Cal Football Wide Receivers Preview: Wideout Depth Galore!

The Projected Starters

Looking at Sonny Dykes' spring depth chart and more recent recruiting coups, the projected wideouts for 2016 are:

Patrick Worstell (#89): Worstell is a Redshirt Senior who has certainly paid his dues in the Cal program, so it's great to see him finally get his shot this upcoming season. He's a local kid from Danville (San Ramon Valley HS) who redshirted in 2012, did not play in 2013, played half a season as a back-up safety and on special teams in 2014 before getting injured, and killed it on special teams in 2015 (earning him the team's special teams MVP award). Last season, on offense, Worstell had 3 receptions for 25 yards - all coming in the first game against Grambling State.

Raymond Husdon (#11): Hudson is a Junior from Pleasanton (Foothill HS)—another local kid. He splits time at TE and WR. He largely played a back-up role to Stephen Anderson last year, but got into almost every game. In 2015, Hudson logged 10 catches for 140 yards. Hudson also was fantastic on special teams for Cal last year, including blocking a punt by Oregon and earning Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week. Hudson won't be new to Cal fans, but his workload this upcoming season surely will be.

Melquise Stovall (#1): Stovall will be an impact Freshman for Cal. He's an ESPN 300 stud from Lancaster, a 4-star recruit, the 16th-best WR recruit in the nation, the 26th-best recruit in California, and the list goes on. He's got smaller frame (5'9", 190 lbs), so look out for Stovall to be a true speed guy for Cal. After a few games, Stovall will be a household name for Cal fans. Check out these blistering highlights from his high school days.

Chad Hansen (#6): Hansen is the most experienced receiver this season after our top six guys left after last year. He's a Junior from Fillmore who started out his college career at Idaho State. He sat out 2014 due to NCAA transfer rules. In 2015, Hansen played in 10 games off the bench and amassed 19 catches for 249 yards and 1 TD. Hansen and Hudson will bring the veteran depth and experience to a very inexperienced group of receivers next season.

Demetris Robertson: No Cal wideouts post would be complete without hailing our next super recruit. In nothing short of a coup, Dykes got Demetris Robertson to commit to Cal—all the way from Savannah, Georgia! Even more so than Stovall, Robertson will light up defenses for a whole bunch of big plays and TDs this season. He's got prototypical wideout size (6'0", 176 lbs). Robertson was the 62nd-best recruit and 6th-best wideout in the nation. It won't be long before Cal fans start debating Robertson's place in Cal football lore, along with Keenan Allen, DeSean Jackson, and the like. Check out his high school highlights:

The Back-ups

Cal will most certainly not be lacking in depth at the wideout position next season. Behind the projected starters are a whole host of studs.

Vic Wharton III: Wharton is a Redshirt Sophomore transfer from Tennessee. With the Vols in 2014, he had 5 receptions for 64 yards and 1 TD before sitting out 2015 at Cal for transfer reasons. Wharton had a decent Spring Game with 4 catches for 43 yards and 1 TD. Look for Wharton to make some noise trying to break into the wideout 1s rotation.

Brandon Singleton: Singleton came to Cal in 2015 as a 3-star recruit from Louisiana. He played in 3 games last year before getting injured and redshirting the rest of the season. Like Wharton, Singleton will be looking to make a name for himself early in the season.

Jordan Veasy: Veasy is a 3-star JuCo recruit from Alabama. He's got good size at 6'2" and 215 lbs. Look out for Veasy as an impact JuCo player for Cal—Sonny has a way of maximizing his transfers' potentials.

Greyson Bankhead: Bankhead is another Redshirt Freshman looking to establish himself as a viable receiver option for Cal. He was part of the great 2015 recruiting class—a 3-star recruit from Corona who redshirted because there was so much depth last year.

Carlos Strickland: Like with Bankhead and Singleton, Strickland redshirted his 2015 Freshman season in hopes of making the rotation this season. Strickland was a prized 4-star recruit from Dallas, Texas who chose Cal over the likes of Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, UCLA, and Texas. He may be a forgotten hidden gem ready to wow Cal fans.

Jordan Duncan: Duncan will be a true Freshman in 2016. He's a 4-star recruit from Mississippi—yet another Southern recruit for Dykes. He's got great size (6'1", 192 lbs) and would have had all sorts of ballyhoo around him if not for the Stovall and Robertson commitments.

Get excited, Cal fans. As soon as we get our QB firmed up, expect all these playmakers to light it up. Those six seniors who left? Yea, we may very well forget about them come the end of September!