2018 Spring in Review: Defensive Line

Continuing the Post-Spring position review, moving on with the final take on the defensive line.

Going into camp, there was one thing that stood out about the group. They were listed on the roster as bigger than before. In particular, Luc Bequette was up to 300 lbs. Gabe Cherry and Rusty Becker both went up to 280. Siu Fuimaono now has nose guard size at 305 lbs. Even Zeandae Johnson, who worked some with the team but hasn't quite healed from the knee injury that took him out in 2017, is listed at 300 lbs.

That kind of heft is what this Cal team was missing a year ago, struggling against teams that had a QB that can run. Against Oregon last year, the defensive line got pushed off the line repeatedly, which led to a backbreaking 68 yard touchdown run on a 3rd and 4.

That's something that's been somewhat rectified, a bigger group means they're harder to push around. For the most part, 3-4 defensive linemen are meant to take up space, and the strength and conditioning staff has helped them to realize that. With that, Bequette solidified his spot starting on the defensive line, being the most consistent member of the group.

With more size, guys like Fuimaono, Becker, and Lone Toailoa were effective in the spring. Cherry came along as well as Tony Tuioti has taken over the group from Jerry Azzinaro. They're better equipped to take on double teams, something Toailoa relished in drills. There's still been an emphasis on physicality, but it's being done with bigger players up front.

The list of who didn't play during the spring game from the defensive line is as big as the list of who did.

Who Played:

Rusty Becker, Chinedu Udeogu, Luc Bequette, Siu Fuimaono, Hunter Abel

Who Didn't Play

Zeandae Johnson, Lone Toailoa, Gabe Cherry, Tevin Paul, Chris Palmer

That's a significant list, though Cherry and Paul were mainly precautionary, Toailoa had tweaked his knee early in the week, and Johnson and Palmer had been out for the majority of the spring anyway.

Everyone on that list is going to play some role in the season going forward, especially Palmer, as the Bears need a nose of his size in the middle against some of the bigger teams on their schedule, like Washington and Stanford. Johnson hasn't gotten to show the potential he showed last spring before getting injured, so getting him back can only help the group as well. Lastly, Toailoa made a ton of explosive plays throughout the spring, and getting him back at full speed gives them another rotation option for the group, especially when they go to their nickel alignments.

Tim DeRuyter said at the end of the spring that when the new Cal staff got to Berkeley, they thought that Rusty Becker may have been 'just a guy.' After arguably being the most productive player on the defensive side of the ball during the spring game, that's changed.

"It's fun to see a guy, a year ago when we first got in here," DeRuyter noted, "to be frank, I didn't know he was going to be productive for us. But he's really become inspired, he's really worked hard training wise in the offseason, he's changed his body, and I think he feels great about himself."

That's the byproduct of post-practice work, as while the media waits for assorted coaches and players to come over for interviews, Becker is working on his get-off, hitting the sled, usually having another defensive lineman with him to help with his form. That's paying off in spades.

Siu Fuimaono may have made the biggest jump out of the defensive linemen. Last year, watching him doing sled work, he was tentative despite looking the part of defensive lineman. He's had the willingness to learn, and his confidence has built to where he's going to be a part of the defensive line rotation going into 2018.

Since Cal only had Siu and Chris Palmer at nose in the spring, and with Palmer sidelined, Fuimaono got a ton of reps at nose, and has notably grown from it. He's made plays in the backfield and occupied space well from his nose guard spot. He's versatile enough to play the one-technique when the Bears go to their nickel package, giving them that much more size against spread offenses.

Aaron Maldonado is the sole defensive lineman coming in for the Bears in the fall, and he's closer to 275 lbs than the listed 305 from above. He's slimmer, and he's going to be playing angry right when he gets to campus. Getting told you're not the right fit for a 3-4, then immediately getting brought into a different 3-4 scheme will do that, as Justin Wilcox coveted Maldonado's motor from the defensive tackle spot.

From there, Cal gets back a number of players injured in the spring as noted above. Tevin Paul flashed a ton during 2017, notably in an otherwise disastrous game against Washington. Chris Palmer started three games at the end of 2017, and should be a player at nose. Gabe Cherry had a solid spring as he grows into his frame and gains confidence. Johnson and Toailoa bring depth and size to the defensive end spot whenever they return. Chinedu Udeogu showed out in the spring game as well.

There's going to be more competition to finalize the defensive line, as Bequette's probably the only penciled in starter at the moment, but there's going to have to be a rotation with how defenses operate in this era. Fall camp is about finding guys who can continue to grow into those roles.