. He's 6’6, and I think he has like an 83-inch wingspan, and he's a tall, long guy. We’re just eager to get him here.”

6-5/205 Snow College WR Marquis Montgomery‍ had a particularly strong offer list including LSU, Penn State, Oregon and Texas A&M, despite the fact that his offense didn’t throw the ball a lot. WIlcox was asked how they scout a player like that.

“Well, you look at the opportunities he did get and what he did with those opportunities,” Wilcox noted. “I think he's a talented athlete. He's big. I mean, he is a really big receiver and he can highpoint the ball. He catches the ball with his hands. And so we looked at the chances he did get and what did he do with those? And then again, you look at the traits, the physical traits and then the intangibles - the toughness, the work ethic and all those things. And we feel strongly about him.”

Next Wilcox was asked about new long snapper signee David Bird‍ -ranked by many as the nation’s top long snapper.

“Well, I think you all know what kind of impact it has when you don't have somebody that's a good snapper,” Wilcox said, aluding to the Bears’ longsnapping and kicking problems in recent years. “I mean, it's one of those positions where nobody really talks about it until something goes wrong. So David is a very good snapper. We have in the past scholarshiped a snapper who we think is elite. And so, expectations for him to come in here and, and be the snapper (right away). But it's a critical position. As you all know, it's just something that you take for granted or a lot of people do. We don't, and so it's a valuable spot and every four years or so, we wanna make sure we got a great long snapper on the team, and that's what we're looking for from David.”

While the program added a significant number of additions through the portal for the early signing period, Wilcox noted that they’re far from done at this point.

“I'd probably put it around five, five to seven,” Wilcox said of the likely number of spring additions. That's my best guess as of today. But again, these things are so dynamic, bit that's what I would anticipate.

At least a couple of additions are expected to be offensive linemen.

“Yeah offensive line,” Wilcox responded. “There's probably not a position that we wouldn't take anybody, but certain positions probably have more of a need right now. But in the end, we always wanna make sure we're taking players that can help our team win and not just take a player, I think offensive line certainly fits into that category where we could add a player or two in the late spring, early summer. But again, depending on how the roster morphs, those those numbers can change.”

Another targeted position is adding QB depth through the portal in the spring to compete with portal transfer QB Sam Jackson‍ and Fernando Mendoza.

“Yeah, that's another spot where it wouldn't be surprising to see another scholarship player added this summer. Again, just depends on how everything goes but yeah, the quarterback position in general is always gonna be one where there's gonna be a lot of movement. That's just, that's how it is in college football.”

Another new OL addition this spring is 6-7/285 OT Nick Morrow‍, who was part of the 2022 class who opted to greyshirt and enroll in the spring instead of fall and count towards ‘23 while he continued to add strength and weight to his previously lighter tight end frame.

“Nick came here, pretty interesting story, a couple summers ago in a camp, and he was a defensive end, tight end from Flagstaff (Arizona) and he was tall - 6’7” maybe 2 30, 240. And we put him through a bunch of drills and he ran pretty dang good and caught the ball pretty impressively for a guy that size, who was I think 17 at the time. So we signed him but ended up greyshirting him where he sat out last fall, and he just showed up here mid-year. He came to some games and things like that last year. And now he might be 280, 285. He is a big, big kid and has really long arms. We're gonna play him at offensive line. And probably the most impressive thing is for a guy that young who's, who's that big, to be able to jump in these workouts and compete with everybody else, it's been pretty impressive. But yeah, he's a 6’7, 280-85 pound guy that looks skinny. And he's young and he's got a lot of growing to do. He is gonna grow as a person and as a player, but really he has some things that you just can’t coach. So we're looking forward to getting to work with him in spring ball.”

Another big addition was the return of big defensive tackle Stanley McKenzie, who was home in Hawaii last season dealing with family matters.

“Stanley was home in the fall,” Wilcox said. “Stanley has been through a lot during his time here. We love Stan and he's back. He looks great. He's doing really well and he is a nose guard, interior lineman for us. And really just glad that he's back with us. He's a super, super guy and we love his family and we're glad he is here and, we’re looking forward to supporting him and watching him grow into the player that he can become.”

Wilcox was asked about players out last season who are not expected back till summer or fall camp and who would be returning.

“I guess the guys that would be out for spring, (Akili) Calhoun, (Collin) Gamble, (Darius) Long, Brett (Johnson), Mason Manum, Tyson McWilliams, Jaydon Roberts, Mason Starling, those guys will be out.

“Back for spring, we think in some capacity be Lu (Hearns), Kaleb Higgins, TJ Session, Bastian Swinney. Bastian's a guy who hasn't played very much. He's been dinged up since he's been here. Be really important for him to have a solid spring ball. Derek Wilkins, who we lost last spring will be back in spring. And then a, a number of other guys that were kind of dinged up last year, but as many guys as we can possibly get in spring ball, the better.”

A key returning piece of the defense next fall will be veteran DE Brett Johnson, who’s reportedly making good process rehabbing his acl.

“Brett, mentally and emotionally is gonna be one of those guys that things don't phase. Brett. And I know he is been through a lot the last couple years, two season-ending injuries, and for some folks that might be something that would be tough to overcome or maybe seem insurmountable, but he is just kind of a unique character that way. I mean, I think after the injury he had last fall, so he was gonna miss his second year in a row, which is rough. And I think for about a day he was in the tank. And then after that, he's just like a machine, man. He comes in, he works out, he does his rehab, and he's got a really impressive mindset. And so I'm not worried about him, mentally or emotionally and physically he looks really good. It's been a couple years, but I, I think he's going to come back and, and play really good football. I wouldn't expect anything else. He'll do some things I think in the spring, but we'll hold him out of essentially from everything that would be contact. I mean, he'll be moving around on the side, things like that.

Another key offseason addition is former TCU reshirt soph portal transfer QB Sam Jackson‍, who signed in December.

“Well, all these guys are pretty fresh and finding their way and just the daily routine of how we do things and where to go,” Wilcox said. “But he's done a really good job getting along with his teammates, meeting guys. When everybody got here with all the new faces and the movement in college football, the key is how quickly can you get to know each other? And great teams have great chemistry, you know, that we're not just a bunch of independent contractors. And Sam's been great with that.

“All these guys are fresh into winter workouts and I can tell you he is a dynamic athlete, that's for sure. And so I think just the more time he spends in the weight room and with his teammates getting to know each other, and then we get out on the field with them, we get some time with the coaches, I think each day, it's just gonna get better and better.”

Wilcox is also happy with the adjustment of hs three new staff additions in OC Jake Spavital, OL coach Mike Bloesch and TE coach Tim Plough.

“Couldn't be any better, to be honest with you,” Wilcox said of their adjustment to Cal. “Jake has been here before, so he knows the lay of the land. “ Offensively, different style of play and it's something that I know the players are very, very excited about.

“Coach Bloesch, who's been a coordinator and been very successful with the offensive line and the run game. I know he's been a joy to be around. And then Tim Plough, who's also been a coordinator, so we got three guys that have coordinator experience, and you see 'em all, they get in there and we're talking football, and it's a lot of fun because there's a lot of ideas and there's a lot of experience in there, and they all have got a ton of energy. And so those guys have been great. Really, really pleased that they're here with us and, uh, I think we gotta get some things kind of settled and talk through language and semantics and some of those things to make sure that everything's dialed in. And then the players will be ready to start meeting and spending time with the coaches here soon.”

So far the new staff’s activities have been a hybrid of recruiting and coaching and with the late signing day passing and spring ball coming up next month, the majority of focus likely returns to coaching.

“Well, it's, yeah, kind of combination of both,” Wilcox noted. “I mean, when you're in January, it's heavy recruiting mode, and then when you're not recruiting and you’ve got four hours, then you go in and close the door of the staff room and you start talking through verbiage and formation names and all those things. So it's, it's really all of it and it's kind of balancing your time and now that the signing day is upon us, we'll, we'll spend a lot more time in the football offices, talking through those things specifically. You know, recruiting never really stops, but we're not traveling anymore. And, and we'll be able to just kind of hone in on getting prepared for spring football.”

Related:

Bears Add All-Conference East LA CC OT Martin Tine

Bears Add More Size and Athleticism With WR Commit Montgomery

Bears Add Nation's Top Long Snapper in David Bird

2023 Cal Football Recruiting Class (As Of February 1, 2023)

NAME – POS – HT – WT – YR – EXP – HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOLS) – DATE ANNOUNCED
Tiumalu Afalava – DL – 6-2 – 275 – Fr. – 1st – Baldwin Park, CA (Bishop Amat HS) – December 21, 2022
^Asher Alberding – TE – 6-4 – 260 – R-Jr. – 5th – Houston, TX (North Texas/Clear Lake HS) – January 9, 2023
^Sergio Allen – ILB – 6-1 – 225 – R-So. – 3rd – Fort Valley, GA (Clemson/Peach County HS) – December 21, 2022
Zurich Ashford – DL – 6-2 – 275 – Fr. – 1st – Las Vegas, NV (Arbor View HS) – December 21, 2022
David Bird – LS – 6-0 – 200 – Fr. – 1st – Phoenix, AZ (Sandra Day O'Connor HS) – February 1, 2023
^J.T. Byrne – TE – 6-5 – 250 – R-So. – 3rd – Carmel, CA (Oregon State/Carmel HS) – January 6, 2023
^Byron Cardwell – RB – 6-0 – 210 – R-So. – 4th – San Diego, CA (Oregon/Morse HS/St. Augustine's HS) – December 21, 2022
^Brian Hightower – WR – 6-3 – 220 – R-Sr. – 6th – Los Angeles, CA (Illinois/Miami/IMG Academy) – January 10, 2023
Nyziah Hunter – WR – 6-2 – 200 – Fr. – 1st – Salinas, CA (Salinas HS) – December 21, 2022
^Sam Jackson V – QB – 5-11 – 190 – R-So. – 3rd – Chicago, IL (TCU/Naperville Central HS/Bolingbrook HS) – January 11, 2023
^Matthew Littlejohn – DB – 5-11 – 180 – R-Jr. – 3rd – San Antonio, TX (Citrus College/Stevens HS) – December 21, 2022
Ben Marshall – TE – 6-4 – 220 – Fr. – 1st – Murfreesboro, TN (Blackman HS) – December 21, 2022
Ryan McCulloch – OLB – 6-3 – 240 – Fr. – 1st – Duarte, CA (Rio Hondo Prep) – December 21, 2022
^Kaylin Moore – DB – 5-10 – 185 – Jr. – 3rd – Westlake Village, CA (Colorado/Oaks Christian HS) – December 21, 2022
Marquis Montgomery – WR – 6-4 – 215 – Jr. – 4th – Tacoma, WA (Snow College/Independence Community College/Kapolei HS) – February 1, 2023
^David Reese – OLB – 6-1 – 240 – R-Sr. – 6th – Fort Pierce, FL (Florida/Vero Beach HS/Fort Pierce Central HS) – January 14, 2023
Jaivian Thomas – RB – 5-10 – 175 – Fr. – 1st – Oakland, CA (McClymonds HS) – December 21, 2022
Martin Tine – OL – 6-6 – 310 – Jr. – 4th – Houston, TX (East Los Angeles College/Alief Elsik HS/Legacy School of Sports Sciences) – February 1, 2023
Cade Uluave – ILB – 6-1 – 230 – Fr. – 1st – South Jordan, UT (Mountain Ridge HS) – December 21, 2022
Sai Vadrawale – DB – 5-11 – 170 – Fr. – 1st – Concord, CA (Rancho Cotate HS) – December 21, 2022
^Nohl Williams – DB – 6-1 – 185 – Jr. – 4th – Oxnard, CA (UNLV/Pacifica HS) – December 21, 2022
Frederick Williams III – ATH – 6-5 – 265 – Fr. – 1st – Los Angeles, CA (Junipero Serra HS) – December 21, 2022
^Justin Williams-Thomas – RB – 6-0 – 215 – R-Fr. – 2nd – Dallas, GA (Tennessee/East Paulding HS) – January 9, 2023
^Lachlan Wilson – P – 6-3 – 195 – R-Jr. – 5th – Eaglemont, Australia (Tulsa/Xavier College) – December 23, 2022
^January 2023 Enrollee

Discussion from...

Wilcox Introduces New Additions to '23 Class in NSD Presser

19,264 Views | 43 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by Bowlesman80
KenBurnski
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Love all of our new Bears and can't wait to see them on the field. Congrats to them!!
KoreAmBear
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KenBurnski said:

Love all of our new Bears and can't wait to see them on the field. Congrats to them!!
Big love to Stanley McKenzie. He and his mom joined us at a watch party last season. Looking for him to have a beast of a season.
calumnus
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With these new tall, long OL who were TEs and basketball players previously, I see the possibility of being able to have a short yardage jumbo set, or just a change of pace, as a compliment to the Air Raid. Could be devastating for a defense, prepared to defend Air Raid, suddenly facing 7 OL and 2 TEs with Sam Jackson and Jaydn Ott in backfield running no-huddle giving them no chance to substitute.
Bearly Clad
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Between Tine and Morrow I want to see at least 3 big man TD receptions over their careers
smh
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NSD?
MoragaBear
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Staff
smh said:

NSD?

National Signing Day
smh
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thanks MB
Cal8285
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It wasn't that long ago that the board was in a big lather for the first Wednesday of February. The early signing period made this a pretty quiet day, but it is always nice to have some good news.
PaulCali
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Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.
calumnus
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PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.


"When I met with him, he didn't seem like a head coach, more like just a (position) coach."
grrrrah
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calumnus - That quote is from whom?
MoragaBear
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Staff
grrrrah said:

calumnus - That quote is from whom?
From the new WR commit, Montgomery. He was essentially saying he didn't seem to have the ego of a head coach but seemed like a more relatable person.
graguna
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Bearly Clad said:

Between Tine and Morrow I want to see at least 3 big man TD receptions over their careers
maybe they can also play for our basketball team
GivemTheAxe
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PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.

Disagree. Yes he made some bad choices in Baldwin and Musgrave as OC.
But He seems to have made all the right moves in replacing Musgrave. With a high quality - high energy OC who can recruit. And in bringing in two high quality -high energy position coaches who can also recruit. I like what I am seeing in the new high school and JC recruits and the moves through the Portal.
I like the fact that they have managed to bring in new players who appear to be as good or better than the players they are replacing. I am sorry about losing OO & Kai.
After seeing what happened to the 49ers this week end once their starting QB went down, I am of the belief that Kai did himself a disservice by opting for the Portal so early. He would have been the first backup for Sam Jackson and probably would have been given some excellent opportunities

But only time will tell in my book Wilcox could turn out to be another Bruce Snyder. He did not blossom overnight either at Utah State or at Cal. At Cal his overall record was 29-24-4 and 15-19-4 in league play. But he didn't win 7 games until his 4 year and then took Cal to a 10 win season.

Will Wilcox follow Snyder's example. Maybe maybe not. But to me he appears to be on the right track. But I would surely like to see him recruit a good backup QB.
calumnus
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MoragaBear said:

grrrrah said:

calumnus - That quote is from whom?
From the new WR commit, Montgomery. He was essentially saying he didn't seem to have the ego of a head coach but seemed like a more relatable person.


Agreed. I view it as a net positive (I think I am the same as a boss) but it cuts both ways. No one ever said that about Tedford. But I prefer a nice guy like Wilcox a million times over an autocratic ****** like Fox.

Thing is it is FAR more important to be a player friendly head coach in basketball. Football players spend far more time with their position coaches. Tedford's aloofness was fine, competence in hiring and decision making is more important. In basketball, the head coach is the program.
concernedparent
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PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.
I don't think he's in over his head. Holmoe was in over his head. What we have in Wilcox is a garden variety mediocre coach. Irrelevant; not so bad that we get national attention for being bad, no scandals, but not a contender either.

That said, I'm cautiously optimistic of the next couple of years.
calumnus
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concernedparent said:

PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.
I don't think he's in over his head. Holmoe was in over his head. What we have in Wilcox is a garden variety mediocre coach. Irrelevant; not so bad that we get national attention for being bad, no scandals, but not a contender either.

That said, I'm cautiously optimistic of the next couple of years.


I am pining my hopes on Spavital, Jackson and Ott saving the program that Knowlton has entrusted to Wilcox for the next 5 years.
calumnus
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graguna said:

Bearly Clad said:

Between Tine and Morrow I want to see at least 3 big man TD receptions over their careers
maybe they can also play for our basketball team



We may only win 3 games this year. We lose two of our "most productive" bigs and next year and as of now will only have Okafor. So I think a walk-on big body from the football team would be good, but it will have to be with Fox gone because he only likes long and lean players (even if they have no skills) for playing man defense, and he does not play walkons.
heartofthebear
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GivemTheAxe said:

PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.

Disagree. Yes he made some bad choices in Baldwin and Musgrave as OC.
But He seems to have made all the right moves in replacing Musgrave. With a high quality - high energy OC who can recruit. And in bringing in two high quality -high energy position coaches who can also recruit. I like what I am seeing in the new high school and JC recruits and the moves through the Portal.
I like the fact that they have managed to bring in new players who appear to be as good or better than the players they are replacing. I am sorry about losing OO & Kai.
After seeing what happened to the 49ers this week end once their starting QB went down, I am of the belief that Kai did himself a disservice by opting for the Portal so early. He would have been the first backup for Sam Jackson and probably would have been given some excellent opportunities

But only time will tell in my book Wilcox could turn out to be another Bruce Snyder. He did not blossom overnight either at Utah State or at Cal. At Cal his overall record was 29-24-4 and 15-19-4 in league play. But he didn't win 7 games until his 4 year and then took Cal to a 10 win season.

Will Wilcox follow Snyder's example. Maybe maybe not. But to me he appears to be on the right track. But I would surely like to see him recruit a good backup QB.
One might see the irony in Spav. pulling a QB away from Dykes. Even if that is not technically what went down, it could be seen that way. Folks might have forgotten that Spav. was Dykes OC at Cal after Franklin left for Middle Tennessee. Somehow I think Dykes will be okay though.

Just for the record, Wilcox is well beyond his 4th year at Cal. He is entering his 6th and has regressed in some ways. Mainly he has regressed defensively where a once dominant defense under DeRuyter has only been better than average under Sirmon. Under Sirmon, Cal has deployed a bend but don't break philosophy whereby the defense stays on the field a long time allowing teams to drive between the 30s. DeRuyter deployed a more aggressive defense that pressured the QB more effectively, creating more 3 and outs and hence better field position. Clearly Sirmon does not have enough confidence in the back 7 to cover and it is true the secondary was lit up last season, which is understandable when considering injuries. But it also makes you wonder how a unit that has 3 coaches devoted to it does not have the confidence of their DC and cannot perform better. I think it is the DC himself not getting it done by failing to scheme enough QB pressures to help out the secondary.

Anyway, as the offense gets fixed, the defense will continue to regress. Why? Because that's how we roll.
BTW, we are still 2 OTs away from a decent OL and yes I read the article. Hopefully more get added.
calumnus
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heartofthebear said:

GivemTheAxe said:

PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.

Disagree. Yes he made some bad choices in Baldwin and Musgrave as OC.
But He seems to have made all the right moves in replacing Musgrave. With a high quality - high energy OC who can recruit. And in bringing in two high quality -high energy position coaches who can also recruit. I like what I am seeing in the new high school and JC recruits and the moves through the Portal.
I like the fact that they have managed to bring in new players who appear to be as good or better than the players they are replacing. I am sorry about losing OO & Kai.
After seeing what happened to the 49ers this week end once their starting QB went down, I am of the belief that Kai did himself a disservice by opting for the Portal so early. He would have been the first backup for Sam Jackson and probably would have been given some excellent opportunities

But only time will tell in my book Wilcox could turn out to be another Bruce Snyder. He did not blossom overnight either at Utah State or at Cal. At Cal his overall record was 29-24-4 and 15-19-4 in league play. But he didn't win 7 games until his 4 year and then took Cal to a 10 win season.

Will Wilcox follow Snyder's example. Maybe maybe not. But to me he appears to be on the right track. But I would surely like to see him recruit a good backup QB.
One might see the irony in Spav. pulling a QB away from Dykes. Even if that is not technically what went down, it could be seen that way. Folks might have forgotten that Spav. was Dykes OC at Cal after Franklin left for Middle Tennessee. Somehow I think Dykes will be okay though.

Just for the record, Wilcox is well beyond his 4th year at Cal. He is entering his 6th and has regressed in some ways. Mainly he has regressed defensively where a once dominant defense under DeRuyter has only been better than average under Sirmon. Under Sirmon, Cal has deployed a bend but don't break philosophy whereby the defense stays on the field a long time allowing teams to drive between the 30s. DeRuyter deployed a more aggressive defense that pressured the QB more effectively, creating more 3 and outs and hence better field position. Clearly Sirmon does not have enough confidence in the back 7 to cover and it is true the secondary was lit up last season, which is understandable when considering injuries. But it also makes you wonder how a unit that has 3 coaches devoted to it does not have the confidence of their DC and cannot perform better. I think it is the DC himself not getting it done by failing to scheme enough QB pressures to help out the secondary.

Anyway, as the offense gets fixed, the defense will continue to regress. Why? Because that's how we roll.
BTW, we are still 2 OTs away from a decent OL and yes I read the article. Hopefully more get added.


Wilcox is entering his 7th year. He is under contract through year 11.

3 years of Baldwin, 3 years of Musgrave. Now Spavital in year 7. Imagine if he had kept Spavital in year 1? If we kept our offensive talent from 2016? Combined with DeRuyter coaching the defense, wow,
heartofthebear
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calumnus said:

heartofthebear said:

GivemTheAxe said:

PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.

Disagree. Yes he made some bad choices in Baldwin and Musgrave as OC.
But He seems to have made all the right moves in replacing Musgrave. With a high quality - high energy OC who can recruit. And in bringing in two high quality -high energy position coaches who can also recruit. I like what I am seeing in the new high school and JC recruits and the moves through the Portal.
I like the fact that they have managed to bring in new players who appear to be as good or better than the players they are replacing. I am sorry about losing OO & Kai.
After seeing what happened to the 49ers this week end once their starting QB went down, I am of the belief that Kai did himself a disservice by opting for the Portal so early. He would have been the first backup for Sam Jackson and probably would have been given some excellent opportunities

But only time will tell in my book Wilcox could turn out to be another Bruce Snyder. He did not blossom overnight either at Utah State or at Cal. At Cal his overall record was 29-24-4 and 15-19-4 in league play. But he didn't win 7 games until his 4 year and then took Cal to a 10 win season.

Will Wilcox follow Snyder's example. Maybe maybe not. But to me he appears to be on the right track. But I would surely like to see him recruit a good backup QB.
One might see the irony in Spav. pulling a QB away from Dykes. Even if that is not technically what went down, it could be seen that way. Folks might have forgotten that Spav. was Dykes OC at Cal after Franklin left for Middle Tennessee. Somehow I think Dykes will be okay though.

Just for the record, Wilcox is well beyond his 4th year at Cal. He is entering his 6th and has regressed in some ways. Mainly he has regressed defensively where a once dominant defense under DeRuyter has only been better than average under Sirmon. Under Sirmon, Cal has deployed a bend but don't break philosophy whereby the defense stays on the field a long time allowing teams to drive between the 30s. DeRuyter deployed a more aggressive defense that pressured the QB more effectively, creating more 3 and outs and hence better field position. Clearly Sirmon does not have enough confidence in the back 7 to cover and it is true the secondary was lit up last season, which is understandable when considering injuries. But it also makes you wonder how a unit that has 3 coaches devoted to it does not have the confidence of their DC and cannot perform better. I think it is the DC himself not getting it done by failing to scheme enough QB pressures to help out the secondary.

Anyway, as the offense gets fixed, the defense will continue to regress. Why? Because that's how we roll.
BTW, we are still 2 OTs away from a decent OL and yes I read the article. Hopefully more get added.


Wilcox is entering his 7th year. He is under contract through year 11.

3 years of Baldwin, 3 years of Musgrave. Now Spavital in year 7. Imagine if he had kept Spavital in year 1? If we kept our offensive talent from 2016? Combined with DeRuyter coaching the defense, wow,
I don't think Spav. would have done it. I think he wanted to explore HC options at that time. Glad he's off that boat.
calumnus
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GivemTheAxe said:

PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.

Disagree. Yes he made some bad choices in Baldwin and Musgrave as OC.
But He seems to have made all the right moves in replacing Musgrave. With a high quality - high energy OC who can recruit. And in bringing in two high quality -high energy position coaches who can also recruit. I like what I am seeing in the new high school and JC recruits and the moves through the Portal.
I like the fact that they have managed to bring in new players who appear to be as good or better than the players they are replacing. I am sorry about losing OO & Kai.
After seeing what happened to the 49ers this week end once their starting QB went down, I am of the belief that Kai did himself a disservice by opting for the Portal so early. He would have been the first backup for Sam Jackson and probably would have been given some excellent opportunities

But only time will tell in my book Wilcox could turn out to be another Bruce Snyder. He did not blossom overnight either at Utah State or at Cal. At Cal his overall record was 29-24-4 and 15-19-4 in league play. But he didn't win 7 games until his 4 year and then took Cal to a 10 win season.

Will Wilcox follow Snyder's example. Maybe maybe not. But to me he appears to be on the right track. But I would surely like to see him recruit a good backup QB.


Bruce Snyder Justin Wilcox team computer rankings by year:

Year Snyder Wilcox
1. #49 #72
2. #42 #65
3. #55 #46
4. #27 #105
5. #7 #81
6. Gone #74

Wilcox has had one team as good or better than Snyder's worst team. A better comparison;

Year Holmoe Wilcox
1. #58 #72
2. #47 #65
3. #65 #46
4. #56 #105
5. #90 #81
6. Fired #74

Holmoe "peaked" in year 2, Wilcox in year 3. Wilcox could have a huge turnaround, with his year 7 like Snyder's year 4, that is what we are hoping for, but more realistic hope is that we can return to 6-6 (4-5) and a minor bowl.
Pittstop
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By the same token, Wilcox's teams made a jump of 19 spots from year 2 to year 3, and a jump of 24 spots from year 4 to year 5. While Snyder had only one season with a similar improvement, year over year, although his teams never sank to the depths of JW's teams.
calumnus
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heartofthebear said:

calumnus said:

heartofthebear said:

GivemTheAxe said:

PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.

Disagree. Yes he made some bad choices in Baldwin and Musgrave as OC.
But He seems to have made all the right moves in replacing Musgrave. With a high quality - high energy OC who can recruit. And in bringing in two high quality -high energy position coaches who can also recruit. I like what I am seeing in the new high school and JC recruits and the moves through the Portal.
I like the fact that they have managed to bring in new players who appear to be as good or better than the players they are replacing. I am sorry about losing OO & Kai.
After seeing what happened to the 49ers this week end once their starting QB went down, I am of the belief that Kai did himself a disservice by opting for the Portal so early. He would have been the first backup for Sam Jackson and probably would have been given some excellent opportunities

But only time will tell in my book Wilcox could turn out to be another Bruce Snyder. He did not blossom overnight either at Utah State or at Cal. At Cal his overall record was 29-24-4 and 15-19-4 in league play. But he didn't win 7 games until his 4 year and then took Cal to a 10 win season.

Will Wilcox follow Snyder's example. Maybe maybe not. But to me he appears to be on the right track. But I would surely like to see him recruit a good backup QB.
One might see the irony in Spav. pulling a QB away from Dykes. Even if that is not technically what went down, it could be seen that way. Folks might have forgotten that Spav. was Dykes OC at Cal after Franklin left for Middle Tennessee. Somehow I think Dykes will be okay though.

Just for the record, Wilcox is well beyond his 4th year at Cal. He is entering his 6th and has regressed in some ways. Mainly he has regressed defensively where a once dominant defense under DeRuyter has only been better than average under Sirmon. Under Sirmon, Cal has deployed a bend but don't break philosophy whereby the defense stays on the field a long time allowing teams to drive between the 30s. DeRuyter deployed a more aggressive defense that pressured the QB more effectively, creating more 3 and outs and hence better field position. Clearly Sirmon does not have enough confidence in the back 7 to cover and it is true the secondary was lit up last season, which is understandable when considering injuries. But it also makes you wonder how a unit that has 3 coaches devoted to it does not have the confidence of their DC and cannot perform better. I think it is the DC himself not getting it done by failing to scheme enough QB pressures to help out the secondary.

Anyway, as the offense gets fixed, the defense will continue to regress. Why? Because that's how we roll.
BTW, we are still 2 OTs away from a decent OL and yes I read the article. Hopefully more get added.


Wilcox is entering his 7th year. He is under contract through year 11.

3 years of Baldwin, 3 years of Musgrave. Now Spavital in year 7. Imagine if he had kept Spavital in year 1? If we kept our offensive talent from 2016? Combined with DeRuyter coaching the defense, wow,
I don't think Spav. would have done it. I think he wanted to explore HC options at that time. Glad he's off that boat.


He took the OC job at West Virginia, excelled there for a couple of years before getting the Texas State head coaching job. I think keeping his unit together at Cal, with a returning freshman All-American WR, would have been at least as attractive as the West Virginia job. He is saying how much he loved it at Cal, can't imagine he just wanted to spend one year here.
Bobodeluxe
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calumnus said:

heartofthebear said:

calumnus said:

heartofthebear said:

GivemTheAxe said:

PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.

Disagree. Yes he made some bad choices in Baldwin and Musgrave as OC.
But He seems to have made all the right moves in replacing Musgrave. With a high quality - high energy OC who can recruit. And in bringing in two high quality -high energy position coaches who can also recruit. I like what I am seeing in the new high school and JC recruits and the moves through the Portal.
I like the fact that they have managed to bring in new players who appear to be as good or better than the players they are replacing. I am sorry about losing OO & Kai.
After seeing what happened to the 49ers this week end once their starting QB went down, I am of the belief that Kai did himself a disservice by opting for the Portal so early. He would have been the first backup for Sam Jackson and probably would have been given some excellent opportunities

But only time will tell in my book Wilcox could turn out to be another Bruce Snyder. He did not blossom overnight either at Utah State or at Cal. At Cal his overall record was 29-24-4 and 15-19-4 in league play. But he didn't win 7 games until his 4 year and then took Cal to a 10 win season.

Will Wilcox follow Snyder's example. Maybe maybe not. But to me he appears to be on the right track. But I would surely like to see him recruit a good backup QB.
One might see the irony in Spav. pulling a QB away from Dykes. Even if that is not technically what went down, it could be seen that way. Folks might have forgotten that Spav. was Dykes OC at Cal after Franklin left for Middle Tennessee. Somehow I think Dykes will be okay though.

Just for the record, Wilcox is well beyond his 4th year at Cal. He is entering his 6th and has regressed in some ways. Mainly he has regressed defensively where a once dominant defense under DeRuyter has only been better than average under Sirmon. Under Sirmon, Cal has deployed a bend but don't break philosophy whereby the defense stays on the field a long time allowing teams to drive between the 30s. DeRuyter deployed a more aggressive defense that pressured the QB more effectively, creating more 3 and outs and hence better field position. Clearly Sirmon does not have enough confidence in the back 7 to cover and it is true the secondary was lit up last season, which is understandable when considering injuries. But it also makes you wonder how a unit that has 3 coaches devoted to it does not have the confidence of their DC and cannot perform better. I think it is the DC himself not getting it done by failing to scheme enough QB pressures to help out the secondary.

Anyway, as the offense gets fixed, the defense will continue to regress. Why? Because that's how we roll.
BTW, we are still 2 OTs away from a decent OL and yes I read the article. Hopefully more get added.


Wilcox is entering his 7th year. He is under contract through year 11.

3 years of Baldwin, 3 years of Musgrave. Now Spavital in year 7. Imagine if he had kept Spavital in year 1? If we kept our offensive talent from 2016? Combined with DeRuyter coaching the defense, wow,
I don't think Spav. would have done it. I think he wanted to explore HC options at that time. Glad he's off that boat.


He took the OC job at West Virginia, excelled there for a couple of years before getting the Texas State head coaching job. I think keeping his unit together at Cal, with a returning freshman All-American WR, would have been at least as attractive as the West Virginia job. He is saying how much he loved it at Cal, can't imagine he just wanted to spend one year here.

Interim head coach. Wanted to stay. Power brokers insisted on a clean break from that incompetent, going no where failure who would never do anything predecessor, so not interviewed.
GivemTheAxe
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Bobodeluxe said:

calumnus said:

heartofthebear said:

calumnus said:

heartofthebear said:

GivemTheAxe said:

PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.

Disagree. Yes he made some bad choices in Baldwin and Musgrave as OC.
But He seems to have made all the right moves in replacing Musgrave. With a high quality - high energy OC who can recruit. And in bringing in two high quality -high energy position coaches who can also recruit. I like what I am seeing in the new high school and JC recruits and the moves through the Portal.
I like the fact that they have managed to bring in new players who appear to be as good or better than the players they are replacing. I am sorry about losing OO & Kai.
After seeing what happened to the 49ers this week end once their starting QB went down, I am of the belief that Kai did himself a disservice by opting for the Portal so early. He would have been the first backup for Sam Jackson and probably would have been given some excellent opportunities

But only time will tell in my book Wilcox could turn out to be another Bruce Snyder. He did not blossom overnight either at Utah State or at Cal. At Cal his overall record was 29-24-4 and 15-19-4 in league play. But he didn't win 7 games until his 4 year and then took Cal to a 10 win season.

Will Wilcox follow Snyder's example. Maybe maybe not. But to me he appears to be on the right track. But I would surely like to see him recruit a good backup QB.
One might see the irony in Spav. pulling a QB away from Dykes. Even if that is not technically what went down, it could be seen that way. Folks might have forgotten that Spav. was Dykes OC at Cal after Franklin left for Middle Tennessee. Somehow I think Dykes will be okay though.

Just for the record, Wilcox is well beyond his 4th year at Cal. He is entering his 6th and has regressed in some ways. Mainly he has regressed defensively where a once dominant defense under DeRuyter has only been better than average under Sirmon. Under Sirmon, Cal has deployed a bend but don't break philosophy whereby the defense stays on the field a long time allowing teams to drive between the 30s. DeRuyter deployed a more aggressive defense that pressured the QB more effectively, creating more 3 and outs and hence better field position. Clearly Sirmon does not have enough confidence in the back 7 to cover and it is true the secondary was lit up last season, which is understandable when considering injuries. But it also makes you wonder how a unit that has 3 coaches devoted to it does not have the confidence of their DC and cannot perform better. I think it is the DC himself not getting it done by failing to scheme enough QB pressures to help out the secondary.

Anyway, as the offense gets fixed, the defense will continue to regress. Why? Because that's how we roll.
BTW, we are still 2 OTs away from a decent OL and yes I read the article. Hopefully more get added.


Wilcox is entering his 7th year. He is under contract through year 11.

3 years of Baldwin, 3 years of Musgrave. Now Spavital in year 7. Imagine if he had kept Spavital in year 1? If we kept our offensive talent from 2016? Combined with DeRuyter coaching the defense, wow,
I don't think Spav. would have done it. I think he wanted to explore HC options at that time. Glad he's off that boat.


He took the OC job at West Virginia, excelled there for a couple of years before getting the Texas State head coaching job. I think keeping his unit together at Cal, with a returning freshman All-American WR, would have been at least as attractive as the West Virginia job. He is saying how much he loved it at Cal, can't imagine he just wanted to spend one year here.

Interim head coach. Wanted to stay. Power brokers insisted on a clean break from that incompetent, going no where failure who would never do anything predecessor, so not interviewed.


Spav's comments on being re-hired by Cal are enlightening.

He emphasized how much he had developed since his last time as OC at Cal. He said he learned how to play a hurry-up offense and a slow-down offense. How he learned to adjust his style of offense to the type of players he has.

To me that says a lot because IMO JW would not have wanted to keep an OC who had the traditional (at that time) Sonny Dykes offense that was full speed all the time That burned up the Defense with too many 3 and outs. IIRC under Sonny Cal set a record for number of plays (primarily by the Defense)

IMO both Sonny and Spav have matured a lot since last time around
GoOskie
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PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.
Cool story.
Big C
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GivemTheAxe said:

Bobodeluxe said:

calumnus said:

heartofthebear said:

calumnus said:

heartofthebear said:

GivemTheAxe said:

PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.

Disagree. Yes he made some bad choices in Baldwin and Musgrave as OC.
But He seems to have made all the right moves in replacing Musgrave. With a high quality - high energy OC who can recruit. And in bringing in two high quality -high energy position coaches who can also recruit. I like what I am seeing in the new high school and JC recruits and the moves through the Portal.
I like the fact that they have managed to bring in new players who appear to be as good or better than the players they are replacing. I am sorry about losing OO & Kai.
After seeing what happened to the 49ers this week end once their starting QB went down, I am of the belief that Kai did himself a disservice by opting for the Portal so early. He would have been the first backup for Sam Jackson and probably would have been given some excellent opportunities

But only time will tell in my book Wilcox could turn out to be another Bruce Snyder. He did not blossom overnight either at Utah State or at Cal. At Cal his overall record was 29-24-4 and 15-19-4 in league play. But he didn't win 7 games until his 4 year and then took Cal to a 10 win season.

Will Wilcox follow Snyder's example. Maybe maybe not. But to me he appears to be on the right track. But I would surely like to see him recruit a good backup QB.
One might see the irony in Spav. pulling a QB away from Dykes. Even if that is not technically what went down, it could be seen that way. Folks might have forgotten that Spav. was Dykes OC at Cal after Franklin left for Middle Tennessee. Somehow I think Dykes will be okay though.

Just for the record, Wilcox is well beyond his 4th year at Cal. He is entering his 6th and has regressed in some ways. Mainly he has regressed defensively where a once dominant defense under DeRuyter has only been better than average under Sirmon. Under Sirmon, Cal has deployed a bend but don't break philosophy whereby the defense stays on the field a long time allowing teams to drive between the 30s. DeRuyter deployed a more aggressive defense that pressured the QB more effectively, creating more 3 and outs and hence better field position. Clearly Sirmon does not have enough confidence in the back 7 to cover and it is true the secondary was lit up last season, which is understandable when considering injuries. But it also makes you wonder how a unit that has 3 coaches devoted to it does not have the confidence of their DC and cannot perform better. I think it is the DC himself not getting it done by failing to scheme enough QB pressures to help out the secondary.

Anyway, as the offense gets fixed, the defense will continue to regress. Why? Because that's how we roll.
BTW, we are still 2 OTs away from a decent OL and yes I read the article. Hopefully more get added.


Wilcox is entering his 7th year. He is under contract through year 11.

3 years of Baldwin, 3 years of Musgrave. Now Spavital in year 7. Imagine if he had kept Spavital in year 1? If we kept our offensive talent from 2016? Combined with DeRuyter coaching the defense, wow,
I don't think Spav. would have done it. I think he wanted to explore HC options at that time. Glad he's off that boat.


He took the OC job at West Virginia, excelled there for a couple of years before getting the Texas State head coaching job. I think keeping his unit together at Cal, with a returning freshman All-American WR, would have been at least as attractive as the West Virginia job. He is saying how much he loved it at Cal, can't imagine he just wanted to spend one year here.

Interim head coach. Wanted to stay. Power brokers insisted on a clean break from that incompetent, going no where failure who would never do anything predecessor, so not interviewed.


Spav's comments on being re-hired by Cal are enlightening.

He emphasized how much he had developed since his last time as OC at Cal. He said he learned how to play a hurry-up offense and a slow-down offense. How he learned to adjust his style of offense to the type of players he has.

To me that says a lot because IMO JW would not have wanted to keep an OC who had the traditional (at that time) Sonny Dykes offense that was full speed all the time That burned up the Defense with too many 3 and outs. IIRC under Sonny Cal set a record for number of plays (primarily by the Defense)

IMO both Sonny and Spav have matured a lot since last time around

I feel like Dykes' offense ran up-tempo somewhat less than legend would have it. For example, Goff's last season, 2015, we would line up quickly, then Goff would take his time, examining the defense, pre-snap.
Bobodeluxe
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Big C said:

GivemTheAxe said:

Bobodeluxe said:

calumnus said:

heartofthebear said:

calumnus said:

heartofthebear said:

GivemTheAxe said:

PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.

Disagree. Yes he made some bad choices in Baldwin and Musgrave as OC.
But He seems to have made all the right moves in replacing Musgrave. With a high quality - high energy OC who can recruit. And in bringing in two high quality -high energy position coaches who can also recruit. I like what I am seeing in the new high school and JC recruits and the moves through the Portal.
I like the fact that they have managed to bring in new players who appear to be as good or better than the players they are replacing. I am sorry about losing OO & Kai.
After seeing what happened to the 49ers this week end once their starting QB went down, I am of the belief that Kai did himself a disservice by opting for the Portal so early. He would have been the first backup for Sam Jackson and probably would have been given some excellent opportunities

But only time will tell in my book Wilcox could turn out to be another Bruce Snyder. He did not blossom overnight either at Utah State or at Cal. At Cal his overall record was 29-24-4 and 15-19-4 in league play. But he didn't win 7 games until his 4 year and then took Cal to a 10 win season.

Will Wilcox follow Snyder's example. Maybe maybe not. But to me he appears to be on the right track. But I would surely like to see him recruit a good backup QB.
One might see the irony in Spav. pulling a QB away from Dykes. Even if that is not technically what went down, it could be seen that way. Folks might have forgotten that Spav. was Dykes OC at Cal after Franklin left for Middle Tennessee. Somehow I think Dykes will be okay though.

Just for the record, Wilcox is well beyond his 4th year at Cal. He is entering his 6th and has regressed in some ways. Mainly he has regressed defensively where a once dominant defense under DeRuyter has only been better than average under Sirmon. Under Sirmon, Cal has deployed a bend but don't break philosophy whereby the defense stays on the field a long time allowing teams to drive between the 30s. DeRuyter deployed a more aggressive defense that pressured the QB more effectively, creating more 3 and outs and hence better field position. Clearly Sirmon does not have enough confidence in the back 7 to cover and it is true the secondary was lit up last season, which is understandable when considering injuries. But it also makes you wonder how a unit that has 3 coaches devoted to it does not have the confidence of their DC and cannot perform better. I think it is the DC himself not getting it done by failing to scheme enough QB pressures to help out the secondary.

Anyway, as the offense gets fixed, the defense will continue to regress. Why? Because that's how we roll.
BTW, we are still 2 OTs away from a decent OL and yes I read the article. Hopefully more get added.


Wilcox is entering his 7th year. He is under contract through year 11.

3 years of Baldwin, 3 years of Musgrave. Now Spavital in year 7. Imagine if he had kept Spavital in year 1? If we kept our offensive talent from 2016? Combined with DeRuyter coaching the defense, wow,
I don't think Spav. would have done it. I think he wanted to explore HC options at that time. Glad he's off that boat.


He took the OC job at West Virginia, excelled there for a couple of years before getting the Texas State head coaching job. I think keeping his unit together at Cal, with a returning freshman All-American WR, would have been at least as attractive as the West Virginia job. He is saying how much he loved it at Cal, can't imagine he just wanted to spend one year here.

Interim head coach. Wanted to stay. Power brokers insisted on a clean break from that incompetent, going no where failure who would never do anything predecessor, so not interviewed.


Spav's comments on being re-hired by Cal are enlightening.

He emphasized how much he had developed since his last time as OC at Cal. He said he learned how to play a hurry-up offense and a slow-down offense. How he learned to adjust his style of offense to the type of players he has.

To me that says a lot because IMO JW would not have wanted to keep an OC who had the traditional (at that time) Sonny Dykes offense that was full speed all the time That burned up the Defense with too many 3 and outs. IIRC under Sonny Cal set a record for number of plays (primarily by the Defense)

IMO both Sonny and Spav have matured a lot since last time around

I feel like Dykes' offense ran up-tempo somewhat less than legend would have it. For example, Goff's last season, 2015, we would line up quickly, then Goff would take his time, examining the defense, pre-snap.
Yep.
calumnus
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Bobodeluxe said:

calumnus said:

heartofthebear said:

calumnus said:

heartofthebear said:

GivemTheAxe said:

PaulCali said:

Wilcox. Nice guy but so over his head as HC.

Disagree. Yes he made some bad choices in Baldwin and Musgrave as OC.
But He seems to have made all the right moves in replacing Musgrave. With a high quality - high energy OC who can recruit. And in bringing in two high quality -high energy position coaches who can also recruit. I like what I am seeing in the new high school and JC recruits and the moves through the Portal.
I like the fact that they have managed to bring in new players who appear to be as good or better than the players they are replacing. I am sorry about losing OO & Kai.
After seeing what happened to the 49ers this week end once their starting QB went down, I am of the belief that Kai did himself a disservice by opting for the Portal so early. He would have been the first backup for Sam Jackson and probably would have been given some excellent opportunities

But only time will tell in my book Wilcox could turn out to be another Bruce Snyder. He did not blossom overnight either at Utah State or at Cal. At Cal his overall record was 29-24-4 and 15-19-4 in league play. But he didn't win 7 games until his 4 year and then took Cal to a 10 win season.

Will Wilcox follow Snyder's example. Maybe maybe not. But to me he appears to be on the right track. But I would surely like to see him recruit a good backup QB.
One might see the irony in Spav. pulling a QB away from Dykes. Even if that is not technically what went down, it could be seen that way. Folks might have forgotten that Spav. was Dykes OC at Cal after Franklin left for Middle Tennessee. Somehow I think Dykes will be okay though.

Just for the record, Wilcox is well beyond his 4th year at Cal. He is entering his 6th and has regressed in some ways. Mainly he has regressed defensively where a once dominant defense under DeRuyter has only been better than average under Sirmon. Under Sirmon, Cal has deployed a bend but don't break philosophy whereby the defense stays on the field a long time allowing teams to drive between the 30s. DeRuyter deployed a more aggressive defense that pressured the QB more effectively, creating more 3 and outs and hence better field position. Clearly Sirmon does not have enough confidence in the back 7 to cover and it is true the secondary was lit up last season, which is understandable when considering injuries. But it also makes you wonder how a unit that has 3 coaches devoted to it does not have the confidence of their DC and cannot perform better. I think it is the DC himself not getting it done by failing to scheme enough QB pressures to help out the secondary.

Anyway, as the offense gets fixed, the defense will continue to regress. Why? Because that's how we roll.
BTW, we are still 2 OTs away from a decent OL and yes I read the article. Hopefully more get added.


Wilcox is entering his 7th year. He is under contract through year 11.

3 years of Baldwin, 3 years of Musgrave. Now Spavital in year 7. Imagine if he had kept Spavital in year 1? If we kept our offensive talent from 2016? Combined with DeRuyter coaching the defense, wow,
I don't think Spav. would have done it. I think he wanted to explore HC options at that time. Glad he's off that boat.


He took the OC job at West Virginia, excelled there for a couple of years before getting the Texas State head coaching job. I think keeping his unit together at Cal, with a returning freshman All-American WR, would have been at least as attractive as the West Virginia job. He is saying how much he loved it at Cal, can't imagine he just wanted to spend one year here.

Interim head coach. Wanted to stay. Power brokers insisted on a clean break from that incompetent, going no where failure who would never do anything predecessor, so not interviewed.


Exactly. How do you fire the head coach and then promote the OC if the biggest issue is that you want a head coach that has shown he is competent on both sides of the ball?
Cal Strong!
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A strong question that should have been asked:

"Coach, you were able to recruit a promising OL, WR, and the #1 rated longsnapper in the country. That's strong. Do you think with this recruiting class that you are now positioned to earn a winning conference record this year?"
concernedparent
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Cal Strong! said:

A strong question that should have been asked:

"Coach, you were able to recruit a promising OL, WR, and the #1 rated longsnapper in the country. That's strong. Do you think with this recruiting class that you are now positioned to earn a winning conference record this year?"
Weak question. Even if he privately didn't think so, who would answer "no"?
Cal Strong!
How long do you want to ignore this user?
concernedparent said:

Cal Strong! said:

A strong question that should have been asked:

"Coach, you were able to recruit a promising OL, WR, and the #1 rated longsnapper in the country. That's strong. Do you think with this recruiting class that you are now positioned to earn a winning conference record this year?"
Weak question. Even if he privately didn't think so, who would answer "no"?
Cal Strong would like to see how he answers when asked about the expectations. He no seem to understand that fans and donors want to see that now.

This far more important question than footwork, NIL, or staff camaraderie.
Big C
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Cal Strong! said:

concernedparent said:

Cal Strong! said:

A strong question that should have been asked:

"Coach, you were able to recruit a promising OL, WR, and the #1 rated longsnapper in the country. That's strong. Do you think with this recruiting class that you are now positioned to earn a winning conference record this year?"
Weak question. Even if he privately didn't think so, who would answer "no"?
Cal Strong would like to see how he answers when asked about the expectations. He no seem to understand that fans and donors want to see that now.

This far more important question than footwork, NIL, or staff camaraderie.

So, he answers, "Yes." What does that tell you?
Cal Strong!
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Big C said:

Cal Strong! said:

concernedparent said:

Cal Strong! said:

A strong question that should have been asked:

"Coach, you were able to recruit a promising OL, WR, and the #1 rated longsnapper in the country. That's strong. Do you think with this recruiting class that you are now positioned to earn a winning conference record this year?"
Weak question. Even if he privately didn't think so, who would answer "no"?
Cal Strong would like to see how he answers when asked about the expectations. He no seem to understand that fans and donors want to see that now.

This far more important question than footwork, NIL, or staff camaraderie.

So, he answers, "Yes." What does that tell you?
More than "offensive linemen need good footwork" tells Cal Strong.
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