Walk-ons/other additions: FB Beaux Tagaloa ('22 recruit Brodie Tagaloa's brother), OLB Marquez Bimage (grad transfer from Texas), FB Champion Johnson (transfer from SJSU), PK Nico Ramos (transfer from Princeton), ILB McKyle So'oto, WR Trond Grizzell, QB Blake DeBisschop. Guys who I think may see playing time: Bimage, Tagaloa, Johnson.
Removed from roster: Evan King, Ben Skinner, Mike Saffell, Erick Nisich, Brandon Mello
Any reason for the player losses? Hard to speculate I guess - we knew about Saffell but the other guys leaving seems surprising, unless there was little chance of playing time.
The two primary reasons players enter the transfer portal: 1. They want more playing time and think they can do better elsewhere, 2. They aren't happy with the whole CAL experience. The first happens more often than the second, but we had guys who left as freshman and sophomore players who were homesick. One was a great guy and ended up being a starter at Oregon State.
King was already a fourth-year student last season, a walk-on, and is not in the student directory, so perhaps he graduated. The other four are still in the student directory. Mello is a scholarship player that already was in the transfer portal on July 1, so he probably wants a shot of playing.
So I'll add a third reason: walk-on burn-out. Skinner and Nisich are walk-ons entering their four-year of academics, which means they are really unlikely to be given playing time at the expense of developing freshmen. Every year you see the walk-ons drop like flies in the fourth year. They bust their asses just like the scholarship guys, get less resources, and have to do just the school work on top. There gets a point when you're so buried on the depth chart that you give up in favor of having at least one year of being a normal college kid without the all-consuming burden of football.
The QB from my high school in senior year walked on at Cal, made the roster, but never saw any playing time. I think he quit in the third year and focused on academics. The amount of time the guys have to put in in the football program is overwhelming. So I agree with everything you say,
So excited to see Stanley McKenzie this fall. If he breaks out, especially at that weight, the D could take a strong step back toward early Wilcox defense.
More weight for Jermaine Terry could mean a move to the defensive line. Did he show any aptitude for defense in high school? I am thinking a 280 pound rush defensive end with good hands and quick feet might be more valuable to the team than a weighted down tight end. I believe even the best tight ends in the NFL like Kittle and Kelce top out at just over 250 pounds.
I can see that, however, we already have two stacked DE classes and I don't think he'd be more impactful as #4 DE than as #1 TE even with this much weight, Gronk played at ~265 lbs with the pats (but is also 6'6" so makes sense).
We'll see how he holds up at that weight but I do think ~250 like you said is a more optimal weight.
If he is a physical blocker and the weight does not slow him down, then Musgrave is going to love having an additional O-liner who can catch balls as well. ;-)
When I was on the wrestling team at Cal (long ago), our 118 pounder got hurt, and I had to drop 19 pounds (14% of body weight) in 10 days. It should be a piece of cake (or more accurately, skipping a piece of cake) for Jermaine to lose 20 (7.4%)
It he gets to three bills, he ain't playing tight end. Pretty unusual to have to put a college freshman on a diet the day he arrives. Oh, and I just checked.....he played defensive end in high school. His high school bio says "he made his strongest contributions on defense." In two years......107 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. Hmmm......
I don't think he'll get to ~300 lbs. Chryst, Musgrave, and Wilcox all have been saying that he's a TE, he spent all of spring practice as a TE so he has arrived on campus.
I don't think he will be a DE, and I think that he'll make a bigger impact as #1 TE and not as a #4 DE.
The key question, Tahoe Blue, is how long did it take you to gain the weight back? I, too, was a wrestler in high school and dropped weight from time to time only to come roaring back in a few days if Mom made some cookies. I am showing my bias for stud defensive ends in this post I think they are more valuable to a team than a tight end if the name is not Tony Gonzalez. This kid's high school defensive stats were off the charts.
In college that was a one-time drop, but in high school I held even more weight off for the whole season. I'm excited to see Jermaine wherever he plays. Also, Cal has not had a good record on keeping 4* tight ends on the team the past few years.
Cam Goode, in his old age, gains an inch. 😺
NFL scouts gonna like this!
Walk-ons/other additions: FB Beaux Tagaloa ('22 recruit Brodie Tagaloa's brother), OLB Marquez Bimage (grad transfer from Texas), FB Champion Johnson (transfer from SJSU), PK Nico Ramos (transfer from Princeton), ILB McKyle So'oto, WR Trond Grizzell, QB Blake DeBisschop. Guys who I think may see playing time: Bimage, Tagaloa, Johnson.
Removed from roster: Evan King, Ben Skinner, Mike Saffell, Erick Nisich, Brandon Mello
any relation to Freddie?
Distant. Boss, Beaux, and Brodie are brothers.
Any reason for the player losses? Hard to speculate I guess - we knew about Saffell but the other guys leaving seems surprising, unless there was little chance of playing time.
Mello and King are in the transfer portal probably hunting for a easier path to starting time.
The two primary reasons players enter the transfer portal: 1. They want more playing time and think they can do better elsewhere, 2. They aren't happy with the whole CAL experience. The first happens more often than the second, but we had guys who left as freshman and sophomore players who were homesick. One was a great guy and ended up being a starter at Oregon State.
King was already a fourth-year student last season, a walk-on, and is not in the student directory, so perhaps he graduated. The other four are still in the student directory. Mello is a scholarship player that already was in the transfer portal on July 1, so he probably wants a shot of playing.
So I'll add a third reason: walk-on burn-out. Skinner and Nisich are walk-ons entering their four-year of academics, which means they are really unlikely to be given playing time at the expense of developing freshmen. Every year you see the walk-ons drop like flies in the fourth year. They bust their asses just like the scholarship guys, get less resources, and have to do just the school work on top. There gets a point when you're so buried on the depth chart that you give up in favor of having at least one year of being a normal college kid without the all-consuming burden of football.
The QB from my high school in senior year walked on at Cal, made the roster, but never saw any playing time. I think he quit in the third year and focused on academics. The amount of time the guys have to put in in the football program is overwhelming. So I agree with everything you say,
Who was that?
Fired up, ready to go...GO BEARS!
So excited to see Stanley McKenzie this fall. If he breaks out, especially at that weight, the D could take a strong step back toward early Wilcox defense.
More weight for Jermaine Terry could mean a move to the defensive line. Did he show any aptitude for defense in high school? I am thinking a 280 pound rush defensive end with good hands and quick feet might be more valuable to the team than a weighted down tight end. I believe even the best tight ends in the NFL like Kittle and Kelce top out at just over 250 pounds.
I can see that, however, we already have two stacked DE classes and I don't think he'd be more impactful as #4 DE than as #1 TE even with this much weight, Gronk played at ~265 lbs with the pats (but is also 6'6" so makes sense).
We'll see how he holds up at that weight but I do think ~250 like you said is a more optimal weight.
If he is a physical blocker and the weight does not slow him down, then Musgrave is going to love having an additional O-liner who can catch balls as well. ;-)
I just imagined that a #Pac-12 ref would confuse him for OL and accidentally flag him for being an ineligible receiver lol
When I was on the wrestling team at Cal (long ago), our 118 pounder got hurt, and I had to drop 19 pounds (14% of body weight) in 10 days. It should be a piece of cake (or more accurately, skipping a piece of cake) for Jermaine to lose 20 (7.4%)
Ha! Right! A four star tight end being moved to D-line. Don't think so.
It he gets to three bills, he ain't playing tight end. Pretty unusual to have to put a college freshman on a diet the day he arrives. Oh, and I just checked.....he played defensive end in high school. His high school bio says "he made his strongest contributions on defense." In two years......107 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. Hmmm......
I don't think he'll get to ~300 lbs. Chryst, Musgrave, and Wilcox all have been saying that he's a TE, he spent all of spring practice as a TE so he has arrived on campus.
I don't think he will be a DE, and I think that he'll make a bigger impact as #1 TE and not as a #4 DE.
And wasn’t he recruited by half the NCAA as a TE? I’d say that’s where his greatest talents lie…
Pretty sure that’s not how it works. JW should
Play him where he’s needed
The key question, Tahoe Blue, is how long did it take you to gain the weight back? I, too, was a wrestler in high school and dropped weight from time to time only to come roaring back in a few days if Mom made some cookies. I am showing my bias for stud defensive ends in this post I think they are more valuable to a team than a tight end if the name is not Tony Gonzalez. This kid's high school defensive stats were off the charts.
In college that was a one-time drop, but in high school I held even more weight off for the whole season. I'm excited to see Jermaine wherever he plays. Also, Cal has not had a good record on keeping 4* tight ends on the team the past few years.