Charlie Ragle tasked with developing Cal tight ends

What’s it like for Ragle to coach tight ends?

You're really getting to mold these guys the way you want them because they just haven't been used. Obviously we're starting at ground zero, and it's just, from every little facet, the fundamentals. You've really got to start, not that it's taken for granted, in terms of just from the steps, their stance, hand placement, knee bend, and all those things that you start off and assume that guys would know, you've really got to get to that.

On tight end being a position where you have to know a lot

Well it is a unique position, exactly right, you're a hybrid. You're expected to do a lot of things, be able to catch the ball, be able to run routes, be able to be strong enough to get in and work on the offensive line and combo block with those guys, solo blocks on defensive ends.

What do you want to see by spring break?

Progress, you know. I mean, we made progress today from going Wednesday, going lateral with our steps to getting some vertical push and knowing that 'hey, we've got to get some knockoff vertical.' Just our hand placement being in the right spot, our face being in the right spot on inside zone, and just little things like that. So seeing some of those things today, it's coming.

How does Cal plan to use their tight ends?

His [Baldwin’s] reputation precedes him and if you watch the film ... you see that they're looking for versatile guys who can do a whole lot in this offense. When he has those guys he uses the heck out of them, and so that's our goal, to get these guys here as good as we can, and what we are lacking we will get on the recruiting trail.

Does it help to have versatile inside receivers who were tight ends?

It certainly helps, and I think guys are stronger in certain areas than others, but at the end of the day, having some guys that have some versatility and experience, that obviously speaks for itself.

Has the task at hand been to build everything back from the ground up, with everyone being new to the terminology?

I get it, I'm in there, I'm with them. I told my guys 'hey look, we're gonna learn together.' I've been here now almost a month, but when I got here I'm learning the offense just like they are. I'm teaching them, at the same time I'm learning. One of the things I always talk about with my guys in the meeting room is 'hey, we're extensions of each other.'

You go out there and look good, that's gonna make me look good, look bad, we'll all look bad together. One way or another, for good, bad or indifferent we're together. So I said 'look, you guys are gonna learn and grow this spring, I'm gonna learn and grow with you. You're gonna mess up, I'm gonna mess up. We're gonna do it together. We'll get this thing figured out.' And that's what I love about Coach Baldwin. Once you start seeing this, it's all new to these guys. It's new to some of us coaches that are coming from other spots, and that's what makes things so fun and challenging, is that it is a challenge that we will handle and get it conquered, but it's a process, it's not gonna happen overnight.