Cal Football Tuesday Thoughts: Ranking units by confidence

Just under 3 weeks until fall camp, just under 7 weeks until kick off in Australia, which means only a few more weeks of 100% pure filler, until we move into the 50% filler that is attempting to analyze practice reports. Beggars can't be choosers!

Preseason Unit Confidence Rankings

To get a sense of where everybody sees the team going into fall camp, I'd be curious to hear how much everybody agrees or disagrees with the below.

1. Offensive Line

Solid experience, solid depth, solid performance last year - even the relatively inexperienced starters on the line showed positively last season in more limited roles.

2. Running Back

There probably isn't one stand out back that will wow from game to game, but with Enwere, Muhammad, and Watson Cal has three players with different skill sets who have already proven that they're solid power 5 backs. Enwere and Watson are young enough that there's still upside as well.

3. Wide Receiver

Somewhat odd to see the position group with the most turnover on the team so high, but there's little denying that Cal has recruited the strongest at wide receiver, and the sheer strength of numbers means that it's hard to see how Cal won't get 4-6 reliable, dangerous options out of the 10-12 guys who will seriously compete for playing time.

4. Quarterback

How do you feel about Davis Webb? If you think he's primed to step in and play like he did as a underclassman at Texas Tech, then you might move QB a slot or two higher. If you think he's just as much of an unknown as any of the other options at the position, then maybe you push quarterback down the rankings. 4th feels like a safe compromise.

5. Defensive Line

On the one hand, some solid contributors (Looney, Wilson, Manley) are back. On the other hand, pretty much every player who managed to reach the quarterback with any consistency graduated. There are some intriguing young names in the freshmen and sophomore classes, but the talent is unproven. I doubt that the line will be the weakness of the defense, but I'm not comfortable calling it a strength either.

6. Secondary

When Sonny Dykes goes up to the mic at media day, the question I'm most interested hearing him answer has to do with the status of Damariay Drew. Drew, combined with Allensworth, is a solid returning duo to build a secondary around. Throw in Cam Walker and Caleb Coleman, and you might be in solid shape. But if Drew is out, that's three starting spots that need filling, and not many players got a ton of snaps behind Drew, McClure, and White last season.

7. Special Teams

Cal got solid field goal kicking last year, and should be fine in the category in 2016. After that . . . a whole ton of uncertainty, and a whole ton of potential for improvement. I'd really love for Cal to find their first consistent return threat in years, but I would happily settle for better punt and kick off coverage.

8. Linebackers

No seniors on the roster, no returning starters. True, Cal will likely play a ton of nickel and dime, so the Bears only need to find 3 or 4 solid contributors out of 11 linebackers on the roster

A final word as the (small percentage of) faculty vs. Harrington saga (presumably) ends

Here's the quick summary:

• Chronicle writes one sided article
• 5% of Cal's professors sign toothless petition
• Cal administration makes token concessions
• Most everybody shrugs and moves on

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