OT: shout out to Cal freshmen Mykolas Alekna, discuss thrower, who shattered an 18 year NCAA record this weekend at the Big Meet with a throw of 222 feet!!
Best stat coming out of spring camp ~ no significant injuries!!
I concur, of the 3 practices I attended, this was Millner's weakest performance albeit it wasn't that bad. Also, Millner's #2 offense goes against Cal's #1 defense. These are good reps for Millner and he has gotten a lot better during this camp. Plummer is likely the presumptive starter at this point.
Hard to accept that the OL, in year 6, remains the biggest question mark. For those that stated the loss of Craig & Mettauer is "manageable", I'll have whatever it is you are smoking. The latter appears to have moved up onto the 1's at Oklahoma. Interesting side not: Mettauer said that while he liked his time at Cal he is looking forward to playing for a coaching staff that will not "reprimand" him for his "aggressiveness".
The only other unit that appears to be thin are the cornerbacks. We have talent but perhaps not even a 2 deep at both corners.
Normally I don't participate in pre-season predictions, but I will this year and right now. Cal will go 9 - 3 this season. I'm putting a lot of early faith in OL but I think we have 2 very good QB's that may shelter a weak OL should that turn out to be the case. Cal will have a top 3 in-conference D and top 20 D in the nation (sans any injuries). The ST's will be much improved.
The team is young but is by far the biggest, fastest, strongest of Wilcox's era. A lot of really good & smart players on this team.
Early picks for breakout year: Mavin Anderson, Fatu Iosefa (NB), Saunders, Swinney, Big Myles Williams (aka BMW), Patu. List will likely expand after fall camp. Young (DB) probably should be listed as well.
Surprise of camp: hands down R. Correia. Losing weight has created a completely different player. He could still lose about 20 - 25lbs or convert it to good weight. If he can do that we will have two versatile NG (McKenzie). When was the last time Cal had that? btw ~ shout out to McKenzie for sporting a lavalava at the Spring Showcase.
edit: I did have a chance to watch the PAC12 replay of the Showcase. Nice to hear DJ talk up Cal and spend 2 days with the Bears!! That said it is better to attend if one wants to focus on the players, then later watch the broadcast, which I thought was quite entertaining.
Love it, GEAT! I’d punch somebody’s Nana and Pop Pop for 9-3...
Honestly, this season, I’ll be happy with 6-6 a bowl bid, tho, preferably NYE Day in El Paso...because of fresh faces, Wilcox’s conservatism and a bang up D. I thought they’d be better last year and was very disappointed, but he definitely could be cooking something in the Berkeley kitchen!!!
Both have good pocket awareness and can elude a rush. Millner is marginally more agile. That said, both look to pass first (they keep their eyes down field), which is an upgrade in and of itself. These two have the skills and moxie for the position and for this team.
Plummer definitely looked sharper than Milner, though the practice was geared towards pocket passing so maybe slants to him?
I had a really fun time bringing my kids to this, but I think that may have as much to do with my post-lockdown euphoria re just being able to do stuff as it does with the setup there. I thought they could have tried a little harder to make it a fun day - there was only one small concession stand that basically only sold hot dogs and candy, and other than that there were like two random bouncy houses and a couple cornhole games set up outside (so basically they put about as much effort into this as they would a six year old’s birthday party at a random park). Do a little more next time, Cal marketing! Like maybe get some college kid to put the Oski suit on? He was notably absent.
I miss the fanfests in August of yesteryear. I think you either do that or do a real spring game. This showcase thing is like the worst of both worlds.
Oski was definitely there - but everything else you mention is correct. Even worse, they had the email to season ticket holders announcing "Food Trucks" . . . Cal Dining could have set-up a much better set-up and taken up more area on Goldman Plaza. Or hired two food trucks to set-up there.
But yeah, it was so much less effort on Cal’s part than you see at a regular game - should it have not been a preview of the game experience??? There was better food at Haas when I was walking home - some poorly attended reunion that was over catered so the caterers urged us to take some food when we walked by. My kids were shoving bear shaped cookies into their pockets like they were robbing a bank! Lol
Oh btw there was some sort of baseball game going on with St Mary’s at the baseball stadium on Saturday - I was confused bc I know the team was up in Eugene. Was that like a club game, does anyone know? They had old timey unis on
This is a nice write up and I agree with the summary. Very little football, but still fun to watch. I liked the interviews. Many of our best players, didn't play. Sirmon, Femi, Terry for example. Ok, if it worked for recruiting, then great.
Seems to me the defense could be top shelf, again. Seems to me the offense may be a bit better at QB if they have a minimum time to throw, and better at the skill positions. A long summer ahead before real football!
Good write-up and I concur with your sentiments. I haven't been to a Spring "game" since the last season of Sonny. They seem to be turning into glorified practices and an opportunity for old Bears to show up and talk on the camera. I get the imperative to limit hard contact since injuries can occur - and they can be especially damaging at the end of Spring practice because guys can end up rehabbing all the way to Fall (not good). With a skeleton crew at OL (Seemingly our lot in life as C3PO would say) we are already shorthanded.
OT: shout out to Cal freshmen Mykolas Alekna, discuss thrower, who shattered an 18 year NCAA record this weekend at the Big Meet with a throw of 222 feet!!
Go Bears!!
Best stat coming out of spring camp ~ no significant injuries!!
I concur, of the 3 practices I attended, this was Millner's weakest performance albeit it wasn't that bad. Also, Millner's #2 offense goes against Cal's #1 defense. These are good reps for Millner and he has gotten a lot better during this camp. Plummer is likely the presumptive starter at this point.
Hard to accept that the OL, in year 6, remains the biggest question mark. For those that stated the loss of Craig & Mettauer is "manageable", I'll have whatever it is you are smoking. The latter appears to have moved up onto the 1's at Oklahoma. Interesting side not: Mettauer said that while he liked his time at Cal he is looking forward to playing for a coaching staff that will not "reprimand" him for his "aggressiveness".
The only other unit that appears to be thin are the cornerbacks. We have talent but perhaps not even a 2 deep at both corners.
Normally I don't participate in pre-season predictions, but I will this year and right now. Cal will go 9 - 3 this season. I'm putting a lot of early faith in OL but I think we have 2 very good QB's that may shelter a weak OL should that turn out to be the case. Cal will have a top 3 in-conference D and top 20 D in the nation (sans any injuries). The ST's will be much improved.
The team is young but is by far the biggest, fastest, strongest of Wilcox's era. A lot of really good & smart players on this team.
Early picks for breakout year: Mavin Anderson, Fatu Iosefa (NB), Saunders, Swinney, Big Myles Williams (aka BMW), Patu. List will likely expand after fall camp. Young (DB) probably should be listed as well.
Surprise of camp: hands down R. Correia. Losing weight has created a completely different player. He could still lose about 20 - 25lbs or convert it to good weight. If he can do that we will have two versatile NG (McKenzie). When was the last time Cal had that? btw ~ shout out to McKenzie for sporting a lavalava at the Spring Showcase.
edit: I did have a chance to watch the PAC12 replay of the Showcase. Nice to hear DJ talk up Cal and spend 2 days with the Bears!! That said it is better to attend if one wants to focus on the players, then later watch the broadcast, which I thought was quite entertaining.
Love it, GEAT! I’d punch somebody’s Nana and Pop Pop for 9-3...
Honestly, this season, I’ll be happy with 6-6 a bowl bid, tho, preferably NYE Day in El Paso...because of fresh faces, Wilcox’s conservatism and a bang up D. I thought they’d be better last year and was very disappointed, but he definitely could be cooking something in the Berkeley kitchen!!!
Go Bears!
My goodness, a 9-3 season prediction. I love it!
Both have good pocket awareness and can elude a rush. Millner is marginally more agile. That said, both look to pass first (they keep their eyes down field), which is an upgrade in and of itself. These two have the skills and moxie for the position and for this team.
Plummer definitely looked sharper than Milner, though the practice was geared towards pocket passing so maybe slants to him?
I had a really fun time bringing my kids to this, but I think that may have as much to do with my post-lockdown euphoria re just being able to do stuff as it does with the setup there. I thought they could have tried a little harder to make it a fun day - there was only one small concession stand that basically only sold hot dogs and candy, and other than that there were like two random bouncy houses and a couple cornhole games set up outside (so basically they put about as much effort into this as they would a six year old’s birthday party at a random park). Do a little more next time, Cal marketing! Like maybe get some college kid to put the Oski suit on? He was notably absent.
I miss the fanfests in August of yesteryear. I think you either do that or do a real spring game. This showcase thing is like the worst of both worlds.
Go Bears!
Oski was definitely there - but everything else you mention is correct. Even worse, they had the email to season ticket holders announcing "Food Trucks" . . . Cal Dining could have set-up a much better set-up and taken up more area on Goldman Plaza. Or hired two food trucks to set-up there.
Good to know about Oski. I was wondering if he had put himself into the transfer portal.
Oh really? Did not see Oski, and was looking for him!
Yeah - he was hanging out near the North Tunnel on the West Side for most of the afternoon, and came over to the middle for a bit.
Maybe bc he spent so much time in the bathroom
https://twitter.com/CasaDeHank/status/1520522492883849216?s=20&t=s4yscNiA2PIxydF52ll9tw
But yeah, it was so much less effort on Cal’s part than you see at a regular game - should it have not been a preview of the game experience??? There was better food at Haas when I was walking home - some poorly attended reunion that was over catered so the caterers urged us to take some food when we walked by. My kids were shoving bear shaped cookies into their pockets like they were robbing a bank! Lol
Oh btw there was some sort of baseball game going on with St Mary’s at the baseball stadium on Saturday - I was confused bc I know the team was up in Eugene. Was that like a club game, does anyone know? They had old timey unis on
This is a nice write up and I agree with the summary. Very little football, but still fun to watch. I liked the interviews. Many of our best players, didn't play. Sirmon, Femi, Terry for example. Ok, if it worked for recruiting, then great.
Seems to me the defense could be top shelf, again. Seems to me the offense may be a bit better at QB if they have a minimum time to throw, and better at the skill positions. A long summer ahead before real football!
The biggest impression that was made on me was the lack of "food trucks" AND the delicious tacos we ate after the showcase in Richmond.
Good write-up and I concur with your sentiments. I haven't been to a Spring "game" since the last season of Sonny. They seem to be turning into glorified practices and an opportunity for old Bears to show up and talk on the camera. I get the imperative to limit hard contact since injuries can occur - and they can be especially damaging at the end of Spring practice because guys can end up rehabbing all the way to Fall (not good). With a skeleton crew at OL (Seemingly our lot in life as C3PO would say) we are already shorthanded.
Thanks Nick!
GO BEARS!!