Cal #8 in SI’s Spring Top 25

Stewart Mandel from Sports Illustrated recently released his post-spring Top 25 rankings. Cal took the number eight spot on this list:

#8 California Golden Bears

Key returnees: RB Marshawn Lynch, RB Justin Forsett, WR DeSean Jackson, CB Daymeion Hughes

Spring star: LB Worrell Williams. The athletic sophomore was a standout in practices and will likely earn a starting spot.

Lowdown: New offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar installed components of the spread offense, a scary thought considering Cal’s plethora of weapons. The only question is which quarterback, Nate Longshore or Joe Ayoob, will run it. The defense, extremely young last year, should be improved.

Take a look at the whole list here.

New article on Scout.com with good analysis

Scout.com has put up an article entitled Has Cal Arrived? The article includes some very indepth statistical analysis and many observations about Cal Football. Take a look.

Cal #7 in Maisel’s (ESPN) preseason rankings

Ivan Maisel of ESPN has named Cal #7 in his post-spring, preseason rankings.

ESPN.com says: Marshawn Lynch should be in the same Heisman breath as Peterson. The defense is experienced. If Nate Longshore stays healthy …

Take a look at his list here.

Cal #8 in Athlon Sports’ preseason rankings

Athlon Sports has named Cal #8 in its preseason college football rankings. Read their preview here. Quote: “If USC has a serious challenger in the Pac-10, it’s these guys.”

Cal selected for 3 primetime games on ABC

ABC Saturday Night College Football has pre-selected Cal for three of their primetime games this fall. They will be available in high definition (HD) for the first time.

Oct. 7, 8 p.m. ET: Oregon at California
Nov. 4, 8 p.m. ET: UCLA at California
Nov. 18, 8 p.m. ET: California at USC

Great to see recognition for Cal as a top football team. Take a look at the article here.

Cal on ESPN

Marshawn Lynch is now gracing the front page of ESPN’s College Football site with caption, “Marshawn Lynch and the Bears are taking aim on the Pac-10 title”. It’s the lead-in for their Pac-10 spring recap article, which highlights many of the developments from spring practice and things to look for in the fall. Take a look.

Blog names Cal one of 4 “best offenses” for 2006

College football blog Heisman Pundit has put up some interesting analysis about offenses in the upcoming season. Coach Jeff Tedford and the team get some high praise:

Cal already ran a balanced, air-tight scheme under Tedford, but now he has added elements of the spread. It’s a brilliant ploy which should help Cal’s young offensive line to make up for some of its deficiencies. Think this system isn’t buoyant enough to keep a team afloat? Last year, Cal lost its starting quarterback in game one. The replacement couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn and his replacement was a former fullback. Most teams go 4-7 in those circumstances. Cal went 8-4 with three losses by seven points or less. Think the running game is all about an uber-talent like Marshawn Lynch? Well, Justin Forsett–a former Notre Dame commit who no one else wanted–also approached 1,000 yards.

Take a look at the entire article here. Another good quote: “The sophistication of (Notre Dame head coach) Charlie Weis‘ passing attack–in the context of teams that have balanced offenses–is matched only by Jeff Tedford’s in all of college football.”

Cal alumni and NFL free agency

I will continue updating this as more news comes in.

Punter David Lonie has been signed by the Washington Redskins. Safety Donnie McClesky was signed by the Chicago Bears. Fullback Chris Manderino signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. DB Harrison Smith has signed with the Detroit Lions.

Great to see our players make it to the next level. Here’s an article detailing these free agent signings.