Pac-12 Media Day is less than two weeks away, the start of fall camp less than a month out and the college football season clearly visible on the horizon at this point.
This first half of July presents the last real lull in the action, following the frenetic recruiting activity in June, and so Cal head coach Justin Wilcox gave Golden Bear Report more than a half hour of his time recently for a wide-ranging Q+A.
We'll present that conversation in two parts, starting with the first half today -- touching on the impact he's seen so far from new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, thoughts on the QB competition, how his own philosophy toward offensive football has evolved and recruiting in the era of the transfer portal.
Check back Tuesday for Part 2, as Wilcox talks about the players who helped themselves the most in spring, DT Brett Johnson's recovery, Cal's NIL program, the future of the Pac-12 and more.
What has stood out to you about offensive coordinator Jake Spavital in the seven months he's been with the program, seeing him operate and build the offense?
Wilcox: "He's been fantastic. He's a really good guy. Just philosophically, the way he sees the game, he's just got a really good knowledge base, he communicates it well and the players, I think, it's different for them and they're learning a lot, and he's a guy that teaches it well and is real approachable. The interaction he has with the players is really, really good, and the coaching staff as well -- he's just been a real pleasure to have here.
"He's a real sharp guy, sees the game really well, has a philosophy on offensive football and also has enough flexibility, whether it's different styles of quarterbacks -- he's been really successful [with] quarterbacks but they're not all the same. Some of the guys are kind of RPO runners, some of the guys are sitting in there and throwing it -- the Will Grier's and the Davis Webb's -- so he's had these different types of guys and he's built offenses around that position really well. Fortunate to have him."
To that point on flexibility, you've brought in so many new pieces and moving parts, how much has the offense evolved from even what you discussed with him initially back in December?
Wilcox: "I would say a pretty good deal, just because, again, the way he looks at it is very much player-driven. Whether it's personnel groupings -- how many tight ends do we anticipate playing, do we see ourselves being a 12-[personnel] team, is there going to be a 13 package, is there going to be a 10 package with no tight [ends]? The different styles of receivers and what those guys can do, what kind of formations -- are you using condensed sets, are you spreading them out, are you oversplitting them, are you bringing them in tight? The motions, who can be the guys who are really good on the perimeter for the motion game?
"So I think it certainly has evolved because there was an idea coming in and then you go through spring ball and it's like, OK, here's some pieces we think could fit really well, here's what these guys do well and then adding some folks in May and June. We have a pretty good idea, but even through fall camp there's going to be some adjustment, I would imagine."
How much have you personally evolved in your thoughts on offensive football, with bringing in Spavital as a major change-up from where things were -- how much has your philosophy on what you want from that side of the ball changed over the years?
Wilcox: "Yeah, I think it certainly has. Listen, there's a lot of ways to coach and employ offensive football. West Coast Offense has been productive and proven for decades. Spread offense -- now when you say spread offense, there's so many, that's kind of an umbrella term -- but I think in this era giving the quarterback multiple answers within a given play, taking advantage of the spacing on the field and the rules of the game to give the offense an advantage when they line up against these defenses is important.
"I think the ability to come in because of the environment we're in with newcomers, whether it's a freshman or transfer, the ability to teach that effectively in a short amount of time is key because you need the players up to speed quickly. I think having a system that is newcomer-friendly, freshman-friendly, transfer-friendly -- not that they're going to be maybe the expert that they would be after three years, but within a short amount of time, even a month, that they would have a good opportunity to go out and display their ability. What we don't want is the most talented guy standing on the sideline because he doesn't know the system yet. That can't happen.
"So I think college football has changed a lot with the transfer portal and the transitions of the roster, ours included, so that's something I've certainly taken into account in how we coach, how we set up our systems. I think it's really important."
Certainly the pace you play at offensively can have an impact on your own defense. When did you get to the point of saying, we do need to go a different direction, play a little faster, maybe a little more wide open? Was there a point that really crystallized for you?
Wilcox: "No, and again, there's a lot of ways to do it. I just think that in this era, in our conference, you've got to put points on the board -- you really do. I think in the past five or six years, in Pac-12 play, the winner averages 30, so you're looking at four-plus touchdowns a game on offense, four to five touchdowns -- this past year I think it might have been closer to 35. So you've got to put points on the board. Understanding that pace of play, yeah, can it impact the defense? Yes and no. We employed some uptempo offense years back and we did it a little bit last year, and I think it's something that can be a weapon. Conditioning can be a weapon. The number of players that you're able to roll into the game can be really advantageous for you as long as you have those players that have the ability to go play at a high level. So, yeah, I think all that was considered.
"I think just where we're at in college football and finding the plus-one on offense, so to speak -- how are we going to score another touchdown a game, how do we make a few more plays to score more points so we can win these games where we've been [right in it]. Now, defense has to do the same thing now -- defense, special teams is another area we have to make a jump -- but these one-score games, you look at just a handful of plays if we can make those, now we're on top of those games as opposed to being on the short side."
