Bear Insider Video: Cal Offensive Lineman Justin Hasenhuetl
Though early entry frosh offensive lineman Justin Hasenhuetl grew up in Germany and didn’t move to the states till high schook, he was no stranger to football, having grown up playing club football from a young age before moving to Georgia for high school.
"I played football since I was 10 years old, so it wasn't a new sport for me," Hasenhuetl said. "I had some pretty good coaches who played on the national team for Germany as well, and they just helped me throughout my journey. They taught me some technique. And it wasn't really that I was just a big O-lineman in Germany, It was more like I was a big guy, and if we needed me on D line, that's what I did as well.
“We didn't play for the school, we had clubs. So I had to fill out a spot for the D-line, and I did that. I think I've done my job, and we had some pretty good teammates over there as well. One of the D-ends is at Boise State right now.
"It was still a hard transition from German football in high school, because everything is just faster. I mean, the football doesn't change. It's just faster. Everyone is quicker. And the ball is just incredible."
WIth English being somewhat of an international language, the new Bears’ lineman was no stranger to the language, though there was still a learning curve speaking the language fulltime after the move.
"Everybody kind of did (spoke English), but I didn't really think I was ever gonna need my English, so I kind of learned that in my first year being in the States, learning how to speak and everything,” Hasenhuetl noted.
Though he played tackle in high school at Rabun Gap Nacoochee High School (Rabun Gap, Georgia), the Cologne, Germany native’s future might be inside, though he’ll need to regain weight lost during his injury in the fall in high school.
"I think I'll be an interior lineman,” Hasenhuitl said. “I'm at 270 pounds right now, and they want me to be at 310, that's what Coach sees me at, and then we just go from there. I mean, I trust the coaches, I trust the program and I just want to compete and be the best version of myself every day."
The former 4 star’s high school coach noted that his fast metabolism made keeping weight on a challege when injured and said he lost a signficant amount of weight when off the field rehabbing.
"I did," Hasenhuetl said. I think I was at 245 back then and then my coach was kind of like you gotta gain some weight for your senior season. So I gained about 55 pounds over summer break. So I came back at 300 and lost all that weight again throughout the season, and then now I'm just getting the right nutrition and I'm getting right over here."
So far, Hasenhuetl has been impressed with new strength and conditioning coach Jason Novak and his S&C team in the couple months he’s been on campus.
"I knew that college was gonna be hard," Hasenhuetl noted. "I knew all that stuff was coming. And I just love how coach Novak is, how he's pushing the guys every day, and he's got some new workoutgoing on. Like today the rows and it's just some competing stuff, but you're still working your butt off, and it's just good."
Hasenhuetl was initially committed to Georgia Tech but flipped to Cal after decommitting and taking official visits, choosing the Bears over finalists North Carolina and Arkansas at the Navy (formerly US Army) All-American Bowl in San Antonio. Before committing to Georgia Tech, the frosh OL was also offered by Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Oregon, Tennessee, USC and more.
"Cal was just there (for him)," Hasenhuetl said. “They were really there and they cared. Georgia Tech never brought my parents out to an official visit or anything. It was just talking. And then I talked with Coach Bloesch for about a week. We had an official visit planned after about two weeks, and my mom got to she came out for first official visit. Basically, everybody was just so welcoming and right now, everything is just like how I how I saw it when I got here. I mean, everybody's just like one family.
“All the seniors that help me out in the weight room as well. On the field, I push them. They push me. I mean, we just try to go as hard as we can and give 100% every day."
Though new offensive line coach Famike Anae was busy on the recruiting trail when he got to Berkeley, Hasenhuetl has enjoyed working with Anae so far.
"It has been pretty smooth," Hasenhuetl said. "He wasn't really there for the first two weeks, because he was just going around recruiting. He came back around this week, and we just went through some some techniques and all the other plays that we going to play this this next season and we're just so far with the process as well. It's just pretty incredible. "I didn't think that I was gonna learn that quick from him, and he has a really good path and he's just trying to get us all together, to be one group and I like what he's doing."
As for his playing style, don’t expect a slow, plodding trench warrior in the new Bears’ OL.
"I'll be more quicker, Hasenhuetl noted. "He (Anae) was talking about that was maybe a quicker center and just that I've got the quickness of a tackle, but maybe not the size or or the length of my arms or something. And I'm an outside run guy. That's what I like."
Hasenhuetl will be joined by fellow prep offensive linemen Skyridge HIgh School (Lehi, Utah) OG Ben Howard and Liberty OT Mike Klisiewicz along with five additional portal OL additions in the 2025 class.
Stay tuned for more from the newest Bears players and coaches heading into spring ball next week.
Related:
Bear Insider Video: Cal Offensive Line Coach Famika Anae
https://bearinsider.com/s/4483/bear-insider-video-cal-ol-lajuan-owens