Hughes, Mebane, Bishop at the NFL combine

While CB Daymeion Hughes was praised highly at the Senior Bowl for his elite cover skills until a hamstring injury forced him to sit out, suspicions about his speed were confirmed at the NFL Combine as he logged a 4.65 in the forty (the top 10 fastest DB’s all ran in the 4.3’s and 4.4’s). My guess is he is still affected by his injury and he’ll run a faster time before the draft. However, with top-end speed valued in the NFL, some say it may be a stretch for him to be picked in the first round as earlier predicted.

SI.com: “Combine winners and losers: The Losers”
Daymeion Hughes/CB/Cal: Speed was the biggest question mark about his game and Hughes ran terribly slow. Timing in the 4.7s, this one time potential first-round choice will now slide into the second round.

There hasn’t been much about DL Brandon Mebane, except he shows up in the bench with 24 reps. I’ll post more data as it comes in. Unfortunately, LB Desmond Bishop also received some negative attention for his performance in the forty:

SI.com: “For the Defense: Sliders”
Desmond Bishop/MLB/California: Bishop did nothing to dispel the belief that he is just a two-down linebacker. After running a pair of slow 40s which averaged almost 4.8-seconds, Bishop looked stiff and struggled to move in anything other than a straight line.

However, it appears that this 4.8 average came from a a decent time in the forty being averaged out by a bad time. In addition, Bishop was a monster on the bench and beat out all other linebackers (and most defensive lineman for that matter), making 33 reps. Hopefully, the scouts and teams will be able to see his upside and why Bishop led the Pac-10 in tackles.

Tim Mixon headed to NFL

According to sources, Cal’s AD compliance office has confirmed that senior cornerback Tim Mixon will no longer be seeking a sixth year of eligibility and will make a try for the NFL. Mixon was injured in fall camp and missed the 2006 season. He was previously looking to extend his eligibility for another year, but most speculated that his chances to get another year were very slim–making this news disappointing but not surprising.

Thanks Timmy for the leadership as well as the hard work at cornerback and punt returns. We wish him the best of luck in the NFL.

4-star DE/SLB Alex Cook commits from Texas

The Bears have added a huge commitment to the recruiting class on defense.

Alex Cook, a JC All-American defensive end from the junior college championship team Blinn College in Texas, has committed to Cal. Cook turned down offers from Arkansas, Arizona State, Louisville, Tennessee, and other schools in this decision. At 6’3″/225 with a 4.5 forty time, he is rated four stars by both Scout and Rivals.

The 6-3/225 Cook stood out as a difference-maker on Blinn’s 12-0 National Junior College Athletic Association championship squad –their first since 1996. Cook plays with a ferocity, coming off the edge or shooting gaps with cat-like speed. In Blinn’s championship game, the speedy Cook utilized his 4.5 forty speed with an amazing 5 sacks on the day as Blinn defeated the nations #2 ranked JC, Pearl River CC, 19-6. Cook also caused a fumble that was picked up by teammate Damien Reed and run back for a 67 yard td. Cook totaled 13 sacks and 68 tackles on the year.

While he previously played DE, Cook will be playing strong side linebacker for the Bears. He looks to make an immediate impact this upcoming year and he should be an excellent addition of speed and playmaking ability in the pass rush.

This also shows the further expansion of Cal’s sphere of recruiting with another commitment from deep within Texas.

Hughes, Mebane standouts in Senior Bowl

Cal seniors Daymeion Hughes (cornerback) and Brandon Mebane (defensive tackle) are getting noticed in the Senior Bowl. Scouts, Inc/ESPN’s Todd McShay has a lot of good things to say in “Monday’s Buzz”:

The defensive player that impressed us the most was Cal cornerback Daymeion Hughes. The 5-10, 192 pounder displayed outstanding agility and instincts throughout practice. There wasn’t a receiver on the team, including standouts such as Jason Hill (Washington State), Rhema McKnight (Notre Dame) and David Clowney (Virginia Tech), who could shake Hughes in one-on-one drills. While it’s important to put everything into perspective this week, I think it’s safe to say that Hughes showed better man-to-man cover skills this afternoon than Michigan’s Leon Hall, who is widely considered the top cornerback prospect and a potential top-15 pick in this year’s class.

There’s more about Hughes and Mebane in the Tuesday article:

Cal CB Daymeion Hughes continues to stand out in practice. He has good size with wide shoulders and a natural feel for making plays and getting his hands on the football. He is fluid and closes suddenly. His lack of pure speed is a clear drawback, however, and he will not be able to keep up with the faster receivers in the NFL if left alone deep downfield in man-to-man coverage. Therefore, we think Hughes has the looks of a starting Cover 2 cornerback to best use his skill set — which is impressive if utilized correctly. …

Cal’s Brandon Mebane and Louisville’s Amobi Okoye aren’t doing a great job of holding their ground when they get reached. However, both defensive tackles are showing good quickness and getting into the backfield.

McShay also talks highly of Hughes in a TV segment on SportsCenter. You can watch the video segment here. Meanwihle, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also have an article expressing how impressed they are with Mebane:

Cal DT Brandon Mebane (left) surprised Bucs coaches with his quickness off the ball …

California’s Brandon Mebane, a 6-1, 304-pound defensive tackle who might measure out as a bit undersized but who showed off impressive power during a lengthy one-on-one session with the North’s offensive linemen. … At one point, Mebane went head-to-head with the left guard and left him on the ground as he simply bulled over him.

“[He has] a bunch of power,” said the coach, who was essentially in his first day on the job with Tampa Bay. “He’s got a great center of gravity, gets his hips under him and he understands pass rushing. He understands how to use his hips. I’m shocked by him and how quick he is off the ball. He showed great intensity.”

It’s great to see our Cal players raise their draft status and get noticed for the next level of play. I think we’ll be seeing both Hughes and Mebane taken high in the upcoming NFL draft.

Hughes semifinalist for Jim Thorpe Award; DeCoud fine; other news

Daymeion Hughes has been named as one of the 11 players as semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, an award given annually to the best defensive back in the nation. Last year’s winner was Michael Huff of Texas, who was drafted in the Oakland Raiders’ first draft pick. The other semifinalists include Michigan’s Leon Hall, LSU’s LaRon Landry, Fresno State’s Marcus McCauley, Florida’s Reggie Nelson, Pittsburgh’s Darrelle Revis, Texas’ Aaron Ross, Ohio State’s Antonio Smith, Utah’s Eric Weddle, Notre Dame’s Tom Zbikowski, and Arizona’s Antoine Cason. With the upcoming Cal-Arizona game, the Tucson Citizen ran a feature on Hughes and Cason.

Some additional articles to read:

Rose Bowl hopes depend on Cal’s defense Contra Costa Times:

However, as frustrating as it is to see Cal’s defense playing so “soft” with so much individual talent on the field, perhaps there is some magic to defensive coordinator Bob Gregory’s madness.

Pac-10 Crown, not NFL draft, topping Lynch’s agenda Contra Costa Times:

On Tuesday at Memorial Stadium, Lynch said he hasn’t decided what his future holds. He remains firm about the task at hand, which is winning the Pac-10 title.

However, certain clues indicate Lynch, the Pac-10’s leading rusher at 109.8 yards per game, will do what everyone expects, enter the NFL draft.

Lynch’s game plan is runnin’, chillin’ Inside Bay Area.

Q. Is it difficult on campus, dispelling the notion that you’re just a jock?

A. Yeah, but I try to get away from that. If you’ve ever seen me outside the stadium, and you didn’t know who I was, you probably wouldn’t think too much of me. You never see me dressed up in my Cal sweats. I always have on street clothes, trying to blend in but just being me, being comfortable with what (clothing) I’m in.

Q. Do you try to converse with non-student athletes?

A. Yeah. People would probably think that because I play football, and I’m all over everything (publicity wise), that I would be hard to approach. After people have a conversation with me, it’s “Ah, he’s cool. I wasn’t expecting him to be like that.” But I’m just me. Solid.

DeCoud out of haze — and studying The Hit San Francisco Chronicle.

Coach Jeff Tedford knew safety Thomas DeCoud was fine by Sunday morning.

“I found him in here watching replays of the hit,” Tedford said. “I think he had to watch it, because he didn’t remember it.”

Longshore Pac-10 Player of the Week – again

QB Nate Longshore has been named Pac-10 offensive player of the week for the second time this season.

Longshore, a sophomore from Canyon Country, Calif., directed California’s offense in the Golden Bears’ 49-21 win against No. 18-ranked Arizona State. Longshore completed 18 of 26 passes (.692) for 270 yards and four touchdowns covering 9, 31, 23 and 8 yards with just one interception. All four touchdown passes came in the first half as California built a 42-14 halftime lead. It marks the second time this season Longshore has been named Pac-10 offensive player of the week having also been so honored after his performance in Cal’s win against Minnesota.

DB Daymeion Hughes and WR/PR DeSean Jackson were also nominated for defensive PotW and special teams PotW, respectively.

Cal leading the Pac-10 in stats

Cal is emerging as the statistical leader of the Pac-10. As a team, Cal is the Pac-10’s leader in scoring (37.8 ppg) and passing yards (287.8).

In addition, Nate Longshore is #1 in QB rating at 166.92. Marshawn Lynch and DeSean Jackson both are leading in rushing yards (449) and receiving yards (371), respectively. Lavelle Hawkins and Robert Jordan are also in the top 5 in receiving yards. Jackson leads the conference in scoring with 42 points as well. Finally, Daymeion Hughes is far and away the leader in interceptions with 5.

Personnel, prediction, and more on the ASU matchup

Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory said that Mickey Pimentel will be starting Saturday over Justin Moye at linebacker (who will also get snaps). Pimentel looked good against Portland State and recorded a sack with Brandon Mebane.

The Contra Costa Times also has a nice article about linebacker Worrell Williams. The combination of Pimentel, Williams, and Desmond Bishop is a mean one, and they should live up to the preseason hype against ASU.

Also, Marcus O’Keith got a well-deserved feature article in the Daily Cal today. O’Keith has definitely taken advantage of the limited opportunities he’s had on the field. He’s been named the starter at kickoff returns (instead of Marshawn Lynch) for ASU, as well.

Finally, here are some more quotes (in addition to the last post) on the Cal/ASU matchup on Saturday.

Contra Costa Times’ Jay Heater:

Pressure would seem to be a crucial aspect of this game. ASU 18 sacks, Cal 5 sacks. However, Cal faced a running team in Minnesota and the Portland State game was a blowout and can be discounted. Even so, it will be interesting to see if the Bears can put the screws to ASU sophomore QB Rudy Carpenter.

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman:

This one figures to be one of those traditional Pac-10 offensive shows. There is a very intriguing matchup here between the improved Sun Devils’ run defense (third in the Pac-10, allowing 2.6 yards per carry) and the great Marshawn Lynch. I’m not very sold on the ASU D and I still expect Lynch to run wild. Plus I like the home field edge.

Thing that has me sold: Marshawn Lynch.

Scouts Inc.’s ASU-Cal Edge:

Expect a close game but Arizona State will come up just short on the road. The Sun Devils will keep the game close thanks to their offensive balance. However, Cal’s run defense is strong enough to put Carpenter in more third-and-long situations than Koetter would like to see. That pressure will cause Carpenter to make some uncharacteristically poor decisions and/or errant throws that end drives.

The Sun Devils will have some success getting to Longshore as well, but their corners will have a hard time matching up with Cal’s deep corps of receivers. Cal will have consistent success moving the ball on the ground and don’t be surprised to see their backs break some long runs. In addition, the Bears have the home run threats in the return game to win the battle of field position.

ESPN’s Craig James:

Q: Does Tedford and the boys have any shot against a high powered Arizona State offense this weekend?
A: I think they do…and that they will beat ASU. The Cal debacle at Tenn earlier was just a snowball they couldn’t stop. This weekend we should see the real Cal team

Also interesting to note:

In the last 28 Pac-10 games, only USC (27-1) has a better record than Cal (21-7) and ASU (20-8). … ASU leads the series against Cal 13-12, but the Bears have won four of the past five.

QB Longshore is Pac-10 Player of the Week

QB Nate Longshore has been named Pac-10 player of the week for his impressive performance in Saturday’s game.

Longshore, a sophomore from Canyon Country, Calif., directed California to a 42-17 win against Minnesota. Longshore completed 22 of 31 passes (.710) for an even 300 yards and four touchdowns covering 24, 2, 48 and 11 yards, with no interceptions. The passing yardage and touchdown passes were both career highs for Longshore. The California offense piled up 31 first downs and 531 yards total offense against Minnesota.

Daymeion Hughes was also nominated for the award.

Bears redeemed in decisive victory over Minnesota

I predicted 41-28, but Cal exceeded expectations and soundly defeated the Gophers 42-17 last night.

The defense was notably improved. Redshirt freshman Syd’Quan Thompson found redemption with great coverage and several tackles, including one for a loss. Daymeion Hughes made two interceptions. Brandon Mebane and the defensive line did well facing Minnesota’s powerful offensive line and running attack. Mebane and Mickey Pimentel each had sacks, an impressive feat considering that Minnesota only allowed 3 sacks total last season and has gone 8 consecutive games without giving one up. Most of all, the defense made sound tackles.

On the offensive side of the ball, Nate Longshore lived up to his potential and emerged as the definite starting quarterback of the team. Completing 22 of 31 passes with 4 touchdowns and 300 yards, Longshore was able to lead the offense and execute sharply. The offense included both pro-set and spread plays, a hybrid that seemed effective to confuse Minnesota’s defense. The running game was powerful and effective as well, and the Marshawn Lynch / Justin Forsett duo pounded the Gophers into submission. The receivers also looked very good. Lavelle Hawkins gained serious yards (125) while DeSean Jackson was Longshore’s favorite for the endzone with 3 TD catches and 100+ yards also.

Special teams coverage needs some work, as they gave up a 99 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Both Andrew Larson on punts and Tom Schneider on kickoffs looked good.

There were a few stupid personal foul penalties that should have been avoided. Hopefully this is addressed by Coach Jeff Tedford.

The stadium was especially loud on Minnesota’s third down plays, causing at least two false starts.

Overall, the game was a great bounce back to winning form from last week. The Bears looked like what they should’ve one week earlier. They were confident, poised, and they executed brilliantly.