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Williams' Commitment Keeps the Dominoes Falling For Cal

June 25, 2018
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6-0/170 Mansfield (Mansfield, Texas) High School cornerback Miles Williams‍ has committed to return his original home state of California to play for the Golden Bears after his commitment this evening to Cal, announced via Twitter.

"I feel like Coach (Gerald) Alexander and Coach (Justin) Wilcox have a great plan for me," said Williams after his announcement. "I feel like they've really got the ball rolling at Cal and made good strides last season. I feel like I can be a part of really setting it off up there at Cal.

"i know they've got a lot of really good guys in the class like Zahran Manley and their new linebacker commit Blake (Antzoulatos) and hopefully with me coming, too, we can really keep things going."

Williams visited Cal in April during spring practice to get an up close and personal look at the program.

"It was a really good visit," said Williams after the trip. "I really like what Coach Wilcox is doing up in there and I like all the connections that Cal's academics can give you through all the Cal alumni and CEO's you can develop connections to."

Williams is particulary interested in studying business and Cal's Haas School of Business holds big sway with the talented DB.

Originally born in Carson, CA, with parents that grew up in California, Williams and his family made the move to Texas when he was five years old but part of the Williams family's heart has remained in the Golden State.

"On the visit, I took a tour of campus and sat in on some meetings with Coach Alexander and Coach Ragle and talked to Coach Wilcox and Coach Cocc (Ron Coccimiglio) about career development.

"I had a lot of questions coming in that were answered on the visit.

"Besides seeing campus, I wanted to see Haas School of Business up close and to see how Coach Wilcox runs things because I know last year was his first season.

"He knows what he's doing. He's around there changing the culture.

"I like Coach Alexander, too. He lets you be you. I'm a trash talker. That's just me. When I was a sophomore, they told me to tone things down but he just lets you be you as long as you don't hurt the team and I like that.

"He's been there. He's played in the NFL and he knows what it takes to get there and I feel like he's a details coach, not just the plays but how to handle yourself on and off the field."

Another big plus for Williams is the comfortable Bay Area weather compared to the steamy conditions of a Texas summer and fall.

"Oh yeah, 70's with a breeze," said Williams. "In Texas, it's 100 degrees with high humidity. Even in the 80's, with humidity, it's really hot. The turf's even hotter. It could be 100 degrees and the turf's 120. On water breaks, we'll pour water on our cleats since it's so hot."

Normally Williams would've played baseball in the spring but with a shoulder injury, he ran track instead, running an impressive 22.6 in the 200, while also running the 100, 4 x 200 and an occasional 400.

As a junior, Williams compiled 53 tackles along with two interceptions and six passes defended.

He becomes the 13th member of Cal's 2019 recruiting class. He's also the seventh defensive commit and second defensive back of the class.

The Bears beat out Texas Tech, Arkansas, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Boston College and more for Williams' commitment.

Discussion from...

Williams' Commitment Keeps the Dominoes Falling For Cal

66,242 Views | 29 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by 71Bear
Bear19
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Congratulations Miles! Welcome to Cal!
Big C
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... and welcome back to California! (Only eleven more months of that Texas weather. That'd be a LOT for me, but you're more used to it.)

Go Bears!
Seogju
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Excellent news! Welcome to Berkeley. Go Bears!
71Bear
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I guess the kid must be "born again" because the article stated that was "originally born in Carson, CA." Wow! This kid will really be able to work miracles on the field. Just out of curiosity, where was he born a second time?
MoragaBear
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Staff
This witty post dissecting a phrase in Williams' commitment story is a great example of why there are more comments in the thread complaining about lack of ESPN Top 300 commits than there are in all the commitment threads on Cal's 4 new commits combined.
Bear19
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71Bear said:

I guess the kid must be "born again" because the article stated that was "originally born in Carson, CA." Wow! This kid will really be able to work miracles on the field. Just out of curiosity, where was he born a second time?
Don't be a putz, 71Bear.
GivemTheAxe
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MoragaBear said:

This witty post dissecting a phrase in Williams' commitment story is a great example of why there are more comments in the thread complaining about lack of ESPN Top 300 commits than there are in all the commitment threads on Cal's 4 new commits combined.

Thank you MoragaBear.
I agree that too many times posters on this Board (including myself) get hung up on the grammar, phraseology or terminology and fail to appreciate the Big Picture.
The Big Picture here is that recruiting is UP. And even though Cal didn't go to a Bowl last year JW and crew have developed real credibility with the recruits who see that JW has turned things around and they want to be part of what he is doing at Cal.
The same thing is being realized by a number of pundits. Too bad some posters on this Board are not willing to give JW any credit for a turn around until he gets Cal to what they consider an "important" bowl.
AEM80
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Any bowl would be an important bowl because it shows progress. I'm optimistic and sense progress but you can't really say he's turned things around until they have a winning record and get to a bowl, any bowl. That's not being negative.
Chapman_is_Gone
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GivemTheAxe said:

MoragaBear said:

This witty post dissecting a phrase in Williams' commitment story is a great example of why there are more comments in the thread complaining about lack of ESPN Top 300 commits than there are in all the commitment threads on Cal's 4 new commits combined.

Thank you MoragaBear.
I agree that too many times posters on this Board (including myself) get hung up on the grammar, phraseology or terminology and fail to appreciate the Big Picture.
The Big Picture here is that recruiting is UP. And even though Cal didn't go to a Bowl last year JW and crew have developed real credibility with the recruits who see that JW has turned things around and they want to be part of what he is doing at Cal.
The same thing is being realized by a number of pundits. Too bad some posters on this Board are not willing to give JW any credit for a turn around until he gets Cal to what they consider an "important" bowl.


Silly post. Cal was 5-7 in 2016, and then 5-7 in 2017 against a weaker SOS. There is no ***empirical*** evidence there has been some major improvement under Wilcox. So it comes down to a matter of faith. After hearing decades of turnaround promises - exactly the same positive empty comments such as yours were made under Dykes, Martin, etc. - you have no right to suggest that "show me" realists are missing some "big picture." So, save it. And, this is the first mention I've seen on this board of a distinction between a "bowl" vs. "major bowl" - I think 99% or even 100% of us would be happy with any bowl.

On a related topic, I'm very tired of reading the BS fluff from the "recruiting rankings don't matter" posters. I think they're fools.
71Bear
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Bear19 said:

71Bear said:

I guess the kid must be "born again" because the article stated that was "originally born in Carson, CA." Wow! This kid will really be able to work miracles on the field. Just out of curiosity, where was he born a second time?
Don't be a putz, 71Bear. No one cares about your gripes about Christianity.
You missed the point (no surprise). My point was a light-hearted effort to point out that if you want to be taken seriously, you need to make sure what you write is grammatically correct.
bearingup
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Chapman_is_Gone said:

GivemTheAxe said:

MoragaBear said:

This witty post dissecting a phrase in Williams' commitment story is a great example of why there are more comments in the thread complaining about lack of ESPN Top 300 commits than there are in all the commitment threads on Cal's 4 new commits combined.

Thank you MoragaBear.
I agree that too many times posters on this Board (including myself) get hung up on the grammar, phraseology or terminology and fail to appreciate the Big Picture.
The Big Picture here is that recruiting is UP. And even though Cal didn't go to a Bowl last year JW and crew have developed real credibility with the recruits who see that JW has turned things around and they want to be part of what he is doing at Cal.
The same thing is being realized by a number of pundits. Too bad some posters on this Board are not willing to give JW any credit for a turn around until he gets Cal to what they consider an "important" bowl.


Silly post. Cal was 5-7 in 2016, and then 5-7 in 2017 against a weaker SOS. There is no ***empirical*** evidence there has been some major improvement under Wilcox. So it comes down to a matter of faith. After hearing decades of turnaround promises - exactly the same positive empty comments such as yours were made under Dykes, Martin, etc. - you have no right to suggest that "show me" realists are missing some "big picture." So, save it. And, this is the first mention I've seen on this board of a distinction between a "bowl" vs. "major bowl" - I think 99% or even 100% of us would be happy with any bowl.

On a related topic, I'm very tired of reading the BS fluff from the "recruiting rankings don't matter" posters. I think they're fools.

No "empirical" evidence? 2016- minus 66 point differential, 2017- -8. Cal gave up 511 points in 2016, 341 in 2017. 320 1st downs given up in 2016, 265 in '17. 24 turnovers taken away last season, vs 19 in 2016. This is with injuries to Downs, Saffle, Goode, ZJohnson, etc etc. Any observer could see a huge improvement in the defense.

The empirical drop was on offense- where injuries and graduation hurt that side of the ball, especially at QB, no DRob, and losing Hudson as the only real TE in an offense that uses a TE. A new offensive line starting 2 former walk ons, a RS frosh, and a true frosh from mid season on- the area of recruiting that has arguably been strongest, including in the "stars" category. Time of possession, if you think that is a significant statistic, improved by 1 1/2 minutes per game, to essentially 30-30. Even so, 3 losses by a combined 7 points shows that Cal was in games with a chance to win, experience, and a more mature OL will be a big benefit this season.

Penalties- a sharp decrease in both # penalties and yards- (658 yds in 2017, 909 in 2016).

Did you actually watch the games, and, if so, how you could not see the obvious improvement in fielding a fundamentally improved, if still talent deprived, competitive team?



71Bear
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bearingup said:

Chapman_is_Gone said:

GivemTheAxe said:

MoragaBear said:

This witty post dissecting a phrase in Williams' commitment story is a great example of why there are more comments in the thread complaining about lack of ESPN Top 300 commits than there are in all the commitment threads on Cal's 4 new commits combined.

Thank you MoragaBear.
I agree that too many times posters on this Board (including myself) get hung up on the grammar, phraseology or terminology and fail to appreciate the Big Picture.
The Big Picture here is that recruiting is UP. And even though Cal didn't go to a Bowl last year JW and crew have developed real credibility with the recruits who see that JW has turned things around and they want to be part of what he is doing at Cal.
The same thing is being realized by a number of pundits. Too bad some posters on this Board are not willing to give JW any credit for a turn around until he gets Cal to what they consider an "important" bowl.


Silly post. Cal was 5-7 in 2016, and then 5-7 in 2017 against a weaker SOS. There is no ***empirical*** evidence there has been some major improvement under Wilcox. So it comes down to a matter of faith. After hearing decades of turnaround promises - exactly the same positive empty comments such as yours were made under Dykes, Martin, etc. - you have no right to suggest that "show me" realists are missing some "big picture." So, save it. And, this is the first mention I've seen on this board of a distinction between a "bowl" vs. "major bowl" - I think 99% or even 100% of us would be happy with any bowl.

On a related topic, I'm very tired of reading the BS fluff from the "recruiting rankings don't matter" posters. I think they're fools.

No "empirical" evidence? 2016- minus 66 point differential, 2017- -8. Cal gave up 511 points in 2016, 341 in 2017. 320 1st downs given up in 2016, 265 in '17. 24 turnovers taken away last season, vs 19 in 2016. This is with injuries to Downs, Saffle, Goode, ZJohnson, etc etc. Any observer could see a huge improvement in the defense.

The empirical drop was on offense- where injuries and graduation hurt that side of the ball, especially at QB, no DRob, and losing Hudson as the only real TE in an offense that uses a TE. A new offensive line starting 2 former walk ons, a RS frosh, and a true frosh from mid season on- the area of recruiting that has arguably been strongest, including in the "stars" category. Time of possession, if you think that is a significant statistic, improved by 1 1/2 minutes per game, to essentially 30-30. Even so, 3 losses by a combined 7 points shows that Cal was in games with a chance to win, experience, and a more mature OL will be a big benefit this season.

Penalties- a sharp decrease in both # penalties and yards- (658 yds in 2017, 909 in 2016).

Did you actually watch the games, and, if so, how you could not see the obvious improvement in fielding a fundamentally improved, if still talent deprived, competitive team?




I agree there was improvement. However, to make the jump from where Cal was in 2017 to where Wilcox would like to take the Bears will require an infusion of superior talent. That means signing difference-making four and five star recruits.....
GivemTheAxe
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bearingup said:

Chapman_is_Gone said:

GivemTheAxe said:

MoragaBear said:

This witty post dissecting a phrase in Williams' commitment story is a great example of why there are more comments in the thread complaining about lack of ESPN Top 300 commits than there are in all the commitment threads on Cal's 4 new commits combined.

Thank you MoragaBear.
I agree that too many times posters on this Board (including myself) get hung up on the grammar, phraseology or terminology and fail to appreciate the Big Picture.
The Big Picture here is that recruiting is UP. And even though Cal didn't go to a Bowl last year JW and crew have developed real credibility with the recruits who see that JW has turned things around and they want to be part of what he is doing at Cal.
The same thing is being realized by a number of pundits. Too bad some posters on this Board are not willing to give JW any credit for a turn around until he gets Cal to what they consider an "important" bowl.


Silly post. Cal was 5-7 in 2016, and then 5-7 in 2017 against a weaker SOS. There is no ***empirical*** evidence there has been some major improvement under Wilcox. So it comes down to a matter of faith. After hearing decades of turnaround promises - exactly the same positive empty comments such as yours were made under Dykes, Martin, etc. - you have no right to suggest that "show me" realists are missing some "big picture." So, save it. And, this is the first mention I've seen on this board of a distinction between a "bowl" vs. "major bowl" - I think 99% or even 100% of us would be happy with any bowl.

On a related topic, I'm very tired of reading the BS fluff from the "recruiting rankings don't matter" posters. I think they're fools.

No "empirical" evidence? 2016- minus 66 point differential, 2017- -8. Cal gave up 511 points in 2016, 341 in 2017. 320 1st downs given up in 2016, 265 in '17. 24 turnovers taken away last season, vs 19 in 2016. This is with injuries to Downs, Saffle, Goode, ZJohnson, etc etc. Any observer could see a huge improvement in the defense.

The empirical drop was on offense- where injuries and graduation hurt that side of the ball, especially at QB, no DRob, and losing Hudson as the only real TE in an offense that uses a TE. A new offensive line starting 2 former walk ons, a RS frosh, and a true frosh from mid season on- the area of recruiting that has arguably been strongest, including in the "stars" category. Time of possession, if you think that is a significant statistic, improved by 1 1/2 minutes per game, to essentially 30-30. Even so, 3 losses by a combined 7 points shows that Cal was in games with a chance to win, experience, and a more mature OL will be a big benefit this season.

Penalties- a sharp decrease in both # penalties and yards- (658 yds in 2017, 909 in 2016).

Did you actually watch the games, and, if so, how you could not see the obvious improvement in fielding a fundamentally improved, if still talent deprived, competitive team?





Thank you Bearingup for furnishing a lot of the data that I was searching for.
To me the clearest sings of a turn around are:
1. A 5-7 season was the greatest evidence after losing our 2016 NFL caliber QB and supporting cast on offense. Cal matched his record with a starting QB who had no prior game experience and had major performance deficiencies. I don't know what everyone was expecting but 5-7 was a lot better than the 2-10 and 3-9 that most pundits were positing. No doubt if Webb were the QB on this team Cal would have been 8-4

2. Cal played every game tough. Especially the defense and coming within 7 points of an 8-4 season. This was more remarkable given the number of injuries.

3. Cal's ability to replace so many injured defensive starters with players who had been 2and 3 string players on a terrible 2016 defense. It almost looked like Cal had developed a stable of quality backups when the in truth JW was performing magic. He was able to coach up SD's under performing defense

4. JW's ability to recruit some high quality (not necessarily high star) players after a losing season.
SD was unable to do that even after his 7-5 season.

5. Closest to my heart was the way that Cal played against a much more talented team in the Big Game. Don't get me wrong I hated the Loss and I am no fan of "moral victories". But Cal was in a position to take the lead late in the 4th quarter if not for the terrible pass by Bowers. The receiver was behind the coverage with a clear path to the end zone and Bowers threw his only under thrown long pass all game.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda.
But it was the beat performance against Stanfurd in a long time
bonsallbear
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And when do you suppose we might see that improvement? After a 5-7 season or a 7-5 season?
71Bear
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GivemTheAxe said:

bearingup said:

Chapman_is_Gone said:

GivemTheAxe said:

MoragaBear said:

This witty post dissecting a phrase in Williams' commitment story is a great example of why there are more comments in the thread complaining about lack of ESPN Top 300 commits than there are in all the commitment threads on Cal's 4 new commits combined.

Thank you MoragaBear.
I agree that too many times posters on this Board (including myself) get hung up on the grammar, phraseology or terminology and fail to appreciate the Big Picture.
The Big Picture here is that recruiting is UP. And even though Cal didn't go to a Bowl last year JW and crew have developed real credibility with the recruits who see that JW has turned things around and they want to be part of what he is doing at Cal.
The same thing is being realized by a number of pundits. Too bad some posters on this Board are not willing to give JW any credit for a turn around until he gets Cal to what they consider an "important" bowl.


Silly post. Cal was 5-7 in 2016, and then 5-7 in 2017 against a weaker SOS. There is no ***empirical*** evidence there has been some major improvement under Wilcox. So it comes down to a matter of faith. After hearing decades of turnaround promises - exactly the same positive empty comments such as yours were made under Dykes, Martin, etc. - you have no right to suggest that "show me" realists are missing some "big picture." So, save it. And, this is the first mention I've seen on this board of a distinction between a "bowl" vs. "major bowl" - I think 99% or even 100% of us would be happy with any bowl.

On a related topic, I'm very tired of reading the BS fluff from the "recruiting rankings don't matter" posters. I think they're fools.

No "empirical" evidence? 2016- minus 66 point differential, 2017- -8. Cal gave up 511 points in 2016, 341 in 2017. 320 1st downs given up in 2016, 265 in '17. 24 turnovers taken away last season, vs 19 in 2016. This is with injuries to Downs, Saffle, Goode, ZJohnson, etc etc. Any observer could see a huge improvement in the defense.

The empirical drop was on offense- where injuries and graduation hurt that side of the ball, especially at QB, no DRob, and losing Hudson as the only real TE in an offense that uses a TE. A new offensive line starting 2 former walk ons, a RS frosh, and a true frosh from mid season on- the area of recruiting that has arguably been strongest, including in the "stars" category. Time of possession, if you think that is a significant statistic, improved by 1 1/2 minutes per game, to essentially 30-30. Even so, 3 losses by a combined 7 points shows that Cal was in games with a chance to win, experience, and a more mature OL will be a big benefit this season.

Penalties- a sharp decrease in both # penalties and yards- (658 yds in 2017, 909 in 2016).

Did you actually watch the games, and, if so, how you could not see the obvious improvement in fielding a fundamentally improved, if still talent deprived, competitive team?





Thank you Bearingup for furnishing a lot of the data that I was searching for.
To me the clearest sings of a turn around are:
1. A 5-7 season was the greatest evidence after losing our 2016 NFL caliber QB and supporting cast on offense. Cal matched his record with a starting QB who had no prior game experience and had major performance deficiencies. I don't know what everyone was expecting but 5-7 was a lot better than the 2-10 and 3-9 that most pundits were positing.

2. Cal played every game tough. Especially the defense and coming within 7 points of an 8-4 season. This was more remarkable given the number of injuries.

3. Cal's ability to replace so many injured defensive starters with players who had been 2and 3 string players on a terrible 2016 defense. It almost looked like Cal had developed a stable of quality backups when the in truth JW was performing magic. He was able to coach up SD's under performing defense

4. JW's ability to recruit some high quality (not necessarily high star) players after a losing season.
SD was unable to do that even after his 7-5 season.

5. Closest to my heart was the way that Cal played against a much more talented team in the Big Game. Don't get me wrong I hated the Loss and I am no fan of "moral victories". But Cal was in a position to take the lead late in the 4th quarter if not for the terrible pass by Bowers. The receiver was behind the coverage with a clear path to the end zone and Bowers threw his only under thrown pass all game.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda.
But it was the beat performance against Stanfurd in a long time
Re: #4 - How do you know they are high quality players? None of them have played a down of college football.

Note: I am NOT suggesting they are low-quality guys. I am hopeful they will produce high-quality results. However, none of them are a "sure thing" like DeSean Jackson or Marshawn Lynch. In other words, time will tell......
Bear19
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71Bear said:

Bear19 said:

71Bear said:

I guess the kid must be "born again" because the article stated that was "originally born in Carson, CA." Wow! This kid will really be able to work miracles on the field. Just out of curiosity, where was he born a second time?
Don't be a putz, 71Bear. No one cares about your gripes about Christianity.
You missed the point (no surprise). My point was a light-hearted effort to point out that if you want to be taken seriously, you need to make sure what you write is grammatically correct.
Fair enough. I'd amend your comment though: "if you want to be taken seriously [by me], you need to make sure what you write is grammatically correct.

Incorrect grammer does bug me too - but in the words of a young lady I dated at Cal, who was gorgeous but sometimes ended her sentences with a proposition, just as we were about to engage in "relations": "Which would you rather have, good grammar or good taste!?"
71Bear
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bonsallbear said:

And when do you suppose we might see that improvement? After a 5-7 season or a 7-5 season?
Great question...

I look at the budding Wilcox era in much the same way as I did the Bruce Snyder era. Both coaches took over a train wreck of a program.

Snyder built his program through upgrading the OL and DL. Then, he secured the signature of an all-world HS recruit, Russell White. This was a loud announcement to top recruits in southern California that it was "ok" to choose Cal. The Bears were on the verge of a breakthrough when Bockrath decided his ego was more important than a winning football program. Snyder used to say "sizzle before steak". White was the sizzle; the 1992 class would have been the steak.

Wilcox is following a similar arc. He is building the team from the inside out. He is now at a crossroads - he needs a "piedpiper recruit" like White. He needs to sign a five star guy (preferably from southern California) to let everyone know that he will be a serious contender for talent in the most important recruiting region in the west. The guys committed to date are great to build a team around; they are not good enough to push the Bears over the top. Wilcox needs some difference-makers.

The good news is that Wilcox knows what he needs to do. Heck, I thought he would be a winning head coach long before he took the Cal job. I had a chance to have several conversations with him when he was on JT's staff. He really impressed me as a guy who would be a successful head coach. Nothing has changed my mind since that time.
71Bear
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Bear19 said:

71Bear said:

Bear19 said:

71Bear said:

I guess the kid must be "born again" because the article stated that was "originally born in Carson, CA." Wow! This kid will really be able to work miracles on the field. Just out of curiosity, where was he born a second time?
Don't be a putz, 71Bear. No one cares about your gripes about Christianity.
You missed the point (no surprise). My point was a light-hearted effort to point out that if you want to be taken seriously, you need to make sure what you write is grammatically correct.
Fair enough. I'd amend your comment though: "if you want to be taken seriously [by me], you need to make sure what you write is grammatically correct.

Incorrect grammer does bug me too - but in the words of a young lady I dated at Cal, who was gorgeous but sometimes ended her sentences with a proposition, just as we were about to engage in "relations": "Which would you rather have, good grammar or good taste!?"
Regarding the preposition issue, did you tell her that was something "up with which I will not put"? (apologies to Winston Churchill)......
Sebastabear
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I actually thought the proposition/preposition thing was a pretty funny Freudian slip.

But again: No more grammar comments (now that I got mine out)!!!

Welcome Mr. Williams. Thrilled to have you join us.
calgldnbear
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Incorrect grammer does bug me too - but in the words of a young lady I dated at Cal, who was gorgeous but sometimes ended her sentences with a proposition, just as we were about to engage in "relations"


What "proposition" did she make ??? Is it really fair to propose before relations?? Hope you have a positive answer to get it done ....
LACalFan
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Welcome, Miles


GivemTheAxe
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71Bear said:

GivemTheAxe said:

bearingup said:

Chapman_is_Gone said:

GivemTheAxe said:

MoragaBear said:

This witty post dissecting a phrase in Williams' commitment story is a great example of why there are more comments in the thread complaining about lack of ESPN Top 300 commits than there are in all the commitment threads on Cal's 4 new commits combined.

Thank you MoragaBear.
I agree that too many times posters on this Board (including myself) get hung up on the grammar, phraseology or terminology and fail to appreciate the Big Picture.
The Big Picture here is that recruiting is UP. And even though Cal didn't go to a Bowl last year JW and crew have developed real credibility with the recruits who see that JW has turned things around and they want to be part of what he is doing at Cal.
The same thing is being realized by a number of pundits. Too bad some posters on this Board are not willing to give JW any credit for a turn around until he gets Cal to what they consider an "important" bowl.


Silly post. Cal was 5-7 in 2016, and then 5-7 in 2017 against a weaker SOS. There is no ***empirical*** evidence there has been some major improvement under Wilcox. So it comes down to a matter of faith. After hearing decades of turnaround promises - exactly the same positive empty comments such as yours were made under Dykes, Martin, etc. - you have no right to suggest that "show me" realists are missing some "big picture." So, save it. And, this is the first mention I've seen on this board of a distinction between a "bowl" vs. "major bowl" - I think 99% or even 100% of us would be happy with any bowl.

On a related topic, I'm very tired of reading the BS fluff from the "recruiting rankings don't matter" posters. I think they're fools.

No "empirical" evidence? 2016- minus 66 point differential, 2017- -8. Cal gave up 511 points in 2016, 341 in 2017. 320 1st downs given up in 2016, 265 in '17. 24 turnovers taken away last season, vs 19 in 2016. This is with injuries to Downs, Saffle, Goode, ZJohnson, etc etc. Any observer could see a huge improvement in the defense.

The empirical drop was on offense- where injuries and graduation hurt that side of the ball, especially at QB, no DRob, and losing Hudson as the only real TE in an offense that uses a TE. A new offensive line starting 2 former walk ons, a RS frosh, and a true frosh from mid season on- the area of recruiting that has arguably been strongest, including in the "stars" category. Time of possession, if you think that is a significant statistic, improved by 1 1/2 minutes per game, to essentially 30-30. Even so, 3 losses by a combined 7 points shows that Cal was in games with a chance to win, experience, and a more mature OL will be a big benefit this season.

Penalties- a sharp decrease in both # penalties and yards- (658 yds in 2017, 909 in 2016).

Did you actually watch the games, and, if so, how you could not see the obvious improvement in fielding a fundamentally improved, if still talent deprived, competitive team?





Thank you Bearingup for furnishing a lot of the data that I was searching for.
To me the clearest sings of a turn around are:
1. A 5-7 season was the greatest evidence after losing our 2016 NFL caliber QB and supporting cast on offense. Cal matched his record with a starting QB who had no prior game experience and had major performance deficiencies. I don't know what everyone was expecting but 5-7 was a lot better than the 2-10 and 3-9 that most pundits were positing.

2. Cal played every game tough. Especially the defense and coming within 7 points of an 8-4 season. This was more remarkable given the number of injuries.

3. Cal's ability to replace so many injured defensive starters with players who had been 2and 3 string players on a terrible 2016 defense. It almost looked like Cal had developed a stable of quality backups when the in truth JW was performing magic. He was able to coach up SD's under performing defense

4. JW's ability to recruit some high quality (not necessarily high star) players after a losing season.
SD was unable to do that even after his 7-5 season.

5. Closest to my heart was the way that Cal played against a much more talented team in the Big Game. Don't get me wrong I hated the Loss and I am no fan of "moral victories". But Cal was in a position to take the lead late in the 4th quarter if not for the terrible pass by Bowers. The receiver was behind the coverage with a clear path to the end zone and Bowers threw his only under thrown pass all game.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda.
But it was the beat performance against Stanfurd in a long time
Re: #4 - How do you know they are high quality players? None of them have played a down of college football.

Note: I am NOT suggesting they are low-quality guys. I am hopeful they will produce high-quality results. However, none of them are a "sure thing" like DeSean Jackson or Marshawn Lynch. In other words, time will tell......

Taking a more lighted hearted approach to your question, i believe that almost all recruits (excluding JC recruits and transfers) have not played a down of college ball. And being a 5* recruit doesn't guaranty that the recruit necessarily will be a high quality player.

But my reference was to the fact that the recruit had good GPA and was interested in getting a good education as well as playing football and appeared to have a good personal character and played HS football at a school with a credible football program and was successful there.
You will note that I distinguished a high quality recruit from a high star recruit.
bear2034
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71Bear said:

Bear19 said:

71Bear said:

I guess the kid must be "born again" because the article stated that was "originally born in Carson, CA." Wow! This kid will really be able to work miracles on the field. Just out of curiosity, where was he born a second time?
Don't be a putz, 71Bear. No one cares about your gripes about Christianity.
You missed the point (no surprise). My point was a light-hearted effort to point out that if you want to be taken seriously, you need to make sure what you write is grammatically correct.
CalStrong say post weak, not strong.
79 Bear
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Love the enthusiasm of these recruits.

https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/dfwvarsity/article213840084.html
Chapman_is_Gone
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oskirules said:

71Bear said:

Bear19 said:

71Bear said:

I guess the kid must be "born again" because the article stated that was "originally born in Carson, CA." Wow! This kid will really be able to work miracles on the field. Just out of curiosity, where was he born a second time?
Don't be a putz, 71Bear. No one cares about your gripes about Christianity.
You missed the point (no surprise). My point was a light-hearted effort to point out that if you want to be taken seriously, you need to make sure what you write is grammatically correct.
CalStrong say post weak, not strong.

Not funny, oskirules. Unless maybe you didn't hear: CalStrong passed away on Sunday in Egypt. He was 74. He was attacked in the town square by a camel that got loose and was killed by a blow from a camel toe.
71Bear
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GivemTheAxe said:

71Bear said:

GivemTheAxe said:

bearingup said:

Chapman_is_Gone said:

GivemTheAxe said:

MoragaBear said:

This witty post dissecting a phrase in Williams' commitment story is a great example of why there are more comments in the thread complaining about lack of ESPN Top 300 commits than there are in all the commitment threads on Cal's 4 new commits combined.

Thank you MoragaBear.
I agree that too many times posters on this Board (including myself) get hung up on the grammar, phraseology or terminology and fail to appreciate the Big Picture.
The Big Picture here is that recruiting is UP. And even though Cal didn't go to a Bowl last year JW and crew have developed real credibility with the recruits who see that JW has turned things around and they want to be part of what he is doing at Cal.
The same thing is being realized by a number of pundits. Too bad some posters on this Board are not willing to give JW any credit for a turn around until he gets Cal to what they consider an "important" bowl.


Silly post. Cal was 5-7 in 2016, and then 5-7 in 2017 against a weaker SOS. There is no ***empirical*** evidence there has been some major improvement under Wilcox. So it comes down to a matter of faith. After hearing decades of turnaround promises - exactly the same positive empty comments such as yours were made under Dykes, Martin, etc. - you have no right to suggest that "show me" realists are missing some "big picture." So, save it. And, this is the first mention I've seen on this board of a distinction between a "bowl" vs. "major bowl" - I think 99% or even 100% of us would be happy with any bowl.

On a related topic, I'm very tired of reading the BS fluff from the "recruiting rankings don't matter" posters. I think they're fools.

No "empirical" evidence? 2016- minus 66 point differential, 2017- -8. Cal gave up 511 points in 2016, 341 in 2017. 320 1st downs given up in 2016, 265 in '17. 24 turnovers taken away last season, vs 19 in 2016. This is with injuries to Downs, Saffle, Goode, ZJohnson, etc etc. Any observer could see a huge improvement in the defense.

The empirical drop was on offense- where injuries and graduation hurt that side of the ball, especially at QB, no DRob, and losing Hudson as the only real TE in an offense that uses a TE. A new offensive line starting 2 former walk ons, a RS frosh, and a true frosh from mid season on- the area of recruiting that has arguably been strongest, including in the "stars" category. Time of possession, if you think that is a significant statistic, improved by 1 1/2 minutes per game, to essentially 30-30. Even so, 3 losses by a combined 7 points shows that Cal was in games with a chance to win, experience, and a more mature OL will be a big benefit this season.

Penalties- a sharp decrease in both # penalties and yards- (658 yds in 2017, 909 in 2016).

Did you actually watch the games, and, if so, how you could not see the obvious improvement in fielding a fundamentally improved, if still talent deprived, competitive team?





Thank you Bearingup for furnishing a lot of the data that I was searching for.
To me the clearest sings of a turn around are:
1. A 5-7 season was the greatest evidence after losing our 2016 NFL caliber QB and supporting cast on offense. Cal matched his record with a starting QB who had no prior game experience and had major performance deficiencies. I don't know what everyone was expecting but 5-7 was a lot better than the 2-10 and 3-9 that most pundits were positing.

2. Cal played every game tough. Especially the defense and coming within 7 points of an 8-4 season. This was more remarkable given the number of injuries.

3. Cal's ability to replace so many injured defensive starters with players who had been 2and 3 string players on a terrible 2016 defense. It almost looked like Cal had developed a stable of quality backups when the in truth JW was performing magic. He was able to coach up SD's under performing defense

4. JW's ability to recruit some high quality (not necessarily high star) players after a losing season.
SD was unable to do that even after his 7-5 season.

5. Closest to my heart was the way that Cal played against a much more talented team in the Big Game. Don't get me wrong I hated the Loss and I am no fan of "moral victories". But Cal was in a position to take the lead late in the 4th quarter if not for the terrible pass by Bowers. The receiver was behind the coverage with a clear path to the end zone and Bowers threw his only under thrown pass all game.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda.
But it was the beat performance against Stanfurd in a long time
Re: #4 - How do you know they are high quality players? None of them have played a down of college football.

Note: I am NOT suggesting they are low-quality guys. I am hopeful they will produce high-quality results. However, none of them are a "sure thing" like DeSean Jackson or Marshawn Lynch. In other words, time will tell......

Taking a more lighted hearted approach to your question, i believe that almost all recruits (excluding JC recruits and transfers) have not played a down of college ball. And being a 5* recruit doesn't guaranty that the recruit necessarily will be a high quality player.

But my reference was to the fact that the recruit had good GPA and was interested in getting a good education as well as playing football and appeared to have a good personal character and played HS football at a school with a credible football program and was successful there.
You will note that I distinguished a high quality recruit from a high star recruit.
Ah-ha! A high-character recruit... That is something this guy has in common with all the other Wilcox recruits. If they can play to the same level as their character, Cal will definitely have something cookin'....
bonsallbear
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71
That is a fair and reasoned response. I would suggest Wilcox's crossroads comes when he produces a 7-5 season. By building his team from the inside out,he's more likely to recruit that 4-5* rb who c can take advantage of holes that are created by a seasoned o line. Keep the big nasties coming.

Just curious what was Snyder's record for the year preceding the recruitment of White?
JSC 76
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My two cents on the debate re: stars and improvement:

Getting from where we were, to where we want to be, is an incremental process.

Stages 1 and 2 are hiring a coach who knows what he's doing, and laying the groundwork. Implementing a workable system on both sides of the ball. Hiring quality assistants. Coaching up the 3* players that we can get, mostly in the trenches.

Stage 3: Becoming a winning program. Going from 5-7 to 7-5. Getting low-level bowl invites.

Stage 4: Attracting stars....getting the random 4* skill player who wants to stay close to home to make Mom happy, and figures Cal is a good-enough fit. Suddenly, we're getting some attention and making some noise.

Stage 5: More stars. More wins. Bigger and better bowls. Nirvana.
71Bear
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bonsallbear said:

71
That is a fair and reasoned response. I would suggest Wilcox's crossroads comes when he produces a 7-5 season. By building his team from the inside out,he's more likely to recruit that 4-5* rb who c can take advantage of holes that are created by a seasoned o line. Keep the big nasties coming.

Just curious what was Snyder's record for the year preceding the recruitment of White?
5-5-1 (1-5-1 in conference play). By the way, check out this OOC schedule - UOP, San Jose, Temple and Kansas. All the OOC games were at home and five of the seven league games were on the road. What an odd schedule.....
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