Athlon Ranks Cal #11

California Ranked No. 11 In Athlon Sports Preseason Poll

Bryan Anger, Jahvid Best and Syd'Quan Thompson named preseason First-Team All-Americans.

BERKELEY - California is ranked No. 11 in the Athlon Sports preseason Top-25 poll the magazine is rolling out prior ahead of the 2009 college football season. The countdown will continue for the next 10 weekdays leading up to the on-sale date of the publication's preseason magazines on June 2. The publication has also predicted a second-place Pac-10 finish for the Golden Bears.  "The Bears boast one of the nation's best running back in Jahvid Best and they should be very good on defense once again," said Athlon Sports managing editor Mitch Light. "If the passing game emerges, Jeff Tedford's club could be in position to challenge USC for supremacy in the Pac-10."  Athlon also announced individual preseason honors for California players, tabbing Bryan Anger (So., P), Jahvid Best (Jr., RB) and Syd'Quan Thompson (Sr., CB) as first-team preseason All-Americans and a total of 11 Golden Bears on All-Pac-10 preseason teams.  Tyson Alualu (Sr., DE) joined Anger, Best and Thompson as First-Team All-Pac-10 picks with Thompson making the team as both a cornerback and punt returner. Best was also named Second-Team as a kick returner along with Mike Mohamed (Jr., LB) and Mike Tepper (Sr., OL).  Mark Boskovich (Jr., OL), Darian Hagan (Jr., CB), Cameron Jordan (Jr., DL), Darian Hagan, Kevin Riley (Jr., QB) and Mitchell Schwartz (So., OL) were Third-Team selections.