43 Comments

While I won't blame him for transferring and I wish him best, I am starting to get annoyed by all the kids who have no patience and wants to transfer if they are not the starter. Maybe our new OC told SJV he is better off elsewhere, who knows, but he rather sit out next year than compete for a starting QB and a chance to see the field?

Expand full comment

Not surprising given our situation and his. I wish him luck in his development. We do need to add some QBs, though, even if Nando is the presumed starter.

Expand full comment

Our situation? um, we have one and only one QB on scholarship, now. Is this the situation which your are referring to?

Expand full comment

We just received a commitment from the QB at UNT...he has great stats and one year of eligibility. We also have freshman Caminong (sp?). Thus we have 3 scholly QB's and JW wants one more.

Expand full comment

Do you think Mendoza will keep the starting job?

Expand full comment

Without a doubt. He was confident in his first start, and despite some freshman mistakes, he persevered and got better as the season progressed. Plus he has the intangibles that some 4* and 5* recruits don't have (I'm lookin' at you Dante Moore).

Expand full comment

If we run the same system without too many changes. Mendoza is very smart and very coachable. If you watched his footwork he was rarely out of position, been when flushed and rushed, when he threw the ball. He will get a LOT better with more playing time. One of the things he does so well is the pre-snap reads. If you get the reads right running RPO's its hard not to get nice yardage on a play.

Expand full comment

To be honest the whole money thing, while fair for the players who risk injury every time they are out there, sucks. It's all a mercenary sort of exercise. Tradition and pageantry be damned. That said as FBS becomes a minor league for the NFL, what you said below makes a lot of sense Rugbear. There should be an NFL development fund shared equally by FBS member schools, sorry Oregon State gets as much as Bama or Michigan - which will level the playing field. Right now college football as we know it is doomed. The rich get richer while the poor get poorer. The development fund could sort of be a Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest type of thing.

Expand full comment

I've been saying for years that every NFL contract should provide 10% of the amount of the contract to NCAA football for any player who came from an NCAA football program (basically all of them except Otis Sistrunk of the Raiders who went to the University of Mars).

Expand full comment

Honestly, though? I think the transfer portal works in our favor. Recruiting HS is really tough for a program like ours that only has sporadic success and the national perception of a university that just doesn't care.

It's a lot easier for us to rebuild through the portal until we have the foundation necessary for stronger HS recruiting. I don't necessarily prescribe to the scale that Deion is doing at Colorado, but there is a logic to what he's doing. Rebuilding with HS recruits is something that will take 3-4 years to see results. Get what few blue chips you can through HS recruiting, and then fill the rest through mercenaries that are already proven on the field. The reason I disagree with Deion is that I think he has an NFL mindset, and most college athletes just aren't good / experienced enough to be plug-and-play like they're expected to be in the NFL.

Expand full comment

Moving to the ACC and having lost our offensive coordinator.

Expand full comment

“What is our situation, Dad?”

-Todd Cleary

Expand full comment
Dec 11, 2023·edited Dec 11, 2023

Carter Jones, committed to Cal.

oh, and his brother Caden a QB '27 also got an offer.

Expand full comment

So Sam will have to sit for a year wherever he goes next year? Tough, but it wasn't like he was going to start here next year. I would guess he ends up at Baylor

Expand full comment

Texas and Spav. Seems like a possibility.

He also had surgery so I'm wondering if he can get a medical waiver.

Expand full comment

And Chandler Rogers from North Texas just committed. 29 TD 5 INT on the year.

Expand full comment

Fraid he is headed the way of Ross Bowers and Zach Kline. If you can't make read progressions at the FBS level, it's either time to change positions or find an FCS school where his speed will make a difference.

Just looked at the roster and noticed that Luke Bottari did not stick with Cal. He initially transferred to Cal from Utah this season and then went back to Utah after the season started to start for Utah against Colorado in the final game. Don't recall reading about that earlier.

Expand full comment

For those who may have not noticed, Sam was the "person" wearing a red shirt at the last game, calling in plays and supporting his team.

Expand full comment

You sure that wasn't offensive QC assistant Joc Upton, who's been doing that all year?

Expand full comment

I could be mistaken, ty for the clarification.

Expand full comment

Good luck Sam!

Expand full comment

I actually didn’t think Jacksons arm was that bad. Ironically I think his real problem was it seemed like he made the wrong read on the RPO every time and while he definitely was fast he wasn’t very elusive and got tripped up on alot of soft, ankle level tackles.

Expand full comment

Given his performance at QB, maybe they should have tried to keep him around at another position. He's great with the ball in his hands, but not so great throwing it to other players.

Expand full comment

I'm sure they talked with him about options, but SJV wants to be a QB and he wants to start.

Expand full comment

SO, WITH JACKSON LEAVING WE;LL NEED A SPECIAL ANGEL TO WATCH OVER FERNANDO BECAUSE IF HE GET'S HURT THEN...????? NOW I KNOW WHAT TO ASK FOR XMAS! MYBE I'LL FIND THERE'S A FIRST CLASS QB SITTING UNDER MY TREE! GERBEAR

Expand full comment

Too bad he never got healthy enough after Mondoza's ascension to come in as a receiver or for a wildcat play. With his speed and elusiveness, he could have been a valuable asset.

Expand full comment

So that leads to the question... what is our backup QB situation?

Expand full comment
Dec 11, 2023·edited Dec 11, 2023

The "projected" and soon to be announced new hire at QB coach will answer your question within the next week....stay tuned...FWIW

I guess...

Expand full comment

I'd be shocked (SHOCKED, I say....) if Bloesch/Wilcox aren't watching the QB portal very closely to make sure there's strong competition for the starting job.

I wish Sam the very best; I was very excited for his arrival.

Expand full comment

just grabbed chandler rogers from UNT in the portal, you were right

Expand full comment

For reals????

Expand full comment

yup. 29 TD 5 INT last year

Expand full comment

I guess u dropped > 500k into Cal's NIL

Crazy what these portal QBs are going for atm.

Expand full comment

And my ENTIRE $500k should go to Jadyn...... LOVE watching that man run!

Expand full comment

$1 million plus for the blue chips.

Expand full comment

I'm un-retiring and switching positions from weak side tackle to QB.. I'm big (6'5" 240#) and if I get a cortisone shot in my shoulder I can throw the ball 20 yards. ;-)

Expand full comment

20 yards! Wow!!

Expand full comment

I got a big arm....for a guy my age with arthritis in his shoulders from his playing days. :-)

Expand full comment

We got a real Garbers over here!

Expand full comment

LOL. Seriously, eligibility limits will be challenged next. Why try for the NFL if I am an "okay" player, but iffy for the NFL?

Expand full comment

College football will finally be a paid farm system for the NFL. The shitty news is that the NFL still isn't paying a dime for the system the develops the star players that make billions for the tax exempt team owners. It's a fucked up deal. NFL needs to buck up, and not a little bit, but a big fucking chunk of change.

Expand full comment

There are several QB's on the roster and who suit up before games. So they must be learning the offense and are being coached up.

Expand full comment

D1, QBs??

Expand full comment