California Golden Bears Football Offseason Preview

The California Golden Bears are in a very difficult position in the Pac-12. You might be aware that Berkeley, where the Cal campus is located, has had very strict COVID-19 policies and regulations. These policies have caused football disruptions for the program over the past two years of the pandemic. Other Pac-12 coaches and schools have noticed. They have been able to recruit more easily than Cal has. Other Pac-12 schools have better resources and fewer internal regulations limiting what they can do in football operations and recruiting in particular. Cal faces a tough task in terms of attracting the quality of talent needed to be supremely competitive in the Pac-12. It doesn’t have the facilities and modern amenities other football programs have. It doesn’t exist on the same footing as Oregon, Washington, and its in-state rivals to the south, USC and UCLA. Within this context, head coach Justin Wilcox knows that he is fighting an uphill battle and will struggle to make Cal a Pac-12 championship contender.

Key Personnel Lost

The Golden Bears enter 2022 without linebacker Cameron Goode, safety Elijah Hicks, and quarterback Chase Garbers, who were all centerpiece players of the 2021 team. It’s true that Garbers was hounded by injuries and was not able to develop into the quarterback the Bears hoped he would become. Nevertheless, there are significant transitions on this roster, creating a lot of challenges for Wilcox and his staff as they try to build back the program and make it a contender in the conference.

Important Incoming Freshmen

Offensive tackle Trent Ramsey, running back Jaydn Ott, defensive end Nathan Burrell, and guard Sioape Vatikani are the most highly-rated recruits on the board for the Golden Bears as they try to restock the roster and show that the struggles of the past few years do not have to be the struggles of the program in the future. You will notice that a few of these recruits are on the offensive line, where injuries and retirements (one lineman had to retire from football because of the physical pain he was suffering) have limited the ability of Cal to get the run blocking and pass protection needed for the offense to truly thrive.

Key Position Battles

As hinted at above, the offensive line is the big concern for Cal. With a new quarterback on the field this year, the offensive line has to provide stability for the larger offensive unit. The offensive line will either increase or reduce this offense’s margin for error. Wilcox is an accomplished defensive coach who knows how to get results on that side of the ball. It’s on offense where this team’s capabilities appear to be limited. Getting the offensive line to come together and establish a higher standard is crucial to creating improvements for the Golden Bears this season. Wilcox and his staff need to make accurate evaluations about the resources they have up front and order the depth chart accordingly heading into Opening Day in September.

Biggest Offseason Goal(s)

The Cal offense just didn’t pull its weight the past few seasons. If the Golden Bears can find a formula which works, whether it is run-based or passing-centric, that would significantly improve the outlook in Berkeley.