Golden Bear Roster Rundown: No. 20, Josh Drayden
This is a continuing series running down Cal's football roster for the 2020 season.
Cal Career
Josh Drayden has been an interesting case at Cal over his four years playing in Berkeley. He saw the field immediately as a true freshman in 2016, a year that produced his highest rep count of any season (at least on defense, taking 405 reps at cornerback), but has been a part of a competitive defensive backfield ever since.
Drayden, since the coaching change to Justin Wilcox, has been moved back and forth between the outside and inside at cornerback, mainly playing in the slot in 2019 and 2017, while mainly playing on the outside in 2018. He's had success at both, but the slot has been where more of his reps have come and where they'll continue to be at in 2020.
Drayden, after 2017 and 2018 seasons where he played in all 25 games, he took advantage of the four-game redshirt rule in 2019, in order to star in Cal's defensive backfield in 2020. Drayden did have one of the best games of his career against Washington State with six tackles and two TFLs against the Cougars, making a number of stops on Wazzu's many swing passes and bubble screens.
Career Stats: 64 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss (-10 yards), two interceptions, one pick-six (against Oregon State in 2018) eight pass breakups, 10 passes defended and three quarterback hurries
Drayden also wrote a piece for CalBears.com, discussing the need to use his voice and platform to create meaningful change in the wake of George Floyd's murder and the protests that have followed.
Expectations for 2020
Drayden should be the starter for the Bears at the nickel corner spot, somewhere he has alternated with Traveon Beck and Branden Smith in the past.
With Beck graduated, Drayden has shown the skill and the patience needed to claim the spot, while also being able to bump outside if need be. He's a solid tackler in space, and has the track speed and short area quickness to deal with defenders in the slot.
Recruiting Flashback
Drayden, out of Bishop Dunne HS, was a first-team all district player as a senior, and was a four year starter at the Dallas-area high school. Drayden committed to Cal and then-DB coach Greg Burns in June of 2015, choosing the Bears over 20 other scholarship offers.
Drayden committed after an unofficial visit out to Berkeley and was one of five defensive backs in the 2016, along with Camryn Bynum, Beck, Marloshawn Franklin, and Nygel Edmonds.