Cal Football 2023 Preview: Can Bears Answer Enough Questions to Find Success?

Cal makes changes everywhere in an effort to halt a trend of three straight losing seasons.

On the heels of a 4-8 season and so much disarray swirling around them, can the Cal football team rise up and do something special?

Can the Bears reverse the trend of three straight losing seasons while eight of their long-time Pac-12 rivals begin packing their bags for new conferences next fall?

Will the 49 new players the Bears brought in — including a robust transfer class — develop the chemistry and provide the depth that can lead them to a bowl game assignment?

Can new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital orchestrate an attack that scores more 23 points a game?

Does an infusion of transfer talent in the secondary help return the defense to its usual standing among the Pac-12’s best?

Yes, there are questions regarding this Golden Bears’ squad. Lots and lots of questions.

The season kicks off Saturday in Denton, Texas, where Cal takes on North Texas. 

Jake Curtis and I address the key issues in our preview of the Bears' season: 

Jeremiah Hunter leads a talented Cal wide receiver group / Photo by Kyle Terada, USA Today

-- CAL’S THREE BIGGEST STRENGTHS

Jake:

1. Defensive secondary. Three newcomers (Patrick McMorris, Nohl Williams, Matthew Littlejohn) are starters in a five-man secondary that always seems to be Cal’s best unit.

2. Wide receiver depth. Jeremiah Hunter is the star, but Brian Hightower, Trond Grizzell, Marquis Montgomery, Taj Davis and Monroe Young will get significant playing time.

3. Inside linebackers. If Kaleb Elarms-Orr keeps improving at the rate he did in the offseason, he could provide a nice complement to standout Jackson Sirmon.

Jeff:

1. Newcomers, including offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, providing fresh optimism.

2. Depth of talent at wide receiver.

3. The kicking game, with punter Lachlan Wilson and placekicker Michael Luckhurst, should be excellent.

-- THREE BIGGEST CONCERNS

Jake:

1. Quarterback. In a conference filled with elite quarterbacks, Cal is starting a player (Sam Jackson V) with no playing time with the game on the line.

2. Offensive line. Even though Cal coaches claim the offensive line has improved, it was the biggest weakness on the team last year

3. Brett Johnson. The defensive lineman can be a dominant force up front if he is healthy, but he has missed the past two seasons with injuries, so it remains to be seen how much and how well he will play.

Jeff:

1. Offensive line. When Cal is good, typically so is its O-line. The jury remains out on this one.

2. The schedule, with road games vs. Washington, Utah, Oregon and UCLA.

3. Distractions. If Cal’s future conference home isn’t settled soon, could the Bears’ attention be impacted?

Inside linebacker Jackson Sirmon / Photo by Darren Yamashita, USA Today

-- THREE BEST PLAYERS

Jake:

1. Inside linebacker Jackson Sirmon. He was Cal’s only first-team all-conference player last year and should only be better in 2023.

2. Running back Jaydn Ott. It’s impossible to forget the 273-yard rushing game he had last season against Arizona as a freshman.

3. Safety Patrick McMorris. We could put wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter, safety Craig Woodson or cornerback Nohl Williams in this spot, but McMorris was a two-time first-team all-Mountain West selection.

Jeff:

1. Inside linebacker Jackson Sirmon. He could lead the Pac-12 in tackles this season.

2. Running back Jaydn Ott. Block for this guy and he could total 1,500 yards rushing and receiving.

3. Defensive lineman Brett Johnson . . . if he remains healthy.

Quarterback Sam Jackson V / Photo by Al Sermeno, KLC fotos

-- MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER

Jake: Quarterback Sam Jackson V. If Cal is to do any damage in the Pac-12, Jackson has to start the season well, then improve in each game thereafter.

Jeff: Sam Jackson V. The quarterback is almost always a team’s most important player, and if Jackson can begin to fulfill his upside the Bears could field their most productive offense in a half-dozen seasons.

-- BREAKOUT PLAYER

Jake: Wide receiver Trond Grizzell. The walk-on kept making plays in preseason camp, and the quarterbacks seem to have confidence in him.

Jeff: Walk-on wide receiver Trond Grizzell was nowhere on the radar a year ago, but the 6-foot-4 sophomore has elevated himself to a co-starting role and provides a target with an impressive catch radius.

Center Matthew Cindric returns to anchor the offensive line / Photo by Darren Yamashita, USA Today

-- MOST IMPORTANT POSITION GROUP

Jake: Offensive line. Jaydn Ott has the talent to be a 1,000-yard rusher, but he won’t come close if the offensive line is no better than last season.

Jeff: Offensive line. The Bears surrendered 31 sacks and were last in the Pac-12 in rushing offense last season. Four of their five starting O-linemen are the same. Can they be better?

-- PIVOTAL GAME

Jake: Oregon State at Berkeley, Oct. 7. It’s the sixth game of the season, the third conference game and it’s a home game against a team picked to finish fifth, so the season could turn one way or the other based on this result.

Jeff: Auburn at Berkeley, Sept. 9. This is the ideal setting to face an SEC team — the Tigers are coming off back-to-back losing seasons, have a new coach, and will be playing their first road game of the season. Win this one and the Bears can take a 3-0 record into the Pac-12.

-- RECORD VS. THE FOUR FUTURE BIG TEN TEAMS

(USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon)

Jake: 1-3. Cal will win one of the four games somehow, the most likely being the season finale against UCLA.

Jeff: 1-3. USC plays at Notre Dame and at home vs. Utah in the two weeks before visiting Berkeley as a potentially worn-out opponent. Cal pulls the upset in their farewell matchup against a century-old rival.

-- SURPRISE GAME RESULT

Jake: Auburn on Sept. 9, at Berkeley. Few expect Cal to beat an SEC team, but the Tigers struggled last year, have a new head coach (Hugh Freeze) and are not expected to contend for a conference title this season.

Jeff: The Bears played their worst game of the season last year at Oregon State, losing 38-10. They turn the tables in the Oct. 7 rematch at Berkeley.

-- BIG GAME SCORE

Jake: Cal 21, Stanford 17. Former Cal quarterback Troy Taylor will get the most out of Stanford’s offense, but the talent is just not there.

Jeff: Cal 28, Stanford 17. A victory earns the Bears bowl eligibility.

-- FINAL OVERALL AND PAC-12 RECORDS

Jake: 6-6 overall, 4-5 in Pac-12

Jeff: 6-6 overall, 4-5 in Pac-12

-- BOWL BOUND?

Jake: Yes

Jeff: Agreed. Six wins earns a postseason assignment, likely against an opponent Cal can beat.

Justin Wilcox enters his seventh season as Cal's coach / Photo by John Hefti, USA Today

-- COACH JUSTIN WILCOX’S FUTURE

Jake: Wilcox is the only Pac-12 coach who could be considered on the hot seat, but unless Cal goes something like 1-11, he won’t get fired because his contract runs through 2027, and Cal can’t afford to fire him and hire someone else.

Jeff: A fourth straight losing season would be problematic. But unlike Mark Fox’s recent Cal basketball teams, the football team has remained competitive. Wilcox returns in 2024.

Cover photo of Cal running back Jaydn Ott by Kyle Terada, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo