Roster Review: Defensive Line

2019 ended in victory for Cal, with a Bowl Win for the first time in four years, as the Bears finished 8-5, tied for their best record of the decade. Now, with Bill Musgrave coming in as the Bears' next offensive coordinator, the offense will see some changes with it, while the defensive staff seems slated to remain the same moving forward.

Now that the calendar has turned over and the Bears have hired an offensive coordinator, it's time to break down Cal's roster composition, position by position. Today continues with the defensive line.

The year started without much depth on the defensive line. Siu Fuimaono and Aaron Maldonado were both absent from fall camp, with only Maldonado returning through the year. Lone Toailoa, Luc Bequette and Zeandae Johnson returned, but the defensive line had depth issues.

That's where the addition of Brett Johnson was pivotal. The four star true freshman came in and made an early impact, pushing his way to the starting nose guard spot. The four man group of both Johnsons, Bequette, and Toailoa played every defensive line rep until Maldonado came back.

Cal still had their fair share of struggles even with Maldonado in the fold, though the Bears closed the regular season strong against the run, allowing just over 58 yards per game rushing over the final three games on the ground. The line as a whole combined for 16.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 77 total QB pressures (Zeandae Johnson ranking second on the team with 28 of those), and three forced fumbles. Zeandae Johnson capped off the year winning defensive MVP of the Redbox Bowl.

It was Andrew Browning's first year working with the group, and the former Boise State standout got improvement out of his group, and will have the majority of the group back next year.

Departing: Lone Toailoa

Returning: Luc Bequette, Zeandae Johnson, Brett Johnson, Aaron Maldonado, JH Tevis, Gabe Cherry, Siu Fuimaono (?), Miles Owens, Gunnar Rask*

Toailoa is the only player leaving from the group thanks to both Bequette and Zeandae likely getting sixth years of eligibility due to injury (Bequette and Johnson both had knee injuries that wiped out non-redshirt years in 2016 and 2017 respectively). That gives the line added depth in addition to Brett Johnson and Maldonado. JH Tevis started to make strides midway through the year as well, playing in four games on the defensive line.

There's a question mark with Fuimaono, who didn't join the team all year, but is still on the roster. Cherry played a few reps in two games, while Owens switched sides of the ball part-way through the year, and Rask walked on from De La Salle (playing mostly on scout team).

In recruiting the defensive line, Browning got three guys who already have the size for the next level. McKenzie and Correia, both listed at over the 300 lb mark, add depth to a nose guard position that didn't have the same kind of size as it did in 2018 (with Chris Palmer in the middle). Correia is especially intriguing, with solid feet and the potential to be an anchor in the middle of the defense at 6'4" and 330 lbs.

McKenzie and Saunders have comparable players in front of them at Cal in Bequette and Zeandae Johnson respectively, with McKenzie being the better run stopper and Saunders the better pass rusher at this point.

This group gets the opportunity to run it back with another year of experience and enough depth to give the freshman the chance to redshirt. The four-game rule makes the depth a little better, as the Bears might want to see how Correia and McKenzie could hold up in the middle, giving Brett Johnson an opportunity at defensive end, which might be a better fit for him.

Looking ahead from this point, it seems likely that the Bears will run the same three man group out as starters in the base defense.

The development of the youth at the position will be something to watch, whether it's with guys like Maldonado and Brett Johnson, who have taken a bunch of reps early in their careers, the three true freshmen, or guys like Tevis and Cherry, who haven't played much but have the size to contribute going forward.

Brett Johnson's development may be the most important for this group, as he has the most potential to be a game-changer at the position for the Bears moving forward. He took on double-teams repeatedly as a true freshman, and will only get better.

Quarterback

Running Back

Wide Receiver

Tight Ends

Offensive Line