After watching the California Bears spring game, I had mixed feelings. From the moment the Bears stepped on the field, they seemed like they haven’t been on the field since last year, and I couldn’t help but overhear all the encouragement that was being shouted out.
Based on the Bears spring game, let’s go over the position groups that was the most impressive:
-Inside LineBacker
-Cornerbacks
-Running Backs
Now the groups that were not very good:
-D Tackles
-Offensive Tackles
Starting with the good, the inside linebackers are led by star Jalen Jefferson, and is fairly accomplished. Jefferson was the best out of the group which was not surprising. He was all over the field, with a pick and a number of tackles. Edward Tandy was also impactful and he may be the most aggressive linebacker I have ever seen at Cal. Tandy hits with a force, and is talented at reading plays quickly.
The cornerbacks may be the most impressive of them all. From last season, the improvement of speed was amazing and the tackling was very clean. Throughout the whole game, they were shedding blocks and making tackles in the backfield. Cedric Dozier had a great showing. To have a good defense, consistent and solid cornerbacks are a necessity. The Bears have that group this year.
Even with probable starting RB Khalifani Muhammad out due to track, the running backs looked impressive. Daniel Lasco, a former 4-star recruit, ran hard very aggressively. He made upfield cuts and didn’t try anything fancy but gain yards. Austin Harper and Jeffery Coprich’s speed was obviously in full showing, as they blazed through the line of scrimmage. The Bears need a strong running game this season, and if they do, Jared Goff should have a career season.
Now let’s go over the position groups that were not very impressive. The defensive tackles need work. In the running game, they were getting pushed around, and in the passing game they did not get much pressure, if at all, on the QB. Jacobi Hunter is an interesting case and the Bears should open their arms to him coming back ASAP. Mustafa Jalil needs to come back from his injury and needs to get on the field and aid the weak DT spot. Without good defensive tackles, the Run D may be rough.
The offensive tackles were getting beat. Protecting Jared Goff is crucial to the California Bears. All throughout the spring game, the D Ends were beating the tackles off the edge and were getting to Goff. In a real game, Goff won’t have a special jersey on, and he will get crushed. Steven Moore and Brian Farley is expected to start, but both struggled all game. Christian Okafor also struggled. The run blocking wasn’t as bad as the pass, but the Berkeley offensive is pass-first.
All in all, the spring game was pretty impressive. There were signs that Cal is going to be a great team next season, but there were some obvious gaps on the depth chart.
A side note: I had an interview with WR Chris Harper, and this is what he had to say to a few questions I had.
Q: How does the offense look to you this year?
A: “The offense looks a lot more fluid as opposed to last year so im happy with the progress that weve made in a year.”
Q:What did you think of the spring game? Did you think it went well?
A: I think our spring game went pretty solid although we still have a lot more things to work on in order to become a team that wins games.”
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