The offensive line is crucial to a football team’s success; the sun sets at night and rises in the morning; don’t step on the seal at 4.0 Hill; Thai Basil is the best restaurant on Durant Avenue: Such statements are so blatantly obvious that they nearly need not be mentioned. However, Offensive Line Coach Famika Anae has a task as tall as the Campanile before him this year: assemble a group that can protect Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and resurrect a running game that hasn’t shown much life since Jaydn Ott won the PAC-12 rushing title. Offensive line is a particularly unique position, given that even in the portal era, high school recruiting has remained decisive. Cal has both some solid answers and some remaining questions here.
Incoming Offensive Coordinator Jordan Somerville will certainly look to improve the cohesion and rotation in this group, which struggled tremendously at creating run opportunities and maintaining discipline last season. Instrumental in making anything like the leap that fans, coaches, and administrators desire will be run blocking improvements and large penalty reductions. These were major offensive follies last season, with Cal producing the second-worst rushing attack in the nation and 33 offensive line penalties.
THE RETURNING INTERIOR CORE: Bastian Swinney, Tyson Ruffins, Sioape Vatikani
In this era of college football, returning starting production is a key indication of an elevated chance of success. Cal retains three veteran linemen who will likely form the interior phalanx in Famika Anae’s lineup. Swinney began his career in Berkeley during the Chase Garbers era, and his denouement will likely see him try to bring stability and healthy consistency to the Center position. With 40 starts for Cal under his belt, Swinney could an excellent unifying force for a unit that lacked it for much of the Wilcox Era.
Swinney has already won the endorsement of his signal caller, with JKS calling him “my brother…He’s really the engine that gets things going on the offense.” It is worth noting that after an extended period of up and down performance, his final stretch of last season in which he was moved to Center, he was highly rated by PFF. His 86 percent pass protection success rate placed him in elite company. If he can continue that success while getting the ball out cleanly on snaps, it will be a welcome improvement for Cal.
Tyson Ruffins started every game last year and has gotten recognition from outside the program. Interestingly, he is the highest-rated Cal player in the EA Sports College Football 27 video game. Ruffins had a rougher time at center last season with a lower PFF grade, but played much better at Left Guard. In fact, he allowed just a single hurry and no sacks while at that position, so look for him to get a lion’s share of snaps there.
Sioape Vatikani forms the third of this veteran triumvirate. He started nine games last year for Cal and played well for most of the season. Despite some previous injury scares, he should be an excellent contributor to this group.
The unifying thread of teams in recent years that have made tremendous ascents in College Football, such as Indiana and Virginia, has been veteran offensive line play. If these three remain healthy and able to build upon their previous production, there is real cause for optimism.
RIGHT TACKLE: Jimothy Lewis
A solid transfer portal pickup which Cal beat out Alabama for, Lewis will have the distinction of protecting JKS’s blindside. He certainly has the size and strength that are needed and fans should be excited by his impressive pass blocking abilities. The main question with Lewis is that he only started 4 games last year, but his potential upside is massive.
LEFT TACKLE: Fredrick Williams III started six games last year, with decent if inconsistent results, often rotating with Nick Morrow. He certainly showed excellent flashes such as against Minnesota and is quite athletic, but offseason development is the name of the game at this formerly porous position for Cal.
DEPTH: South Dakota transfer Jacob Arop was a portal add for the Golden Bears and an elite player at the FCS level. However, time will tell if he can make the jump to the Power 4 level. Kent State transfer Ashton Rivera logged over 600 snaps for Kent State last season, and he could be solidly in the interior rotation. Cal also added solidly sized and athletic FIU transfer Mykeal Rabbes and No. 1 high school recruit from the state of Oklahoma Daniel McMorris at Tackle. Additional transfers Kahlee Tafai and Lamar Robinson could see action as well.
TAKEAWAY: Cal’s Offensive Line is a wild card whose ability to provide consistent play will be a crucial hinge for the entire fate of the season. There is certainly reason for optimism thanks to both returning production and young talent with upside. However, questions linger about the depth of this rotation and the tackle position in particular.
Famika Anae certainly brought improvement in his first year, and there is reason for cautious optimism that this trend will continue. Cal fans scarred by the Wilcox Era offensive line will, for now, have to place their trust in the new coaching staff’s ability to develop a cohesive unit that is consistently capable of supporting an electric offense.
The last 4 games last year, the offensive line, especially inside found a sweet spot. The new position groupings seemed to work and JKS numbers reflected the improvement. Wins over SMU and Louisville were results plus JKS had 0 interceptions and great PFF numbers. My hope is this years tackles will make the improvement to forge a solid unit finally. Having 4 players back with starting experience and 5 portal guys hopefully starts us building depth. I have hope!
"Cal fans scarred by the Wilcox Era offensive line will, for now, have to place their trust in the new coaching staff’s ability to develop a cohesive unit that is consistently capable of supporting an electric offense.” Yep, that pretty much nails it, the biggest question heading into the season. Go Bears, roll on and over ucla.