Contra Costa Times: Depth cuts into playing time

The linebacker unit is so deep that two freshmen All-Americans probably won't get a chance to start

Cal football notebook

On many Division I-A programs, a linebacker earning freshman All-America honors probably would have a lock on a starting spot the following season.

Not so at Cal. Linebacker could be the most talented and deepest unit on a team that has been getting a lot of hype as a Bowl Championship Series contender. That means Anthony Felder and Zack Follett, who both earned first-team, freshman All-America status from Rivals.com, have to fight every practice for the right to take snaps. "Everyone talks about starters," said Cal linebackers coach Bob Foster. "I'm trying to find the guys who are players. Playing linebacker is not like playing quarterback, it's not a rhythm deal. Having extra depth is going to be huge for us. These guys all are going to need a break."

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