A Run Through the Cal Roster: Numbers 40-31
Leading up to football season, we're going to go through Cal's roster as it stands at the moment, going backward from #99 all the way to #2, looking at where guys stand, either going into the rotation or otherwise.
Today continues with numbers 40 to 31.
Previous Incarnations: 99 to 89 | 88 to 77 | 76 to 65 | 64 to 53 | 50 to 41
40 Justin Norbeck
TE | 6' 240 lbs. | Redshirt Senior | Irvine, CA
Likely Role in 2018: Listed as backup fullback/special teams
Norbeck, one of the many former Mater Dei standouts on the Cal roster, came to Cal in 2015 by way of Golden West College in Irvine. He caught nine passes for 158 yards receiving and one touchdown in six games for Golden West before walking on at Cal. Since Justin Wilcox and company got to Cal, Norbeck's been at fullback behind Malik McMorris, though his likely role in 2018 seems to be somewhere on special teams.
39 Evan King
WR | 6'3" 200 lbs. | Redshirt Freshman | Atherton, CA
Likely Role in 2018: Scout team/special teams
King walked on a year ago, and was a high school teammate of JH Tevis at the Menlo School in Atherton. As a high schooler, King recorded some great numbers, with 69 receptions for 1098 yards and 15 TDs. King's got some size that the Bears want at receiver, and he got a ton of reps during the spring due to injuries.
38 Ricky Walker III
WR | 5'11" 200 lbs. | Redshirt Sophomore | Oakland, CA
Likely Role in 2018: Special teams/scout team
Walker, a local product out of San Leandro HS, has changed positions a bunch since getting to Berkeley in 2016. He played corner and safety, but switched over to wide receiver this spring. As a high schooler, he totaled over 1,200 all-purpose yards, rushing for 705 yards and eight TDs on offense while throwing for another 413 yards and five touchdowns as a quarterback. At wide receiver this spring, he also benefited from injury in getting a bunch of reps, notably catching a 72 yard TD pass from Brandon McIlwain this spring.
38 Matt Horwitz
OLB | 6'4" 205 lbs | Redshirt Freshman | Los Angeles, CA
Likely Role in 2018: Special Teams/Scout team1
Another player who benefited from not a lot of players at their position, Horwitz notably had a sack of Chase Forrest during the spring game that helped end a two minute drill opportunity. As a high school senior, Horwitz played DE at 225 lbs, recording 68 tackles, 12 TFLs and 10 sacks for University HS.
37 Steven Coutts
P | 6'4" 220 lbs | Redshirt Junior | Brisbane, Australia
Likely Role in 2018: Starting punter
Coutts, a graduate transfer from Louisiana (Lafayette), managed to redshirt during the 2017 season despite seeing playing time in multiple games. He showed an ability to punt with either foot, and during his time at Louisiana, he was a semi-finalist for the Ray Guy Award. He's doing his masters in public health, and with Dylan Klumph off to Arizona, he's assumed the starting punter job. He's been more of a directional punter with the Bears, but he unleashed some David Lonie-esque 5 second hangtime beauties off his foot during the spring.
Career Stats: 5 punts, 204 yards, 2 inside 20
36 Alex Funches
OLB | 6'3" 225 lbs | Redshirt Senior | Denton, TX
Likely Role in 2018: Starting outside linebacker
Funches came in during the class of 2017, enrolling early, and with the coaching change, finding his role at outside linebacker. With Cam Saffle getting hurt early in 2017, the man with the best twitter handle (@FruitSnackkilla) took over, starting the final 10 games of the season. For someone who had played with his hand down in the dirt for the entirety of his career, Funches made the transition to OLB very well, and he sacked two top 10 drafted QBs in Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen. He led the team in tackles for loss with 10.5, and is poised to start again after a sterling spring.
Career Stats: 36 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 4 sacks
Career Stats:
36 Hiroaki Endo
WR | 6' 195 lbs | Junior | Tokyo, Japan
Likely Role in 2018: Scout team/special teams
From the video room to the field, Endo's a unique case. He came from the video department, run by director of football technology Matt Fox, and made his way into a roster spot, the second person to do so in the history of Cal football. Endo, like Evan King and Ricky Walker, got a ton of opportunity this spring with multiple receivers injured.
33 Derrick Clark
RB | 5'10" 190 lbs | Redshirt Sophomore | San Diego, CA
Likely Role in 2018: Backup running back
Clark came in early with the 2016 class, and after recovering from a high school knee injury, it looked like Clark may have been buried on the depth chart. But with injury comes opportunity, and Clark channeled his inner Robin Williams and seized the day, getting a start against Washington State with Tre Watson out for the year, and Pat Laird missing that game after getting knocked out of the Washington game. Clark further cemented himself as Laird's primary backup this spring, adding some explosiveness off his cuts and showing his cutback ability.
Career Stats: 14 carries for 46 yards; 1 reception for 4 yards in 7 games played.
32 Daniel Scott
S | 6'2" 215 lbs | Redshirt Freshman | Pasadena, CA
Likely Role in 2018: Working way into DB rotation/special teams
Scott came in late with the 2017 class, part of a massive commitment weekend right before signing day. He's bigger than most of Cal's safeties, and moves well, with a few interceptions during the spring. There's quite a few players in front of him that are all juniors, so Scott's going to have to force his way into the lineup somehow. He's looking more polished than he was as a true freshman though.
31 Alex Netherda
RB | 6' 215 lbs | Redshirt Junior | Santa Rosa, CA
Likely Role in 2018: Special teams/Swiss Army Knife
Netherda impressed a ton during the spring, getting time at running back and shining during his reps. He played running back in high school at Maria Carillo in Santa Rosa, which made his transition to the spot easy. He's considered one of the most enthusiastic players on Cal's team, with a smile despite his family losing their home in the North Bay Fires last October. Netherda's enthusiasm and willingness to switch positions has endeared him to the coaching staff, and it's a matter of where they can put him in 2018.
Career Stats: 16 games played, 2 tackles.