Cal Gets Its First Look at Grad Transfer QB Ryan Glover

New quarterback looks comfortable in Saturday scrimmage after just two practices

Cal got its first look at graduate transfer quarterback Ryan Glover in game situations during Saturday’s scrimmage, and he performed all right for someone who had only two practices under his belt.

He played previously at Penn and Western Carolina, a pair of FCS programs, but one conversation with Glover tells you he has the maturity to play at the FBS level.

*--Click here for a report on Saturday's scrimmage.

Glover is competing with sophomore Zach Johnson and freshman Kai Millner for the backup quarterback spot behind starter Chase Garbers. Johnson came out of spring ball as the No. 2 quarterback, but that was before Glover and Millner arrived on the scene.

Glover missed the first 10 training camp practices because of what Glover called “health-related issues,” which meant he has some catching up to do. But Cal coaches would not have recruited a grad transfer quarterback unless they thought he had a chance to contribute this season.

In Saturday’s scrimmage, Glover was 4-for-11 for 36 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions working primarily with the second-team offense as Cal worked through several game situations. His touchdown pass was a 13-yard throw to sophomore wide receiver Mason Mangum when Cal was working on its red-zone offense.

Glover was 3-for-9 for 23 yards when Cal began drives on its side of the 50-yard line. He also showed mobility with a 7-yard run on a scramble.

“I definitely made a step forward,” Glover said after the scrimmage. “I had only been practicing two days before that, so I think it was a good day to evaluate my game and see how well I know the playbook, but overall I think I did pretty OK.”

Head coach Justin Wilcox sees the progress.

“He’s made some really nice plays,” Wilcox said. “He’s just learning a lot right now. Really like his instincts. He’s an intelligent guy. He just needs practice.”

Wilcox was not ready to announce a pecking order for the quarterbacks.

Millner was 6-for-12 for 101 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the scrimmage, while Johnson got only limited work, completing all three of his pass attempts for 22 yards.

Glover said Cal gave him no promises regarding playing time when he was being recruited.

“They just said, ‘You’re going to get a chance to compete and going to get a chance to play,’” Glover said.

Glover said the playbook of Cal offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave is more complicated than what he dealt with at Penn or Western Carolina.

“It has a few more layers, a few more responsibilities,” said.Glover, who referred to Musgrave as a "mastermind."

What Glover has that the other two players competing for the backup job don’t have is experience playing in college games.

He started 10 games for Penn in 2018 and appeared in five more in 2019 before the Ivy League canceled the 2020 season. So Glover transferred to Western Carolina and played in six games, including five starts, during the spring season that ended March 27. So he has played in some relatively recent college football games.

He admitted there is a difference going from FCS ball to the FBS level at Cal, and it shows itself in the depth of top-flight players on FBS teams. He explained the difference in this video.

In Glover, Cal is getting a well-rounded, mature individual who has had some worldly experiences. His mother is Oakland-based celebrity fashion stylist Tameka Foster, allowing him to meet a lot of celebrities. He attended the 2009 Presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, and he met the  former President, who told him a joke and even dapped him up, as Glover explains in this video:

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He graduated from the Wharton Business School at Penn and is now continuing his education the Haas School of Business at Cal. So he will have an impressive resume when he leaves.

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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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