When talking about stocks a new term emerged recently: the Magnificent 7. Tech stocks that have driven most of the growth in the US Stock market over the last handful of years due to the AI related trade both as hyperscalers (Google, Apple) and as picks-and-shovels providers (NVidia). Right now the S&P500 has those 7 stocks at roughly 1/3rd of the entire index… The same Index that also contains blue chips such as JPMorgan or GE.
However, this hegemony of the 7 corporations means that if they are doing well on the stock market then the entire index flourishes, but if they are wobbly then the entire market feels it. I would say the same thing about the Cal newly rebuilt Front 7 and it’s likely impact on the entire team and especially the defense.
I am projecting Cal to run a 4-2-5 baseline formation with 2 notes:
DE/EDGE will generally be the larger of the two EDGE players, he will likely to the rushing strength of the offensive formation since he can anchor against run blocks while the lighter and quicker player can chase the backside of the play or drop into the flat in case the offensive playcall has a backside bubble RPO screen.
The STAR position, I have been fascinated with Cal being able to use this formation since the early Wilcox era with Trey Paster and Evan Rambo being pegged for that position. In this case the STAR player will let Cal play in a hybrid 4-2-5 and 4-3-4.
DE/EDGE
DE/EDGE1: Nate Burrell
DE/EDGE2: Justin Beadles
DE/EDGE3: Joshua Pierce
Burrell comes back to the fold after sitting out the 2025 season due to injury. He has been on “future stalwart” watch for a long time with his size and burst off the line. Question is if he can play more outside on the defensive line with more responsibilities in beating tackle type guys outside rather than just beating them in the interior of the OL.
Beadles comes in as the veteran who has a chance to make some noise after coming from Louisville. He comes in with 2 years of playing experience at Lousiville and New Mexico State being a late bloomer.
The UNT transfer Pierce comes in as a project type player who brings a whole lot of athleticism that needs more refining down the line despite being a RS Junior. His slow ascent up the college ranks from Campbell through UNT to Cal shows a player who can find a new ceiling to his talent.
DT/NG
DT/NG1: Jericho Johnson
DT/NG2: Stanley Saole-McKenzie
DT/NG3: Jayden Williams
He is an incredible athlete. Easily one of the most athletic players to play in a Cal jersey since the peak of BRETT JOHNSON mania (sidenote: BRETT was even wilder as an athlete since he was able to play all 9 gaps on the DL and played it at least HM Pac-12 level). When I reached out to the Berkeley Physics department about whether they have seen anything like this before, this is what I got in response:
He is the most important player for the Cal defense because he will have 2 gapping responsibilities in the run game. What does it mean? For example, using the chart below, if Johnson is aligned in 1 technique he will engage with the center and will have to make sure that neither A gaps on either side of the OL are open for the RB to run through.
The reason this is so important is because of the inexperience of the ILB protecting them in the run game to keep them clean. In the passing game being able to occupy 2 offensive linemen (pass protection is harder to do 1 on 1 against a dominant DL because he’s the one attacking you while in the run game as an OL you’re on the attack) letting the rest of the rushers have a 1 on 1.
“Big-Stan” provides much needed depth in the position, and with the chance to build an NFL/CFL level resume with his 6th year in the program. He provides a good 2nd string option for the defense since he provides a consistent baseline for the team to fall back on.
Rounding off the depth is another UNT transfer Jayden Williams who has notched snaps at the G6 level and thus can provide further depth on the line with the potential of coming back in the 2027 season with more experience under his belt.
DE
DE1: Derek Wilkins
DE2: Ashun Sheppard
DE3: Zae Smith
Derek Wilkins came into Cal as a highly coveted 4* DE but has yet to touch the tantalizing ceiling his high school tape promised. Then again development is not linear, sometimes it takes time for someone to touch their ceiling. I think this is time for Derek to touch it. If he can reach it we can see an incredible season from the interior defensive line, interior pressure on the QB is a much more consistent way of affecting the passing game than outside pressure. You can step up against EDGE pressure, you can’t out run someone hell bent on crushing you when they are in your grill.
College Football Recruiting: Santa Margarita 2021 4* DL Derek Wilkins commits to Bears
The 6-foot-5 and 250 pound Strongside Defensive End who hails from Santa Margarita, California committed to the Bears today. Wilkins becomes another 4-star to the ranks of the 2021 class, which is sh…
We bring in 2 transfers who flash size and speed at the position, one Sheppard who had a cup of coffee in the SEC and Zae Smith whose size asks questions his athleticism is trying to answer. But the fact remains is that we are left with a lot of questions in the group than we are with answers.
EDGE
EDGE1: Jayden Wayne
EDGE2: Solomon Williams
EDGE3: Serigne Tounkara
EDGE4: Emmanuel Okoye
This is likely the deepest position on the front 7. The designated pass rush position in a a 4-2-5 is a curious thing. Sometimes the EDGE on the 4 could drop into coverage or peel off into the flats, however, in order to provide some passrush even in a drop 8 situation there is one of the 2 EDGEs always on the hunt. These 4 lads for Cal are the guys whose job is to hunt down the ball handler in the backfield.
This is where the money is made for the player and coaches. Thus I know that we’ll put our best defensive front 7 athletes in this spot. Jayden Wayne has the 5* pedigree he has yet to touch but very well can reach with current coaching. This is where Solomon Williams and Sergine Tounkara can leverage their SEC bonafides into focused assignments. And where Okoye who appeared on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List for 2026 can shine.
Go Hunting, Lands.
ILB
ILB1: Kamar Mothundi
ILB2: Tristan Jernigan
ILB
ILB1: AJ Tuitele
ILB2: Aaron Hampton
I hate uncertainty, which is the bane of my existence. Under Justin Wilcox and co. we knew that a certain standard would be maintained in the position. The lineage that traced itself to Evan Weaver continued with hard-nosed play by the players. However, with the departure of Cade Uluave to BYU and Luke Ferrelli to Clemson (wait, news tells me he is in 0-2 against Cal Ole Miss??).
Cal brings in a lot of question marks in the position groups with Mothundi and Tuilele both very “capital A” Athletic prospects who seek to prove that their play matches their potential. It would be unfair to expect them to play like Weaver/Kunaszyk era players but we need some level of competency to secure the A and B gaps.
Jernigan and Hampton are also interesting players, the former comes from Texas A&M with a strong high school pedigree but not a lot of college snaps, the latter is an unheralded prospect out of Alaska who has been able to get snaps for Cal over the last 2 years.
STAR
STAR1: Kington Lopa
STAR2: Cam Sidney
STAR3: Quimari Shemwell
This is an interesting position in the Cal defense. Even in the NFL these lads are rare: Kyle Hamilton, Nick Emmanwori, Derwin James, and Brian Branch. The players here need to embody the physicality of a linebacker, the coverage skills of a nickelback, and the ability to drop into deep zones of a safety. Justin Wilcox defenses also preferred to have a STAR player with guys like Trey Paster and Evan Rambo recruited to fill the role but ultimately the Wilcox era defenses were unable to find guys who can do it without being a liability in any of the phases of the game.
This player will allow us to play in a pseudo 4-2-5/4-3-4 look as long as the player’s talent and athleticism can keep up. And I do think that Lopa is physically capable to play the position at a high level and will likely be the linchpin on the defense allowing us to play both the pass and run well without having to change the personnel.
Sidney and Shemwell are picked as back ups here due to my bias for having a player who majors in pass defense and minoring in run defense. They still bring the required athleticism and with their experience can handle the mental load required of the position.
I feel, I think, I know
I want to end every segment of this series with some feelings, thoughts, and beliefs I have on the group of players discussed, based on the level of evidence and confidence.
I feel that…
Cal defense will live by the health and development of Johnson and Lopa. There isn’t much debate about this, they are the most talented players in positions Cal has struggled to recruit and retain at during the Wilcox era.
I think that…
We’re going to be an OK front 7 defense overall, with a slight strength in the pass coverage defense from the Front 7 and a slight weakness in the run defense. This is driven by my belief that the athleticism of the ILB + STAR position groups will carry them in space but their relative lack of experience can give them fits when trying to fit the run gaps. Throw in the perceived lack of depth in the front 4 late in games, I can see us fading as a game goes by. The balance of pros and cons will move the needle of the defensive performance across the season.
I know that…
Whomever will play at ILB for Cal will have some impressive TFLs and sacks. DC Hutchins comes from the Brian Flores tree and what that tree loves to do is to have their ILBs go hunting through the A gap. As mentioned before we have some question marks at the EDGE position when it comes to pass rush productivity, lots of “I think he can” rather than “I know he can” in the room. I can see DC Hutchins trying to supplement the pass-rush by using the Flores playbook.