Cal football transfers all shine through camp

Expect the majority of arriving Power 5 portal talent to contribute for the Golden Bears this fall.

As Cal’s young talent looks to cycle into the rotation the coming years, the Bears (like many other teams) will be relying heavily on the portal to replenish their team, at many many critical positions.

How did the transfers fare during fall camp?

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Jack Plummer, Purdue quarterback transfer (scouting profile):

There were definite concerns about replacing four-year starter Chase Garbers, but Plummer got in with a head start in the spring and has locked down the starting position.

Plummer’s arm is above-average, being able to throw consistent footballs up to 30-35 yards. The accuracy is also relatively solid and the football comes out quickly, throwing footballs far downfield that lead the receiver and throwing it away from the coverage, reducing the chances a defensive back can make plays on the ball.

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Plummer has had to go against the fierce Cal defense and proven he can handle the pressure, showing above average pocket awareness. With very good feetwork in the pocket, Plummer can evade the first rusher and improvise if needed.

While Plummer will not be mistaken for Garbers below the waist, he does have a little bit of a scramble in him. If the pocket does collapse, he should be able to go five to seven yards downfield.

Plummer’s footwork is probably his greatest strength, making precise steps inside and outside the pocket. He’s shown some of the greatest capability at finding players down the sidelines, which could open up even more of the offense as time goes by. Plummer does tend to throw that way or to the flats—there was a concern at Purdue that he didn’t take more risks or test the middle of the field. It’ll be interesting to see his attempts to test the interior.

Rob and I tried to come up with a recent solid Pac-12 comparison for what we were seeing from our QB1, and settled on Sean Mannion as Plummer’s potential upside.

Jackson Sirmon, Washington linebacker transfer (scouting profile): Cal needed a steady linebacking presence on the interior after some unsteadiness last season, and Sirmon has proven to be just the guy to fill in some depth there.