The Cheez-It Bowl marked the final game for 23 different seniors, all of who walked prior to senior day game against Colorado. 17 were on offense, 5 on defense, and one on special teams. We're here to remember them all, starting with the offense
Patrick Laird, RB, Mission Prep HS, Arroyo Grande, CA
Career Stats: 362 carries for 1963 yards and 14 TD, 91 receptions for 589 yards and 4 TDs
There's so much that can be said about Patrick Laird, from his Summer Reading Challenge, walking on to this Cal team and earning a scholarship in the summer of 2017, earning the Allstate Good Works Team award, and a bunch of other things that we'll list here:
- Came in after a prep career that saw him rush for over 4500 yards, but he didn't receive any FBS scholarship offers, so he took the walk-on opportunity at Cal
- He originally came in to play fullback, but realized he could run with the others
- Switched to wide receiver and back
- Recovered an onside kick in Cal's 2016 opener
- Double majored in Business and Political Science
- Converted small children into Cal fans
- Had a 1000 yard rushing season
The precursor to a lot of this came in the spring of 2017, when Cal was hosting their first spring practices under Justin Wilcox. It wasn't an open practice, but the Bears were on Maxwell Field and there was no wrap around the field to keep people seeing in. During the day, Laird took a stretch run, cutback, and had a 50 yard TD, which was stunning to those watching on the outside. Beau Baldwin would later say that Laird was the leader in some of the obstacle course work that they observed in the winter workouts, which left nobody surprised when he broke out.
That breakout came against Weber State, when the Bears came out flat against an FBS opponent. Laird broke the 100 yard mark for the 1st time, and took the starting job, which he held throughout the end of 2018.
While Laird didn't have the kind of year that built on his 2017 season, he was still a senior captain, an example for a younger player in Chris Brown, and reliable in the passing game. He's the only player who got away with making jokes at Justin Wilcox's expense during media availability (calling his 42-year old head coach old multiple times). Most importantly, he cared about his community, as like Whitney Houston, he believes the children are our future. You can't ask for a better leader.
Most Memorable Moment: A 14 yard run on 4th and 1 that sealed a 15-14 win over USC, Cal's first in 14 years.
Addison Ooms, C, Mater Dei HS, Laguna Niguel, CA
Career Stats: 37 consecutive starts at center
Ooms was a constant for the Bears over the previous three years, and while it's difficult to pick out too many moments for an offensive lineman, Ooms was instrumental in doing a lot of teaching on the offensive line. Multiple players called Ooms the smartest player on offense, with Mike Saffell giving him a bit of credit for his growth as a lineman.
Ooms also earned a scholarship in 2017, after starting the entirety of 2016 as a walk-on, and is one of five Mater Dei players in this senior group, all of who finished with scholarships.
Most Memorable Moment: Any time Cal ran some sort of draw, Ooms got out there and blocked a linebacker, among the best parts of his skillset. The most memorable one had to be on a 4th and 6 draw against Oregon State in 2016, which opened a massive hole for Khalfani Muhammad to score on a 50 yard TD run and got the Bears back into it.
Vic Wharton III, WR, Independence HS/Tennessee, Spring Hill, TN
Career Stats: 145 receptions for 1666 yards (at Cal) and 7 TDs
Wharton was a trash-talker extraordinaire for the Bears in his three years playing, post-Tennessee transfer. While he didn't play in Cal's bowl game, Wharton finished in the team lead for receiving yards with 502 in 2018, after having the 9th most receptions for a season in Cal history with 67 in 2017.
Wharton wasn't all the way back to his 2017 self in 2018, notably hobbling through the USC game, but he had a number of great catches in his three years, including a game changer against North Carolina on a Ross Bowers deep ball, one against Oregon in 2016 in place of Chad Hansen, and a pretty fade against Oregon State a year ago. Wharton drew a number of penalties as well, through being annoying as hell for opposing DBs
Most Memorable Moment: Drawing a pass interference on Olaijah Griffin at USC this year, talking trash to him some more, beating him on a 29 yard TD, then turning around to talk more trash before he crossed the goal line, to the point where Ooms and company got in between him and the ref so he wouldn't be called for a penalty.
Patrick Mekari, OL, Westlake HS, Westlake Village, CA
Career Stats: 34 games, 24 starts (22 at left tackle, 1 at right tackle, 1 at left guard)
Pat Mekari was the highest graded player for the Bears this year per PFF, despite missing the final three games with a foot injury. The younger of the Mekari brothers at Cal, Mekari came in as a late addition in the 2015 class and ended his time in Berkeley as one of the top players from that group.
Mekari will be known for his versatility, as he played every position on the line at some point during his Cal career, starting at three of the five. He even moved to left guard in game to get Will Craig reps at left tackle, and while he didn't finish the year out due to his injury, getting the true freshman some reps should help the line strength for years to come.
Most Memorable Moment: Moving to left guard on the last drive against Washington so Will Craig could get in, and the Bears could grind out a win over the Huskies, and generally being reliable as anyone. Also grew a fantastic beard.
Malik McMorris, FB/TE, Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, CA
Career Stats: 46 games played, 16 starts, 12 receptions for 89 yards and four TDs, nine carries for 19 yards and 1 TD
McMorris, like Ooms and a couple other players on this list, came into Cal as a walk-on from Mater Dei, and will leave Cal as a bit of a folk hero. People who hadn't watched Cal would tune in and wonder why there was a 290 lb dude wearing #99 catching passes. McMorris became one of the most reliable players for the Bears, from catching passes on the goal line, to blocking, to occasionally running the ball.
McMorris was the only Cal player to have touchdowns in four consecutive seasons, while making some punishing blocks throughout. He did this while also throwing for the track and field team at Cal, and earning a scholarship in the spring of 2017. It's safe to say there will never be another player like McMorris at Cal.
Most Memorable Moment: The time he turned an Ole Miss linebacker into an accordion
Moe Ways, WR, Detroit Country Day School/Michigan, Detroit, MI
Career Stats (at Cal): 34 receptions for 383 yards and 1 TD
Moe Ways came to the Bears from Michigan last spring, and is yet another exceptional person among a group of great people. He started a non-profit back in Detroit, the L.A.B. (Leadership, Attitude, Brotherhood) focused on mentoring and creating relationships with youth, as they look to create foundations for success in areas where there haven't been many. Ways cares.
Ways also took over one starting wideout spot due to injuries and strong play, and while the offenses numbers aren't the greatest in general, Ways gave the Bears what they didn't have, a big receiver who could make plays in one on one situations. No one has a bad word to say about him, and he noted after the TCU that what had originally started out as a six-month 'business trip' turned into a whole heck of a lot more than he expected.
Most Memorable Moment: Fade route touchdown against Colorado that sealed the game up after it got close
Ray Hudson, TE, Foothill HS, Pleasanton, CA
Career Stats: 38 receptions for 482 yards and 3 TDs
Hudson, sometimes known as Tommy Boy for being at Cal for 6 years, was someone who Justin Wilcox fought to get a sixth year of eligibility for due to a broken foot robbing him of his 2017 season. He didn't do much in the passing game in 2018, being plagued by drops, but Hudson served as a valuable mentor to a number of tight ends like Gavin Reinwald and McCallan Castles.
Hudson was also Jared Goff's roommate during his time at Cal, and often chided the Rams starter for never throwing him a TD during their time together in Berkeley.
Most Memorable Moment: A 2016 TD against Oregon that saw him box out a smaller DB, then pull out a Gladiator-style 'Are you not entertained?' celebration.
Ian Bunting, TE, Hinsdale Central HS/Michigan, Hinsdale, IL
Career Stats (at Cal): 18 receptions for 195 yards
Bunting came in with Moe Ways as a grad transfer from Michigan, the tallest regular starter on the offense with hands the size of frying pans. The big man from Illinois didn't do quite as much as hoped, but still outdid his career numbers at Michigan. He ended up taking the starting TE job from Hudson with his size and catching ability.
Most Memorable Moment: Either this music video (link here) or a 45 yard reception with one hand against Oregon.
Jake Ashton, TE, Xavier College Prep, Indio, CA
Career Stats: 2 receptions for 23 yards, 1 TD
Ashton's a memorable dude for a couple big reasons. For one, he earned a scholarship before the 2018 season. For two, he earned it after having both parents in and out of his life, both passing away before his freshman year of high school. Ashton was raised by his uncle during his teenage years, and while his first love was basketball, his skillset made him more likely to see time on the football field.
Ashton moved to WR in the Dykes era, but came back to the TE spot under Wilcox and company, and is currently working on his Master's in education. He's one of the most affable players around the Cal program in addition to that.
Most Memorable Moment: A 20 yard TD reception against Idaho State, one that was his first career TD and reception in general.
Chase Forrest, QB, Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, CA
Career Stats: 20-42, 286 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
The Cinderella story of Chase Forrest didn't have a happy ending in the Cheez-It Bowl, but there has to be a lot of respect for Forrest in finishing out his Cal career. He earned the team's Joe Roth Award for courage, attitude, and sportsmanship. Forrest stuck with Cal, and a number of teammates from his Mater Dei days, and he's another guy with a ton of respect from the group. He backed up two NFL guys in Jared Goff and Davis Webb as well.
Most Memorable Moment: A 63 yard TD pass to Bug Rivera against Grambling State that caused the Bears to drop 70.
Kamryn Bennett, OL, Centennial HS, Peoria, AZ
Career Stats: 27 games played, 12 starts (10 at LG, 2 at LT)
Bennett came to the Bears as another two star recruit, but was quickly the backup behind Steven Moore at right tackle, before making his move to left guard in 2017. He made the slide out to left tackle as Steve Greatwood moved him all around the line during spring ball, and he filled in for Pat Mekari admirably in those two contests.
Bennett did lose his job this year, as Mike Saffell took the RG spot full time and Valentino Daltoso took the LG spot, but he saw time in 10 games in 2018 mainly at right guard.
Most Memorable Moment: Sliding over to left tackle against Arizona in 2017 and not allowing a sack
Kyle Wells, TE, Del Oro HS, Loomis, CA
Career Stats: 1 reception, 2 yards, 1 TD
Wells has the perfect reception to TD ratio, but mostly saw use as a blocker during his final two years at Cal. He appeared in 27 games for the Bears, 25 of those coming over the final two years of his career in Berkeley. He was a bit of a glorified offensive lineman during his tenure, as the Bears brought him in for his blocking, most notably on the 4th and 1 play that sealed the deal against USC.
Most Memorable Moment: A 2 yard TD reception against Washington State, which was preceded by an meat industry protester sitting on the field, then going limp while security dragged her off. That stoppage gave the Cal staff a chance to draw up the play
Semisi Uluave, OL, Punahou HS, Honolulu, HI
Career Stats: 26 career games played
Admittedly I don't have much a moment for Semisi, who came in as a four star recruit late in the class of 2015, along with high school teammate Kanawai Noa. Uluave's been in and out of games, never quite getting to the role of starter despite being slated in it plenty of times. That said, he's a very good teammate and chef, as RB Alex Netherda, who's his roommate, has praised Uluave's Polynesian chicken recipe. Uluave's also a part of UC Berkeley's Polynesian Heritage Student Association as well
Justin Norbeck, FB/TE, Mater Dei HS/Golden West College, Irvine, CA
Career Stats: Two career games played
Norbeck didn't see the field much during his Cal career, but he did end up earning a scholarship for his final semester, and he's one of the five Mater Dei athletes leaving with this class, all of who played Pop Warner football together.
Matt Rockett, WR, Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, CA
Career Stats: 28 games played, 3 receptions for 18 yards, 5 career tackles, 1 blocked punt
Rockett did a lot of special teams stuff after tearing his ACL in 2016. The former walk-on ended up being on the kickoff team for much of 2017, most notably drawing a targeting call which officials thought was on Cam Bynum, who also wore 24 like Rockett. Another Mater Dei standout
Hiroaki Endo, WR, Nihon HS/Foothill College, Tokyo, Japan
Endo gets some recognition for one moment in particular. During the spring, Cal didn't have their full compliment of wideouts, due to injury and transfers, and Endo got to shine for a bit. You read on the roster that he's from Japan, and he came out of the video room to make an impact on scout teams. That's a big thing, and not many peopple can make that jump to looking solid enough at this level. Endo deserves a ton of respect for getting onto the practice field and making an impact.
Matt Robinson, OL, Sonoma Valley HS/Santa Rosa JC, Sonoma CA
Robinson played in two games for his career, and was listed as the backup at the left tackle spot before Will Craig took that spot in the final half of the season. There's not much to say, but Robinson was at practice and put in a whole hell of a lot of work for the squad.
