Sirmon Named Athlon Preseason All-American

Jackson Sirmon's fourth-team All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 selections highlight Cal picks on Athlon's 2023 Preseason All-American and All-Pac-12 teams. Jeremiah Hunter, Jaydn Ott and Craig Woodson earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors, while Xavier Carlton, Jeremiah Earby and Patrick McMorris were third-team picks. Matthew Cindric and Brett Johnson were fourth-team choices.
Below are notes from the 2022 season on Cal's selections with a link to their extended bio available by clicking on their names.
 
Xavier Carlton, OLB, 6-6, 270, R-Jr., 4th Season Overall/2nd Season At Cal (Modesto, CA/Utah/Juan Diego Catholic HS/Modesto Christian HS)
– Played in all 12 games with seven starts (both career highs) and contributed a career-high 36 tackles, as well as team and career highs in tackles for loss (6.5), tackle for loss yards (-31), sacks (4.5) and sack yards (-26), while adding his first career fumble recovery, a career-high three quarterback hurries and a career-high-tying one pass breakup
 
Matthew Cindric, OL, 6-4, 300, R-Sr.^, 6th Season At Cal (Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS)
– One of three Cal offensive linemen to start each of the first six games before suffering a season-ending injury at Colorado, making each of his first three starts at center and each of his final three at right guard
– A national semifinalist for the prestigious Wuerffel Trophy known as college football's top award for community service, the Campbell Trophy also known as the "Academic Heisman", and the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year given for demonstrating a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field
– One of three team season captains
 
Jeremiah Earby, DB, 6-2, 185, So., 2nd Season At Cal (East Palo Alto, CA/Menlo-Atherton HS)
– Earned second-team Freshman All-American honors from College Football News and was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection of the league's coaches
– Played in all 12 games and made seven starts all over the last eight contests including each of the final six
– Led the team with two fumble recoveries for 36 fumble return yards and had one of the squad's fumble returns for a touchdown while also ranking second in the Pac-12 with a team-high 11 pass breakups
– Added 36 tackles that were the most among the team's cornerbacks and recorded one interception
 
Jeremiah Hunter, WR, 6-2, 200, Jr.^, 4th Season At Cal (Fresno, CA/Central HS)
– Earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors from Phil Steele and Pro Football Focus as a wide receiver while adding second-team honors as a punt returner from Phil Steele; was an honorable mention selection of the league's coaches
– Played in and started 11 games
– Led the team with a career-high 965 yards receiving while also establishing career bests of 60 receptions and five touchdown catches that were second-best on the squad
– Added 19 punt returns for 203 yards and an average of 10.7 yards per punt return to lead the team in all categories while totaling 1,168 all-purpose yards to rank second; his 106.18 all-purpose yards per game led the squad
 
Brett Johnson, 6-2, 295, So., 2nd Season At Cal (East Palo Alto, CA/Menlo-Atherton HS)
– Did not play for the second straight season due to injury after playing in all 17 games possible with 13 starts in his first two seasons at Cal in 2019 and 2020
– Has 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
 
Patrick McMorris, DB, 6-0, 210, R-Sr., 5th Season Overall/1st Season At Cal (Santa Ana, CA/San Diego State/Santa Ana HS/Godinez HS)
– Played his fourth and final season at San Diego State, earning first-team All-Mountain West Conference for the second straight campaign to become just the second Aztec safety to earn spots on two All-MWC first-team squads
– Played in and started 11 games while contributing 59 tackles, a career-high-tying 2.5 tackles for loss (career-high -7 yards), one interception, five pass breakups, six passes defended, a career-high-tying one fumble recovery that he returned a career-high 30 yards and his lone career touchdown, and one quarterback hurry
– Ranked second in the MWC in pass coverage (88.2) according to Pro Football Focus
 
Jaydn Ott, RB, 6-0, 200, So., 2nd Season At Cal (Chino, CA/Norco HS/Bishop Gorman HS)
– Earned All-True Freshman honors (Pro Football Focus) as well as first-team (The Athletic) and second-team (College Football News) Freshman All-American recognition, picking up The Athletic honors as an all-purpose player and all others as a running back
– Also earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention while adding all-conference honors from Pro Football Focus (third team) and Phil Steele (fourth team)
– Played in all 12 games with starts in each of the last 10
– Ranked among Pac-12 leaders in all-purpose yards (1,218, No. 4), all-purpose yards per game (101.5, No. 6), rushing yards per game (74.8, No.5), rushing yards (897, No. 5), total touchdowns (11, No. 8), rush yards per carry (5.28, No. 9) and rushing touchdowns (8, No. 11)
 
Jackson Sirmon, ILB, 6-2, 245, Sr.^, 6th Season Overall/2nd Season At Cal (Brentwood, TN/Washington/Brentwood Academy/Loyola HS)
– A first-team All-Pac-12 selection of the league's coaches, as well as by the Associated Press and Pro Football Focus
– Started all 12 games and led Cal with a career-high 104 tackles while adding career highs of 6.0 tackles for loss (-18 yards), 3.5 sacks (-12 yards), three pass breakups, 37 fumble recovery yards and one fumble recovery touchdown, as well as a career-high-tying one forced fumble
– Ranked third in the Pac-12 in both tackles per game (8.7) and tackles
 
Craig Woodson, S, 6-0, 210, R-Jr., 5th Season At Cal (Grand Prairie, TX/South Grand Prairie HS)
– An honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection
– Started a career-high 12 games and contributed career highs of 75 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss (-8 yards), two interceptions that he returned 41 yards – including one for 39 yards and his lone career touchdown against UC Davis, one forced fumble, three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries
 
^Year reflects additional season of collegiate eligibility granted by NCAA's blanket eligibility waiver for all 2020 football student-athletes due to COVID