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Cal Football Countdown: 45 Days, Pivotal Pieces for 2019

The Cal Football Countdown continues to chug forward, with 45 days until Cal kicks off on August 31st.

This Cal team has some legitimate pieces who are expected to either star or make a jump. Evan Weaver and Cam Bynum are set to appear at next week's Pac-12 Media Day, and are the headliners of the defense. Ashtyn Davis could be a first round pick in 2020 and made Bruce Feldman's (of the Athletic) Freaks list for his athletic potential. McCallan Castles and Chris Brown have been cited here as young guys capable of making the jump. Luc Bequette, Traveon Beck, Jake Curhan and Tevin Paul all have gotten some love, either from Pro Football Focus pointing out that they've been underrated or otherwise.

But beyond that, there are pieces for this Cal team that have the potential to add a ton of value for the Bears, and today, we're looking at four guys who could prove to be pivotal for the Bears in 2019, if Cal's going to take the next step under Justin Wilcox.

Will Craig, Left Tackle

Craig was Cal's most coveted prospect in the class of 2018, as Steve Greatwood locked down the Granite Bay offensive lineman in July of 2017.

(Side note: Craig committed to the Cal staff while I was at Pac-12 Media Day in 2017. I spent the entire drive back from LA to the Bay Area on pins and needles, afraid he was going to commit while I was out of service area, somewhere on highway 5. He committed publicly two days later, but that was not a fun car ride).

Craig played as a true freshman, thanks to an injury to Mike Saffell that shifted the Cal line over, opening a spot for the Granite Bay lineman. Craig got extended playing time in the Oregon State and Washington games, notably during the last drive against Washington where the Bears drained the clock for an upset, and allowed only 1 QB pressure and no sacks. He struggled in limited time against Washington State (allowing 3 QB pressures with one sack in 8 pass blocking reps) and Stanford (allowing his other sack of the year), but held his own against USC and Colorado.

Now Craig has been slotted in at left tackle, and Steve Greatwood has called him a potential all-American talent. He's mobile in pass blocking, and will need to improve his drive blocking going into 2019. If he can make a jump, the Bears have a potential three year starter at left tackle on their hands.

Nikko Remigio, Wide Receiver

The former Mater Dei standout committed to Cal in June of 2017, right after earning a scholarship at one of Cal's camps.

Like Craig, Remigio played as a true freshman. He finished with 11 catches for 62 yards, while also taking over the primary punt returner job. He didn't have the kind of explosive success that he had at Mater Dei, but that wasn't uncommon among the Cal offense in 2018.

Remigio has another year under his belt, and is considered one of top route runners on the roster. He's crisp out of his cuts, and has shown an ability to make guys miss. There's a rapport there for Remigio with the quarterbacks. He had the most receptions during the spring game, and closed out spring ball with a memorable TD catch on a wheel route from Robby Rowell.

With the right guy in place, a slot receiver can change a game (see last year's Super Bowl), and if Remigio makes a jump, it wouldn't be surprising for him to lead the team in receptions.

Zeandae Johnson, Defensive End

Johnson came to Cal in the class of 2015, a tight end out of Central East (Fresno), listed at 6'1" and 240 lbs. He's now developed into a 6'4", 275 lb senior at defensive end.

Johnson suffered a knee injury that ended his 2017 before it started, as he looked to be one of the best defensive players coming out of spring. His 2018 saw him play in every game, finishing with 18 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and 2 sacks.

Johnson is a likely starter at the other defensive end spot, opposite Luc Bequette. He's shown skills as a pass rusher. If he can continue to develop as a run blocker, that should up the potential of the Cal defense.

Collin Moore, Tight End

This is a bit of an off-the-wall choice, but Moore's someone who has been highlighted by Justin Wilcox repeatedly for the hard work and tenacity that he's put into the program. Moore walked-on in the spring of 2017 as a quarterback. Out of San Marin (where he took over for Manny Wilkins), Moore had some knee issues that made Wilcox ask him if he wanted to continue down this road.

Moore did, moved to tight end, and was the Special Teams scout team player of the year over the past two years. With need at tight end, Moore became important this spring. Wilcox called him their best C-gap blocker at the position.

At 6'4" and 240 lbs, Moore will need to continue to develop as a blocker and pass catcher, but the size is already there. With a dearth of tight ends on the roster, this is the time for him to earn more playing time. He'll also be a pivotal part of special teams units in 2019.

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