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When Sam Jackson V arrived in Berkeley from TCU in the winter, it was presumed that he would eventually be named the starting quarterback. New offensive coordinator Jake Spavital and head coach Justin Wilcox continued to evaluate their options after spring ball and eventually added NC State transfer Ben Finley to the mix.
Even after the Bears' second training camp scrimmage Saturday there was no clear favorite, but in the days since that Jackson solidified his spot and was officially named Cal's starting quarterback Thursday.
The 5-foot-11 signal caller from Chicago has limited experience, but he has been able to prove his value over the course of the spring and now training camp. His ability to run the ball has been a separator from the other quarterbacks on the roster that also includes second-year player Fernando Mendoza, who also challenged for the starting job this offseason.
"We had an intense three-way quarterback competition during training camp," Wilcox said. "All three did a great job, and I have a great deal of confidence in all of them. But Sam began to separate himself recently. He is a dynamic athlete who can succeed both in the passing game and by making defenses account for his outstanding running ability. When your quarterback does both of those things well, it can be challenging for the defense. I'm excited to see what he does with this opportunity."
Jackson, who has thrown just six passes in his collegiate career, has had issues with turnovers and last week had a practice in which he gave the ball away four times on interceptions.
Still, he has had a knack for following up poor practice days with exceptional ones, and he shined during Cal's return to the field Monday when he was the only quarterback to work with the first unit. That came after a strong showing in the scrimmage Saturday.
"If you got a guy like Sam in the game, there's opportunities for big plays," Spavital said Monday when discussing Jackson's ability to use his feet to create plays. "That's like how I did things with Johnny Manziel and Kyler Murray. You gotta work the scramble drill a lot. With Davis Webb I didn't do that as much.
"... We've emphasized that a lot over the last 48 hours."
Spavital has left open the possibility of using more than one quarterback when the Bears take the field Sept. 2 against North Texas. He says it is a "conversation" the staff may have to have at some point.
However, the goal has been to have a starter named by the time preparations for the season opener arrived.
The Bears have accomplished that goal, but the evaluations won't stop now that Jackson has earned the QB1 spot.
The amount of turnovers from the Cal quarterbacks throughout camp have been concerning, and it is a key part of what Spavital and the coaches will watch heading into the first game.
"That's big," Spavital said. "It's the detrimental plays that we talked about at the beginning of fall camp, that we were having a lot of them. That's where I was pleased with the efficiency and decision making, and they're not making the same mistake twice. So, that's going down, but it's tough to overcome a lot of detrimental turnovers.
"So, that's kinda gonna be the short leash for whoever's gonna go in the game. You gotta take care of the football, and if not we got other guys coming in if we decide to go that direction."
Like Spavital, Wilcox has emphasized the need for Jackson's decision making to improve throughout the offseason. It was something he mentioned again Saturday, and the redshirt sophomore has certainly heard his coaches loud and clear heading into the season.
"I've been focusing on the launch point of the pocket, staying in the pocket, trying not to get out when I don't to," the Cal starting quarterback said after Saturday's scrimmage. "I think that's the number one thing. ... If you go back and watch my high school film, I was scrambling almost every play. Then my freshman and sophomore [years], I didn't really play that much so I didn't really have that much experience.
"So, this fall camp, that's what we've been focusing on. And, I feel like I'm getting pretty comfortable with that, and I feel like it's definitely going to be easier during the season because going against a defense every single day they kinda know what you're doing."
Jackson does not enter his first season as a starter completely green. He has played in seven games over the course of two seasons including five appearances last year when the Horned Frogs eventually reach the College Football Playoff title game.
He completed all five of his pass attempts for 63 yards in 2022 to go along with 64 yards rushing and a pair of rushing touchdowns.
The Bears open the season on the road allowing Jackson to return to familiar territory when the team squares off with UNT in Denton on Sept. 2.
