1-on-1 with new Cal commit Cameron Saffle
Since he received a scholarship offer from Cal last month, Cameron Saffle of Skyline High (Sammamish, WA) has had a chance to get plenty of face time with Art Kaufman and Fred Tate, with both separately flying up to see him. At the conclusion of Tate's most recent in-home visit on Sunday night, Saffle decided the time had come to make his commitment.
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"It all started with my family. In talking with my brothers and my parents, and them pointing out how Coach Tate and Coach Kaufman each flew up here just to see me. After talking with Coach Kaufman, with him telling me about his 3 and 4 down packages, and how I could play early at the position they like me at, it all just sounded and felt really good. It was really just my gut feeling. And I had to go with it."
Family had a great talk with coach Tate!Can't describe how excited I am to have officially committed to Cal. #GoBears pic.twitter.com/eIXz33XEeL- Cameron Saffle (@cameronsaffle) December 7, 2014
While the commitment comes ahead of the 6'4", 220 pound defender's planned official visit next month, don't think that Saffle hasn't done his homework or made this decision in haste.
"I'd been thinking about this for a while, and like I told you when we first spoke I was going to do my own research on Cal. I did, and between that and my relationship with the coaches it really wasn't a hard decision to make."
Tate's Sunday visit provided an opportunity to for Saffle to get to know Fred Tate the man, and the coach.
"The visit from Coach Tate was mostly just casual talk, pretty laid back. It was a chance for me and my family to learn a little bit more about him, like how he was in the Army for five years. I'd obviously gotten to know him already, but he also got to talk with my parents and answer some of their questions."
"I wanted to know more about the strength and conditioning program, obviously about football, and also about his career and where he's at. Him and Coach Kaufman have kind of always been together, and that's obviously good for me."
It was as the visit was wrapping up that Saffle dropped the news to Tate that he was ready to be a Golden Bear. It was a pleasant surprise for Cal's DL coach.
"As he was getting ready to leave, Coach Tate just asked me to talk things over with my family and think about what I want. I told him I'd actually thought enough about it and that I was ready to commit. He was shocked I think, he definitely wasn't expecting it. Then he came over and shook my hand and said he was going to call Coach Kaufman and Coach Dykes to give them the good news."
Saffle cited his relationship with both Tate and Kaufman as a key factor in his decision to commit when he did.
"Coach Tate is just a guy I'm very comfortable with. The chemistry I have with him and Coach Kaufman is obviously important, and I haven't felt something like that with other coaches I've interacted with. Knowing their style a bit and their plans to be at Cal longterm made this easy."
As for where the staff sees him contributing, Kaufman laid that out in detail during his visit with Saffle.
"In talking with Coach Kaufman, they like me at the rush backer spot. They want to be 2-deep at each position in the front seven, and play 11-12 guys each game to keep them fresh. Right now they only have one guy that can play the rush backer spot how they want it, so I could be the 2nd guy for the spot and have an opportunity to see the field sooner than later."
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Saffle sees this as a welcome opportunity.
"My technique is strong and I'm coachable. I played rush backer my junior year. With coaching, I'm confident I can do whatever is asked of me. Coach Tate said that's where they'd try me first. He wants guys that can hit the A gap and be explosive within a 10-15 yard radius. I can do those things."
While Saffle himself did much of the heavy lifting in establishing initial contact with the Cal staff, his film was what ultimately piqued Art Kaufman's interest… though the side of the ball they initially focused on may be a surprise.
"It was interesting actually, Coach Kaufman said one of the first things they looked at was my offensive tackle film. He likes guys that play both ways because it gives him a better idea of my technique. I'm probably most comfortable playing 5 tech, I like that most. But I've played rush backer and I love standing up. Plus, getting to the quarterback is what I'm best at."
With 19 sacks in his last 18 games at Skyline High, that's hard to dispute. Given his current frame, it's also not difficult to envision Saffle starting his Cal career at the rush backer spot and sliding to defensive end as he bulks up.
As for how he's feeling with his college commitment done and whether that changes how he views his Cal official visit next month, Saffle is still taking it all in.
"I'm honestly still trying to process it. I'm humbled, and it hasn't totally hit me yet. I still feel like I'm working for something, so I don't look at the visit any differently than I did before I committed. I'm looking forward to meeting the other coaches and the players obviously."
You can bet that he'll be looking for a certain photo op within Memorial Stadium, though.
"What I might be most looking forward to is hopefully getting a chance to go to the middle of the field and just take it in. Standing there and picturing myself during a game, the atmosphere and everything. That feeling is something I'm really looking forward to."