HAMPTON, A ROVER LAST SEASON, IS LEADING CANDIDATE TO START
By Jonathan Okanes
When Cal opens the season Sept. 1 against Tennessee, it will do so with a new starting cornerback. That sounds familiar. When the Bears traveled to Knoxville to open the 2006 season, Syd'Quan Thompson made his first career start. Tennessee's All-America wide receiver Robert Meachem torched Thompson for two long touchdown catches as the Volunteers raced to a 35-0 lead and cruised to a 35-18 victory. Yes, Cal gets Tennessee at home this time around. And yes, Meachem is gone to the NFL. But the uncertainty that comes with lining up an unproven cornerback is heightened against a team such as Tennessee. Thompson, who recovered from his first-game torching and had a solid season, is back at one corner. At the other corner, somebody will need to step in for Daymeion Hughes, the Pacific-10 Conference player of the year on defense and a third-round draft choice of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts last April.
There are several candidates, but only one has played in a college football game. That makes Brandon Hampton, a senior, the leading candidate. "He knows the deal," Cal defensive coordinator Bob Gregory said. "He's going to be on the field somewhere." Hampton started every game last season at rover and was a reserve defensive back in 2005. With Thomas DeCoud and Bernard Hicks manning the safety spots, Hampton is in position to help Cal at cornerback. "I want to start," Hampton said. "Corner is where I'm headed right now. I like the move because as I look to my future, that versatility will make my stock rise higher. If I need to go somewhere else, I can go effectively and play." Gregory allowed that Hampton is the leading candidate, but he said "no one has emerged as the guy yet." Redshirt freshmen Brandon Jones and Charles Amadi are pushing Hampton hardest. Gregory said Darian Hagan, another redshirt freshman, is behind the top three.
Some believe Hagan has the potential to be a star, but Gregory said he has a lot of work to do. "I think he needs to use all of his potential," Gregory said. "He needs to work on his work habits. He needs to become a better worker. If he does that, there's no question he's a good football player." Of all the candidates, Hagan came to Cal as the best prospect, highly regarded out of Crenshaw High in Los Angeles. "There's a lot of competition," Hagan said. "There are different guys who bring different things to the table. The one thing Coach (Gregory) wants me to do is be more competitive and hustle more. I'm pretty sure I'm in the mix. I have to do whatever I can to make it happen." Hampton is the best story. He began his Cal career as the team's equipment manager, then walked on as a running back. He switched to defense before the 2005 season.
In acknowledging Hampton as the front-runner, Gregory cited his experience. But even though Coach Jeff Tedford said last season that inexperience may have been a reason for Thompson's woes at Knoxville, Gregory took part of the blame. "I probably didn't put Syd in as good a position as he could have been in," Gregory said. "It's not like Syd was way out of position. He made a great break on the ball and wrapped the guy up, but he just kind of spun off of him. It's not like he got beat deep. He was right there."
Gregory said he would like to be in a position where more than one player is qualified to start. He said Thompson and Hughes may have gotten worn down at times last season.
"I feel good about the group," Gregory said. "We'd like to have four or five corners we feel good about. That would be great to get."
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