Weekly Roundtable Discussion: Quarterback Room
We are bringing back a weekly roundtable discussion among the Writers for California, featuring some of your favorite characters. We spend hours discussing Cal football (well, anything Cal-related). I can’t guarantee that our Writers always have the best takes, but they sure are passionate.
Our discussion this week was around the quarterback room. We have a full series of previews and positional breakdowns already in progress, but here is this week’s discussion. Note that this was slightly edited for clarity as the discussion occurred entirely on Discord.
Christopher Zheng: What are you expecting out of the quarterback room this season? Who do you expect to be the starter? Do you expect there to be a battle that continues through the first couple of games?
Callie Wake: I think Ohio State transfer Devin Brown’s got the starting spot. As much as I like freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele’ abilities and talent, I remember Kevin Riley (2007-2010), who did nothing wrong but was thrust into a role he wasn’t ready for. I don’t think there will be a QB battle unless Brown messes up egregiously. Ultimately, I think Brown gets the start, and it’s his job to lose. JKS fills in as needed in the late game if possible.
Ben: Yeah, I'd tend to agree to that, mostly only giving the nod based on seniority/experience, not that Brown brings a lot on tape that we can see. 37 passes completed across 48 attempts. In a perfect world, I'd like to see Brown out of the game by the 3rd quarter against Oregon State so that we can comfortably give JKS some reps. But honestly, I'm finding it hard to even know where or how this all works. Harsin/Rolovich bring a new identity, and I don't know what to expect out of anything, let alone the QB Room.
erik johannessen: You think Kevin Riley is a good comp for JKS? We have had freshman QBs succeed at Cal, albeit on bad teams (Goff, Boller).
Ben: I think that was less a comp and more of a "I hope JKS doesn't get flung into a spot where everything falls to him now."
erik johannessen: Fair enough. If we’re in a situation where everything falls to the QB, I don’t like our odds regardless.
Rex Volcano: I think Devin Brown is the Week 1 starter. Without much game film to work with or real separation in practice performance, you have to give the edge to the “safer” pick. With so much riding on this season, I have a hard time seeing the staff do anything that feels like a risk (which they already weren’t really into).
Edrick: Fully asking everyone to speculate here, but the narrative I remember from spring is that JKS left Oregon because he felt like the program wouldn't be prioritizing his development. If he isn't our starter this season, what's the likelihood he bails at the end of the year?
Ben: I think the answer to that question is more about what happens to Wilcox and Co. Brown is a redshirt junior, JKS is a true freshman. JKS, the other day, said he was looking forward to developing, and I think if Fernando Mendoza had stayed, that was going to be the plan all along. So I don't think he'll jump ship, although other schools will certainly try. Generally speaking, the vibe around football has shifted, so I can't imagine JKS leaving at any point for money or anything, as he'd be a top priority in retention. So JKS leaving would mostly speak to 1) a belief that he didn't develop significantly under Wilcox/Harsin/Rolovich or 2) that Brown is far and away the starter, and after a year of seeing the game at college speeds, he thinks he can start and make an impact somewhere. Recent history is littered with QBs who have felt that way and ultimately gone nowhere. One is currently playing wide receiver for Oklahoma State.
I've been waffling on this (*EDITOR’S NOTE: Response to Rex Volcano’s previous response*), and it's a slight concern of mine this year that I think will show its face in the QB situation. Namely, that Wilcox has rolled the dice on some high-risk, high-reward hires here in the last year. He has to know the writing is on the wall and that there's only a handful of situations where he keeps the job. So, how much rolling the dice does he do? History suggests he'll play it safe, but that's kinda what has gotten him into his current position. To bring it back to the QB situation, I think the only way Wilcox is the coach in 2026 with less than 8 wins is that JKS emerges, makes some freshman errors, but shows his potential. Maybe those errors cost a game or two, but if on the other end he shows early signs of a Goff-type play... maybe he gets retained?
Edrick: What would have to happen for us to keep JKS if Wilcox and co. get canned?
Ben: Purely hypothetically, if Wilcox and co. get canned, Brown and JKS are likely looking around, and I think, based on their respective ages next year, Brown, as a rising redshirt senior, and JKS, as a rising sophomore, we'd want to go in on JKS. So, thanks for everything, Brown, but unless you're poised to have a monster season, adios. If Wilcox is canned, it's because we went 6-6 or worse, and based on history, I don't think the defense would be the problem. To retain JKS, you go out and you find the QB Whisperer to be either the HC or the OC/QB Coach. If Wilcox gets cut, I highly doubt we retain much staff between Harsin/Rolovich, etc., so you build around JKS.
SGBear: What to expect out of the QB room? What am I holding in each of my hands behind my back? The stories are pretty straightforward — a former high-4/low 5-star recruit who sat on the bench. Is he a guy who didn't see the field for a reason, or are you getting the next transfer star like Joe Burrow, Quinn Ewers, or Jaxson Dart? The other QB is a record-breaking freshman with an incredible pedigree and one of the highest-ranked recruits in program history, but is bound to make freshman mistakes by trying to do too much through methods that don't work at the P4-level. Frankly, no matter who starts and who plays, the narrative will be "see, I told you," no matter how he plays. This is going to be the season of second-guessing and rewriting predictions based upon actual performance. If you look at the national coverage writers, they all seem to put Cal pretty much near the bottom in terms of performance expectations. And they might be right. What offense can survive losing nearly their entire offensive team with a new OC, new assistants, a new scheme, and all new players? The answer is in my hand behind my back. I'll tell you what it is later.
Ben: I think that's my issue with this question. Well, issue is strong, lol. Like, thinking about the specific QB situation feels like a fool's errand on an offense that lost what percent of its yards from last year? Like, 10 yards of the 98 YWMB returned, lol.
SGBear: My beef is that you have similar situations at places like UNC, which brought in FORTY-ONE transfers and a new coach and Gio Lopez, and people are already expecting UNC to crush everyone. Sure, Belichick is perhaps the greatest NFL coach of all time, but is 2025 his year?
Ben: Of the 3,300 yards thrown last year, 57 are returning. Of the 1,580 yards run, 111 are returned. Of the 3,300 yards caught, 715 are returning. In a completely new offensive scheme.
SGBear: Yeah, no doubt. But what the portal taketh, it also giveth. We "bought" new guys, and some of them are pretty good. How good? Shrug. Look at Minnesota. They were mid last year with a good QB. Now they have a huge question mark at QB. ODU backup Emmet Morehead or RS-FR Drake Lindsey, who has attempted one pass? And yet, they are projected to be mid again in the Big 10. They get the benefit of the doubt. We don't.
Ben: I mean, that's my hesitancy to answer. Like if it were just transfers, it'd be fine. But it's transfers and a functionally new offensive staff.
SGBear: "f*** if I know" makes for a poor offensive preview article.
Ben: Much easier to project how a QB would have fit into an old system, a lot harder to not have tape or an understanding of the OC offense. Good thing this is just a weekly roundtable!
samfielder22: I don’t ever recall a Wilcox game ever having this happen… for Cal. Every single game is too close at the start of the 4th for any meaningful reps to be given.
Ben: 2018 Idaho State, we rested Garbers and played McIlwain partway through the 4th. And you could maybe say North Texas 2023, but you'd be lying a bit.
samfielder22: But in 9 years with 2-3 expected blowouts per year, we’ve only pulled that off once? That is insane and also exactly what I’ve come to expect from Wilcox.
christopher_h: Listen, if you don't love the constant fear of losing to every opponent regardless of the score, then you don't love Cal football.
Ben: Maybe this year we regress to the mean!
Piotr T Le: I was thinking, what's the expected floor and desired floor. I think if we can get 2019 Garbers as a benchmark for it, then I think we're getting a good play. He played only 9 games; his per-game rate was 196.9 yards, on 24 tries, 15 completions, 1.6 TD, 0.9 INT, and 25 rushing yards on 10 tries.
Ben: Also, if we look back at the Brown Timeline and the JKS timeline, that one burner leaked Brown early. I wanna say like, in December. Harsin saw something he thinks he can develop.
Piotr T Le: Narrowing down to his last 3 games: 262 yards, 2 TD, 0.3 INTs, 30 tries. If we can get that over the year from Brown, then great. JKS should be graded on a lighter curve with upside. More tape than numbers: he should be able to make the right call, have the toughness, and generally be able to move the chains.
samfielder22: 200 yards on 60% passing with 2 TDs to 1 INT feels both very achievable and pedestrian in today’s game. 280 on 65% with 3 TDs and 1 or less INT feels like we would win 7-8 games given our schedule this season. Brown ought to be able to do minimally that, right?
Piotr T Le: Depends on the quality of the run game too, if we can squeeze 136 yards on 36 tries and a 1.5 TD a pop.
Christopher Zheng: Seems like the consensus is that it will be Brown as QB1. But are we sure JKS is QB2? EJ wasn't great in his minutes late last season, but does he factor into the conversation at all?
TD: Like others, Brown can and should be QB1 heading into Corvallis. As someone in the comments put it this week, fall camp has been run like Fort Knox in terms of secrecy, so in all reality, none of us know anything, even the media. On paper, Brown seems like the higher floor option, and honestly, Cal needs that sort of stability to start in a season where it's all about results. JKS may end up being a better QB down the road, but starting him right out of the gate in a difficult place to play is asking for it. None of it matters if the new faces don't mesh together though, especially on the OL.
Ben: EJ has a year of practice against the practice squad, right? I don’t want to overlook him, but there was nothing in the Bowl Game that made me lean forward while watching. From vibes and history alone, it feels like the solution is Brown, JKS, EJ. And seeing as how EJ wasn’t made available during media tells me it's Brown/JKS. Pure speculation now, I’d bet that JKS and Brown commanded solid NIL packages. You don’t buy a Mustang to park it in the garage.
Rex Volcano: Hard to see EJ ever getting reps over either JKS or Brown without an injury to one of those guys. Based on 37 seconds of practice film & vibes, I think Devin Brown’s ceiling is 2019 Chase Garbers. IMO, if everything works out, he can be a very solid QB who doesn’t take huge risks and controls tempo. JKS would hopefully play any time the result is no longer in question - that’s a guy you want to develop as much and as early as possible.
Piotr T Le: I think 2019 Chase, correcting for variance, can give us 6-8 wins for the season, assuming the Wilcox defense stays within expectations. Sure, it won't be as dominant as the 2019 defense, but adjusted for strength of opponent, we should have a shot at that. EJ, yeah, he's QB3 unless we have another Mendoza situation, and nothing at the LA Bowl indicated that he can rise to that level of play. I wonder what the delta has to be between JKS and Brown to have JKS start against Oregon State. Would he have to be better or at the same level, and then we play the develop the guy game? Long-term wise, the guys at College Football Enquirer (Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger & Steven Godfrey) said that due to the player movement, etc., "Player X loves to play for Coach Z" carries more weight than ever. If JKS shows Year 1 Jared Goff levels of play and he says "Wilcox and Harsin are my guys," can we in good conscience fire Wilcox? Their example was DJ Lagway and Napier, but I can see some guys, Ron included, being hesitant about possibly sunk-costing the investment in JKS just to fire Wilcox after a 7-win with the Axe season and a QB that likes him.
Ben: This is a bit of what I was alluding to as well, because my next question is, does Brown stay? So many fascinating layers to explore. Like, projecting ahead, I don’t think the 2026 Roster has both Brown and JKS on it.
Piotr T Le: Brown leaves for 1 last ride if he's a backup, or realizes he's at best a 6th rounder and could get good money in the portal. I agree, I don't see a world we have 2 of 3 JKS/Brown/EJ in 26.
Ben: And I wonder how much of that factors into this year, lol. Probably not a lot since Wilcox has a lot to prove, but a small part, probably.
Christopher Zheng: Any final thoughts?
“Mystery Flavor” Poptart: Hoping that OSU is a blowout early enough so we get to see decent reps for both QBs. Might leave us with more questions if that happens, but still...
Ruey Yen: Chances are that both Brown and JKS will see meaningful snaps in 2025 just due to injuries and (undesired but likely) spells of ineffectiveness. The college football landscape has changed so that starting a new QB is no longer any kind of excuse for a bad season. Last year's two national championship finalists started new QBs from the transfer portal. Granted, those are new starters with a lot more college experience than either of Cal's choices. I think it is premature to look into next season. Even without a true promotion/relegation system, college football is sort of already in one with the bigger market and/or national title contender schools and the rest. Cal certainly can get to that level in 2026 if the Bears can replicate Indiana's 2024, for example. Then Berkeley will be a top destination for both recruits and portal options. We can then have the ethics discussion about whether the coaches should stay loyal to the student-athletes.
Ben: Agreed on the premature idea “in general,” but I think there are some special circumstances here regarding the heat of Wilcox’s seat and the QB that will play. Wilcox has to have one of the most unique careers in CFB because I can very easily see the path where we have a mid-underwhelming season (6 or 7 wins), but with flashes from JKS that show the potential of 2026 being a good or even great season, but only if Wilcox is retained. But obviously, Wilcox can't be thinking about 2026 in 2025.
Unless Wilcox really shits the bed this year he still has his job. I won’t go into all the reasons why but a big part of it has to do with he is the head coach at Cal with all its peculiarities and insufficient support and money. Ron Rivera has come in to help remedy that. I think Wilcox’s weakness has been loyalty to assistant coaches. Moving on from Bloesch last year to Harsin and letting Harsin pick all his assistants was a huge move. I think our offense will be significantly better in terms of efficiency because of Harsin and his assistants and a much improved o-line. Was watching an episode today of the show on Cal’s fall football camp and a good portion of it at the end was dedicated to the offensive line. Looking at their aggressiveness and their technique, they are much improved. The new oline coach has done a great job bringing new talent and coaching them up. And the whole line has nasty now, something they have been missing as a group in the past. If you coach your oline correctly, they will have swagger. They will know their balls drag on the ground if they don’t tuck them in their jocks. They will know that nobody fucks with them and they are the beginning and the end of the team success. Big uglies set the tone. When nobody fucks with them, nobody fucks with the rest of the team. Great teams have olines that have this mentality. I expect our offense to be much improved this year.
Also, I think a bunch of guys that jumped ship and transferred is because Harsin runs a physical hard-nosed offense. As the running back coach says if you can’t pass block, you won’t play, you won’t see the field. For a 200 pound running back put his nose into a 280 lineman coming at the quarterback takes a lot of guts. Stopping them is even tougher. Hitting a seam where there’s no hole and creating three or 4 yards out of pure physical will takes a certain type of running back. I’m not sure either Ott or Jett had that type of mentality. (I’ll be real curious to see how well Ott does at Oklahoma this year. I’m not so sure he’s NFL caliber talent. He certainly has speed and can plant a foot and go, but the rest of his game is pretty weak).
As to who will win the starting nod at quarterback, I’m not as confident that Brown will get it as others. JKS has come back from the off-season big and strong. And he’s an athlete. He’s got a much better arm than Brown. He’s a natural and reminds me of Teddy Bridgewater. JKS could be a true Heisman prospect in the future. The only thing he needs to do is be able to make the reads and respond to the game at P4 level speed. If he can do that, then he will be the starter. Only the coaches know how well he’s doing with that part of his game right now. We’ll see who ends up starting against Oregon State, but I wouldn’t be surprised if JKS ends up in the starting role early on this season.
I think our sturdy Golden Bears have reached a turning point that our new Chancellor has demanded. 2025 should be a fun season. Now as a former nasty o-liner, excuse me as I tuck my balls into my shorts to keep them from dragging on the ground. Go Bears! :)
JKS to start? Nice!