Justin Wilcox Makes No Announcement on Cal's Starting QB

The Bears' coach suggests he may not reveal the starter before the Aug. 31 opener vs. UC Davis

Justin Wilcox is still scratching his head on a starting QB. /

With nine days left before Cal opens its football season at home against UC Davis, coach Justin Wilcox still has not announced a starting quarterback.

And it sounds like it’s possible he won’t get around to doing so before the Aug. 31 matchup at Memorial Stadium with the Aggies.

“We don’t have anything to announce right now, but Fernando, Chandler, CJ, all those guys have had really, really strong camps,” Wilcox said Thursday in his first exchange with reporters since Saturday’s second scrimmage.

Asked specifically whether he intends to name a starter before the first game or whether he might play two or even three quarterbacks against Davis, Wilcox declined to offer much insight.

“We’ll have a plan going into the game,” he said, “but how much we share is . . . you’re probably going to be wanting more information. I’ll put it that way.”

Sophomore Fernando Mendoza started the final eight games a year, helping the Bears to victories in their three regular-season games to gain bowl eligibility. He remained penciled in at No. 1 after competing throughout spring with North Texas transfer Chandler Rogers, a far more experienced player.

The two of them got first- and second-team reps throughout fall camp but Ohio U transfer CJ Harris arrived and also has played well, further complicating the picture.

“Really like the quarterbacks and what they’ve done this camp,” Wilcox said. “Those three guys have gotten significant reps — probably upwards of 450, 500 each when you look at team and 7-on-7. 

“I’ll tell you what, all of them, starting with Fernando, have made huge strides. We’ve got to keep them doing that.”

Wilcox said he has been most pleased with the decision-making of all three, their ability to target the right receiver on a given play. All three still have things to work on, but he added, “Really pleased with the group overall.”

Wilcox has avoided ever giving a concrete time table for naming a starting quarterback. But the assumption has been he would like to identify one guy at the position, and offensive coordinator Mike Bloesch talked last Friday in the video above about the possibility that more than one QB could see first-half action against the Aggies. 

INJURY UPDATE: Wilcox said he hopes wide receivers Tobias Merriweather and Mikey Matthews and starting offensive guard Sioape Vatikani — who have missed practice time with injuries — will be back for the Davis game. But he reiterated that the decision will come from the program’s medical staff.

SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST: Eleven Cal players, including running back Jaydn Ott, are included on the Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list, released Thursday.

Yes, Ott is a junior, not a senior. But this is the first year “true” juniors have been made eligible to participate in the annual post-season all-star game. Players are eligible for the NFL draft after three years in college so Ott could play in the game if he opts to transition to pro football, as he has indicated he expects to do.

Here’s the full list of Cal players named to the watch list for the Feb. 1 game in Mobile, Ala.: Teddye Buchanan, LB; Kadarius Calloway, RB; Xavier Carlton, DL; Ricky Correia, DL; Marcus Harris, DB; Jaydn Ott, RB; David Reese, DL; Rush Reimer, OL; T.J. Session, OL; Nohl Williams, DB; Craig Woodson, DB.