Rusty Simmons
Cal defensive backs coach R. Todd Littlejohn had to replace three of the four starting defensive backs last season, but replacing one spot this year is proving just as difficult. "I keep thinking, 'We've already been through this,' " he said. "But we haven't been through this." This time, he's responsible for filling the void left by the graduation of All-America cornerback Daymeion Hughes, and with two practices remaining on the spring schedule, no one has emerged. "It's still a smorgasbord of guys," Littlejohn said. "I think we would like to have had a little clearer picture, but it hasn't quite happened yet. Maybe Saturday will show us a little more, but if not, we'll start all over and see who wants it. Saturday won't offer a Spring Game, but it will be the last practice and present the final chance at an enduring impression between now and August. Among the locks in the secondary are returning safeties Thomas DeCoud, who is considered a top NFL draft prospect at his position for 2008, and hard-hitting safety Bernard Hicks, who has missed a lot of the spring with a jammed knee. Freshman All-America corner Syd'Quan Thompson will hold down one corner spot, but the other is being chased by a handful of players with great potential.
The top two candidates at this point may be redshirt freshmen Darian Hagan, who is drawing rave reviews, and Charles Amadi, who combined a track injury (ankle) with a football injury (groin) and hasn't done much since sparkling on the first day of spring ball. Hagan is a wiry, rangy corner who appears to have a knack for the position's intricacies, like breaking on the ball, and Amadi is an enigma who simply hasn't had enough time on the field. That's a similar problem with the rest of the group. Brandon Hampton, a returning starter at rover who is working out at corner, and Bishop O'Dowd High alum Jesse Brooks simply haven't been healthy enough to prove themselves on a day-to-day basis. "We've been stressing to the guys the importance of that position, and no one is being appointed; someone will earn the position," Littlejohn said. "That spot was vacated by someone who had it most of his career, and someone will step up at some point and the returnees will rally around that guy." That guy could also be a newcomer. Recruits Chris Conte, from Loyola High in Los Angeles, and Sean Cattouse, from Hubbard High in Chicago, both will show up in August to provide 3- to 4-star ability and 6-foot-3 frames that could be beneficial across from 5-10 Thompson, who believes he's ready to match Hughes' shut-down capabilities.
"I think about replacing (Hughes) almost every day," he said. "It's a big role to step into, because he dominated last year. I feel like I have to do better than what he did, and I'm looking forward to that challenge." Quarterback queries: Head coach Jeff Tedford said quarterback Nate Longshore has been solid during spring drills and compared him to "a coach on the field," but questions abound regarding the No. 2 spot. Kyle Reed and Kevin Riley were both impressive before going down last week.
Riley, a redshirt freshman, shattered his index finger and will miss about three months after hitting his throwing hand on another hand Friday. Reed, a sophomore, sprained his throwing shoulder Saturday after getting hit in a scrimmage. "The two young quarterbacks looked very good and were really coming along," Tedford said. "They've both shown the ability to take it off the board and translate it on the field. That doesn't happen always with young guys, so I've been really impressed." Walking the line: The offensive line, missing injured starters Mike Gibson and Noris Malele, has started to shape up. Tackle Mike Tepper and guard Brian De La Puente appear to be the leaders for the spots opened by the graduations of Andrew Cameron and Erik Robertson, but there are plenty of guys who are taking advantage of the extra repetitions. High hopes remain for injured Kevin Bemoll and redshirt freshman Chris Guarnero on the interior, walk-on Mark Boskovich has impressed, and, according to Tedford, tackle Chet Teofilo, a converted defensive lineman, has stolen the show after finally grasping offensive line play.
"He's really made some nice strides," Tedford said. "I kind of expected it because he's so athletic and he's so big and physical. He's done a really nice job now that he's got it figured out."
Park at your own risk: The final practice of the spring at 2 p.m. Saturday is open to the public and free, but parking will be $15 because of an event at the Greek Theatre. The practice will involve the team conducting its usual training sessions, including usually scheduled 11-on-11 drills, but there won't be a full scrimmage.
Ticket ticker: Single-game tickets for the 2007 season will be available to the general public July 15 at a maximum of 10 tickets a game. There is no limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased by season-ticket holders or donors, except for the Big Game at Stanford on Dec. 1. Among the six home games, the top features are the season-opener against Tennessee on Sept. 1 and the visit by Pac-10 favorite USC on Nov. 10.
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