After an Up-And-Down Few Years, the Redshirt Sophomore Enters 2008 Refreshed
By Andrew Kim
It's better late than never, and Darian Hagan appears to have figured out that much. A much-heralded recruit coming into Cal, Hagan may not have progressed as quickly as some would have wished. But his camp performance thus far suggests he could soon erase those sentiments, according to defensive coordinator Bob Gregory. Following Friday's practice, Gregory gave an update regarding the second cornerback slot. "I think Chris Conte is doing OK. I think Darian Hagan, right now after five days, is playing as good as he has played since he's been here, so that's really, really good to see," he said. "He needs to keep it going and be consistent ... Those two guys are kind of battling right now." Gregory also noted that the shift to a 3-4 formation doesn't change what he's looking for -- "fast guys who can run that are big" -- out in the secondary.
Hagan, who's been receiving some sporadic reps with the first-team defense opposite Syd'Quan Thompson, affirmed that he's finally learned the defense and is now able to focus more on improving technique. "The competition is up," he said. "We've been competing since last spring, all summer and fall camp. We're gonna continue to do that. I'm gonna push him, and he's been pushing me, so hopefully the best man will get it."
Solid play from some of the younger guys could provide even further a nudge to the gifted 6-foot defender.
Freshman Marc Anthony has been slowly drawing notice with a couple nice picks over the past weekend, while the encouraging play of Sean Cattouse and Jesse Brooks among others has upped the ante within the entire defensive backs unit. Gregory suggested juco-transfer Bryant Nnabuife also has a chance to log some playing time. Hagan, on his part, seems to have renewed his sense of urgency. "My mentality now is all or nothing," he said. "I have to do everything I can to try to make the team better, as well as myself." "I came in thinking that I was the man, and it was a wake-up call for me. I appreciated it, it forced me to grow up and I understand that it's not a game anymore. It's serious." The redshirt sophomore admits he didn't exactly impress himself with his performance during spring ball, though he, as well as Gregory, was encouraged by his progress during the sessions leading up to the Armed Forces Bowl.
Still, today's he's just trying to focus on the day-to-day regimes as a cornerback. Though Cal doesn't boast a receiving unit that's as proven and polished as last year's for Hagan to go up against during drills, he maintained that the current guys are providing sizeable challenges of their own. "My technique and being more physical and being aggressive," he mentioned as the focus of his repetitions thus far. "Me being a smaller guy, I appreciate the bigger guys we have like Nyan (Boateng) and Mike (Calvin), the taller quicker guys. That's a great help for us as corners."
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