Cal training camp: Q&A at the one-week mark
Cal hit the one-week mark of training camp Wednesday. The Bears didn't take the field, however, as Justin Wilcox utilized the day to allow his players some rest before getting back to work for Day 7 of camp on Thursday.
The day off allowed Golden Bear Report's Matt Moreno a chance to reflect on the first six practices, and he answered questions from our subscribers after getting a look at the team up to this point in camp.
Hey Matt, appreciate all your work! I would love more detail on how you see the WR room shaping up and if you have noticed any improvements in special teams so far?
Appreciate the compliment. Let’s dive right into your questions. The additions of Kyion Grayes and Trevor Rogers as scholarship players to a group that was already looking better in the spring is certainly a step in the right direction for the Bears at receiver. Grayes has looked like a potential game changer through the first week of camp with his ability to create separation and get open. It has showed itself a bit more in the seven-on-seven and individual settings than it has in the team periods so far, but he is looking like a versatile piece to the puzzle at receiver.
Rogers has multiple touchdown catches through his first week, and his speed has been a big asset to the receiver group already. Time will tell if he is able to get on the field as a freshman, but he looks to be a future key player for Cal at receiver.
To me, Tobias Merriweather’s progress has been clear. Whether he was possibly dinged up during the spring or is just simply getting comfortable in his new setting, he has looked like a better player even from a few months ago. His speed has been undeniable so far in camp, and his ability to create separation and get open has been improved from where it was just a few months ago. He looks like a clear No. 1 receiver up to this point in camp.
Two players who might get overlooked in the receiver picture are redshirt juniors Mason Starling and Mavin Anderson. Starling was not on the field in the spring while Anderson was lost a bit in the shuffle. Both players have been clear bright spots at receiver in camp, however. Both have had ample opportunities for reps during the team periods, and Anderson worked with the first unit in the latest practice.
Right now, I’d say Merriweather, Grayes and Mikey Matthews are the likely starters at the three receiver spots with Trond Grizzell as the next man up, but there are still some things to be decided there. It sounds like the plan will be to go six or seven deep at the receiver spot during the season so there are going to be some decisions for the staff to make come Aug. 31, because this receiver group is head and shoulders above what the Bears had last year in my opinion. What it lacks proven production, it makes up for in depth and talent.
As for your second question, it is a little difficult to gauge where things are with special teams up to this point. There has been extensive special teams work but it has not been live so far. The kicking has been situational and the return teams have not gone full speed. You can count me as a Ryan Coe fan, however. He was solid with some long kicks in the spring, and he’s been consistent in the little I have seen from the kicking game so far in camp. The first scrimmage is approaching, and that should tell the story a bit more.
I’m really curious on your opinions on whether the Cal team overall is on track to successfully integrate 45 new scholly players to the team, many of which are transfers who are likely to be in the two deep. That's the new age of NIL/transfer portal and I'm wondering if Cal can quickly gel fast enough (say in the WR depth chart and passing game) to get a high functioning offense in such a short period?
That is a great question and one that I think even the coaching staff has been forced to try and figure out in recent years. The reality is that it won’t be changing anytime soon. Justin Wilcox seems to have found his comfort level with how he wants to build the roster each season, and that means a good amount of transfers coming in every year.
The point you bring up is a valid concern, and there have been some growing pains in bringing together players from different conferences and experience levels under one roof, so to speak. However, the one thing it has meant is a lot of competition, and that is something the team absolutely has to have to make progress and get back on the right side of .500 once again.
I don’t think you should be overly concerned about how the team will jell, and a big reason for that is how many of the newcomers were already on campus for spring ball. Had that not been the case and most of the group just arrived this summer, then I would probably feel differently about it.
However, the bulk of the newcomers have already been in Berkeley since the beginning of the year and have had plenty of opportunities to come together and build a connection both on and off the field. I do think Cal, in particular, is one place where there is a welcoming environment that has helped foster that chemistry. Ultimately, it’s anybody’s guess whether or not that will lead to wins or losses, but right now I don’t think it should be a huge concern based on the feel around the team even with some of the more, we’ll say, spirited practices early in camp.
Check out answers to more questions from our subscribers on the message boards. Make sure to visit The Bears' Lair or sign up for a premium subscription if you don’t have access to learn more about what Golden Bear Report has observed during the first week of camp.