LB Zack Follett -- He's the big-play guy on Cal's defense, finishing last season with a team-high 12 1/2 tackles for loss and 5 1/2 sacks. He had 64 tackles overall and forced two fumbles. He's a force coming off the edge.
RB Jahvid Best -- The speedy freshman showed some flash in his rookie season, rushing 29 times for an average of 7.6 yards per carry. He also caught 13 passes and averaged 27.0 yards on 15 kick returns. Best, who missed the final three games because of a hip injury and likely will sit out spring, will have a much larger role in 2008 as an all-around threat.
LB Worrell Williams -- The middle linebacker will be the top returning tackler on the team with 105. He will help give Cal one of the best linebacker groups in the conference.
QB Nate Longshore -- He will have to re-earn the starting job, competing with Kevin Riley, after a disappointing 2007. Certainly, a midseason ankle injury was part of the problem, further limiting his mobility. Longshore completed 230 of 384 passes for 2,580 yards, with 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Many of those interceptions came in critical late-game situations.
TOP NEWCOMERS
TE Spencer Ladner -- The four-star recruit had 28 catches for 279 yards and three touchdowns as a high school senior. Cal lost starting tight end Craig Stevens and could use a tall, pass-catching tight end. Should be a good sibling rivalry, too, as Ladner's brother, Ben, plays tight end at Stanford.
WR Marvin Jones -- The incoming freshman will have every chance to get in the mix right away in a new-look receiving corps. On the fringe of being a national top 20 receiver recruit, he had 81 catches for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior.
DB Marc Anthony -- Had offers from most of the Pac-10 schools, as well as Michigan, Nebraska and Colorado. Was rated the fourth-best prospect in the state of Arizona by Rivals.com. Had 77 tackles and four interceptions as a senior.
RB Shane Vereen -- The redshirt freshman will get a chance to play a larger role because of James Montgomery's transfer. The 5-10, 185-pounder can be an all-around threat.
ROSTER REPORT
--CB Brandon Jones left the team after last season. He played in 12 games last season, making nine tackles.
--DE Phillip Mbakogu, trying to come back from multiple knee surgeries, has decided to give up football.
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Sure, it is early, but I was reading a couple of mock drafts and started thinking about CAL players in the upcoming draft...
DeSean Jackson, if he comes out, is a first rounder, but where in the first round. I've seen him going in the top ten, or dropping down into the mid twenties. My thought is that he'll go a bit later, rather than sooner.
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So Cal players did pretty well in the NFL draft this year! Here's a list of where everybody went:
WR DeSean Jackson was taken in Round 2, 49th overall, by the Philadelphia Eagles
TE Craig Stevens was taken in Round 3, 85th overall, by the Tennessee Titans
FS Thomas DeCoud was taken in Round 3, 98th overall, by the Atlanta Falcons
WR Lavelle Hawkins was
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With Jahvid Best being injured, and Montgomery leaving (to coach the basketlball team apparently), CAL's tailback position has a few question marks. This is what I can see of the situation now. Hopefully, others can fill in more.
Jahvid Best: (5-11, 185, 4.4) No guarantees, but seems to be coming along well from his injury. He ran individual drills during
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Who would you guys rather have at the helm of the offense this year for Cal? Nate Longshore or Kevin Riley. Longshore was having a solid season until he got hurt in the Oregon game, and Riley played very well in the Oregon State game and the game against Air Force. Personally, I'd like to see Longshore start next year because he has two years of experience. I think t
May 3rd, 2008 on the Gator Football homepage will be the first annual fan smack-off. Fans from all over CBSSportsline.com are invited to join a special thread being set-up which will be titled "Smack-off" to talk your best smack at your bitterest rival. Auburn v. Alabama, Michigan v. OSU, USC v. UCLA, Kansas v. Missouri, we'll have it all. We are
I honestly cannot think of a team in recent history start out the season with as much promise as you had and finish as such a joke. What a complete bunch of jokers you are, you don't even deserve to be in the Pac 10.
has decided to leave Cal and is looking to transfer somewhere? I haven't heard why or where he is looking to go. So the Cal offense takes another hit. I know a lot of people here liked Best and so do I but he is still injured and who knows how good he will be once he gets back.
