When defensive lineman JH Tevis took to the media availability podium Saturday, he recalled his start at Cal, being recruited as an outside linebacker in the class of 2018
"I came in at about 212, that was my starting weight," Tevis noted.
The former Menlo School standout would be moved to the defensive line not too much later, with the thought that he'd get on the field faster. Two years later, and Tevis was a starter on the defensive line, and noted that he was up to 287 lbs. Saturday.
There's multiple examples of this bulking up over time. Both Cameron Goode and Orin Patu started around the 200 mark, and both are up to 240. Tight end Gavin Reinwald came to Cal at 205 lbs, and has since bulked up to around 240 lbs. All of the guys who have been running with the first team offensive line are over 300 lbs, and only Ben Coleman was listed over that weight when he arrived in Berkeley.
There will always need to be a developmental side to college football, as high school athletes are far from finished products. That's why it's striking when a number of players Cal has brought in either with the 2020 and 2021 classes have fit the physical profile right from the jump, something apparent in Fall Camp
"You've seen those changes," special teams coordinator Charlie Ragle noted, "just from the physical eye. The last six or eight months, watching these guys transition, the way they ate, the way they work in the weight room, you see them physically bigger. The key is taking that, as a coach, and we've got to go develop it and use it in our favor."
The size change may be most apparent on the defensive line with the 2020 and 2021 classes. It's something Luc Bequette, returning to the team after a pseudo year abroad at Boston College, has seen change.
"We have two guys at 340, and if you're not over 300," Bequette said, "you're small now. I think our smallest guy is at 275 or something. I remember a couple years ago, I may have been our second biggest guy at 290. We've really got a lot of beef this year, and it's going to be fun seeing what offenses are going to try to do to move us around, but I don't think they'll be able to."
Take Ethan Saunders for example. Out of Orange Vista, Saunders dealt with a season-ending knee injury the week of the Stanford game, but has been explosive in his return to the field. He's listed at 6'3" and 305 lbs a year removed from high school, has gotten his bench press numbers up to 405 lbs, and nearly crushed my hand when I shook it Saturday. Along with the likes of Stanley McKenzie (340), Ricky Correia (340), and Jaedon Roberts (305), Cal's second year guys, all of who struggled with injuries last fall, are more prepared to add depth to the defensive line. Saunders ran more with the first team Saturday, as his ability to play as an edge player has gotten him on the field as he gets back from injury.
"We were very excited when we had the opportunity to sign him," defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon said. "When we brought him in, we knew he was going to be a guy that AB was going to mold. He has continued to get stronger and has put weight on. He's a very impressive athlete for us."
Saunders was listed at around 275 coming out of high school a year ago, 285 a year ago, and if all the praise from coaches and other senior players, him and his group are ready to make an impact.
"You've got the experienced guys out there in Luc and JH, then you've got the young guys," Saunders said, "we're fresh, we're hot, and we're ready. We're coming to work, and with more people in the room, I feel that there's a little more competition, everybody's stepping up on the field, they know what they're doing, and will also go dominate."
It's not all about recruiting for size. Cal brought in big players even in the class JH Tevis was a part of. Some, like Chris Brooks (who was squatting 500 lbs as a true freshman at Cal), made a smooth transition. Some, like Jasper Friis and Miles Owens, didn't end up making an impact at Cal and left the program for various reasons. The piece to it comes from being able to play sooner rather than later, which is what the Bears need in 2021 from their young defensive linemen.
In that vein, tight end Jermaine Terry has the type of size to get him on the field early. The Richmond native at 6'4" and 270 already has some of the size and explosiveness to be a solid blocker at the position, and he runs well in the open field. His eagerness to learn has been complimented by the coaches, who think he has the type of ability that can be honed into something special.
"I think Jermaine has had that type of physical ability," TE coach Geep Chryst said, "but he's got to learn that he has to continue to move his feet and use leverage and momentum as much as sheer strength, because now that we're playing in college, they don't move quite as easily as they did in high school."
That is what a developmental program is supposed to do from a skill standpoint, and the Bears are getting there on that front. They've also recruited depth at a couple more defensive positions, something that allowed them to bring in a couple other bigger bodied guys to develop at the linebacker spots. Take Femi Oladejo, listed at 6'3" and 240 lbs, Oladejo has a near seven foot wingspan and stands out among a number of linebackers for his size.
"Really impressive physical young man," Sirmon noted, "he really grew through the process, because there was a period of time where we didn't see the players that were committed to us. He was not really a late bloomer, but he really developed late. He's a young player, I think he's still 17 right now and he has had a really good camp as he has gotten more comfortable."
The same goes for Ieremia Ieremia and Myles Williams. There's more growing pains with these two OLBs, who are learning to play in space more frequently (Patrick Hisatake will join them as a bigger OLB when he heals from his injury), and have time to develop behind a position that has plenty of depth (Williams at 6'3" and 245 and Ieremia at 6'3" and 260).
"Iele and BMW, we call him Big Myles Williams, because we have multiple Myles Williams, BMW has done a nice job," Sirmon said, "He hasn't played a lot in space, that's something he's continuing to get better at, he runs extremely well and has great balance. He'll be a great candidate as that developmental player on the edge, as a 5/6/9 (technique). Iele, he's strong and inexperienced, not playing a lot of high school football, but he's got a great stature to him. He runs well, has good balance on the perimeter and has been setting a good edge. As Keith works with him and AB works with him, he'll develop some more refined tools at the position."
There are more examples of this on offense, with all three true freshman offensive linemen, Bastian Swinney, Ryan Lange, and Dylan Jemtegaard all coming in over 300 lbs. Wideout Aidan Lee is listed at 240 lbs after coming in at 225 with the 2020 class. At the end of the day, size still has to be developed into skill, but the change as a group has been striking, and is something worth keeping an eye on with future classes.
