Player updates: Best, Jackson…

True freshman Jahvid Best is making a name for himself in fall camp, already earning the nickname “Jet.” Coach Jeff Tedford suggests that Best may not be redshirting this season:

“He’s special,” Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. …

Tedford suggested strongly that Best will get some playing time at running back this year, and it seems a near certainty that Best will be returning kickoffs. Kick returns are a bigger part of the game this season with kickoffs moved back 5 yards to the 30-yard line, and Best is eager to give it a try.

“I love returning kicks,” he said.

The combination of Best and DeSean Jackson should be mind blowing.

Speaking of Jackson, Sports Illustrated just put up an Inside College Football: “Postcard” feature on Cal featuring the star WR/PR and his filmmaking following (his brother Byron and a friend). Jackson is confident as usual:

“I am the one to watch,” says Jackson with a smile when he sees the pamphlet. “I’ve been ready for this moment my whole life. The camera’s always been on me. The spotlight’s always been on me. I’m used to it by now. I’m ready.”

The article also goes into quite a bit more about the team:

• Tedford is “about as comfortable with [Nate] Longshore as any quarterback he’s ever coached at Cal,” with the QB “like another coach on the field.”
• RB Justin Forsett is ready, with “[m]ost within the program think Forsett could prove to be the most explosive back the school’s had since Arrington ran for over 2,000 yards”
• Longshore on taking up Pilates with Forsett: “I have so much more flexibility and I’m able to play smarter and stay fresh. I do a little routine before I come out and I’m loose and everything feels good.”
• CB Syd’Quan Thompson doesn’t blame his performance last year at Tennessee on the cast on his left hand. “The Tennessee game was a crazy atmosphere but it helped me grow and helped me to have a short memory.”
• DE Tad Smith is rising from the third-string, and SI suggests “if he continues to make plays like he’s made so far in camp it will be hard for coaches not to start him.”
• True freshman DE Cameron Jordan is turning heads, “routinely outrunning his fellow lineman by 20-30 yards during sprints.”

Kyle Reed and QB depth

The Chronicle put together a nice feature on sophomore backup quarterback Kyle Reed yesterday, highlighting his great attitude and work ethic while he competes with “his career on the line.” TBIOOF points out that his NFL potential is an excellent indicator of the Bears’ elite quarterback lineup.

According to Jon Okanes, Coach Jeff Tedford has still not chosen a #2 quarterback:

Tedford decided to delay his decision on the backup quarterback. Kyle Reed had a better scrimmage than [freshman] Kevin Riley, but neither clearly stood out. Reed still seems to have an edge because he’s been in the program one year longer than Riley. Tedford said he would likely make a decision by the middle of [this] week.

The article makes me want to root for Reed to start when junior starter Nate Longshore finishes up, but we’ll see how Tedford makes his decision.

Players in the news

QB Nate Longshore has been added to the Manning Award (college football’s top quarterback including bowl performance) watch list. The last three winners of the award were JaMarcus Russell, Vince Young, and Matt Leinart.

WR Robert Jordan has switched his jersey to #2. This was his number in high school and also the number of cousin/housemate JaMarcus Russell (Raiders, #1 draft pick) at LSU.

DeSean featured on the cover of S&S (thanks Bret M)

WR/PR DeSean Jackson was featured yesterday on ESPN’s College Football Live program:

Intro: “He is already one of the most electrifying players in college football. Coming up on College Football Live we’re going to tell you why Cal’s DeSean Jackson might be about to get even more dangerous. Rules changes going Cal’s way on College Football Live…”

Referring to the change moving the kickoff to 30 yard line: “One of the thing about the kickoff return is you often hear coaches say ‘I don’t know if I want to use my star on the kickoff returns. I don’t want to get him hurt.’ Cal… because DeSean Jackson is such an electricifying punt returner, and in theory he’s going to have more opportunity to return and not have balls driven into the end zone, it looks as if DeSean Jackson is going to get a little time as kickoff returner as well, making that already explosive Bear offense even more dangerous.” - Reese Davis [/JY]

Jackson to return kickoffs

From an Pac-10 media day article:

News for Jackson: Because of a new NCAA rule, Cal wide receiver and All-American punt returner DeSean Jackson probably will return kickoffs as well as punts this season, although that’s news to Jackson.

“We haven’t told him yet,” Tedford said Thursday.

Jackson had said he did not expect or want to return kickoffs, because, at 170 pounds, his body may be vulnerable to the high-speed collisions that occur on kickoffs. Moments later, though, Tedford said the rule change that requires teams to kick off from their 30-yard line instead of the 35 creates more chances for big plays on kickoff returns. That seems to have convinced Tedford to have Jackson return kickoffs, too.

It will be very exciting to see Jackson take kickoffs as well. The additional touches, yards, and potential touchdown returns will help his Heisman campaign as well.

Blue Ribbon Preview on ESPN

DeSean Jackson is on the front page of ESPN’s College Football site, as ESPN has put up Blue Ribbon’s team preview for Cal. The preview has some decent analysis and insight about the Bears this upcoming season. Take a look, as it’s currently available as a “free preview” without ESPN Insider.

Blue Ribbon gives Cal the following grades:

Offense: A
Special teams: A+
Defense: B
Intangibles: A-

They also sum up their article with the following mixed praise:

That said, this offense is every bit the equal of USC’s, and at least on paper, Cal should score more points than the Trojans. And the special teams units of the Bears might be ranked tops in the nation. So why aren’t the Bears favored over USC, which is expected to be a near-unanimous preseason No. 1?

Defense, defense and yes, more defense.

USC placed six players on Blue Ribbon’s preseason All-Pac-10 first team, while Cal had none.

But much to Tedford’s credit, Cal’s season starts in terms of the national title picture on Sept. 1 when Tennessee visits Berkeley on the back-end of a home-and-home. If the Bears win, watch out — the hype could build for more than two months before the USC game on Nov. 11. If those two teams enter kickoff undefeated, that likely becomes the game of the regular-season, not only in the Pac-10, but in the nation.

However, the Bears are going to find themselves in a few fourth-quarter shootouts, especially early as the secondary gains experience. Trips to Oregon, UCLA and Arizona State won’t be easy, but they should be entertaining. Actually, with Jackson, every Cal game should be entertaining.

We see Cal as a top-10 caliber team capable of defeating just about any opponent in the country. Just not USC. The Bears should cruise to 11 wins and a second-place Pac-10 fin-ish this season, perhaps even find themselves in a BCS game, but they’re not winning the Pac-10. At least not this year.

Thanks Jonah K for the heads-up.

DeSean for Heisman: www.the1towatch.com

Cal has put up an official site promoting DeSean Jackson for the Heisman, similar to the site for Marshawn Lynch last year. It sports some fancy Flash production and is filled with videos, photos, and other information. Take a look: the1towatch.com

I’m glad to see Cal putting together this promotional material for Jackson early on in anticipation of another amazing season from our very own WR/PR highlight reel.

EDIT 11:20 PM: According to Scout.com, Jackson has stated that this is his last year at the collegiate level. However, other sources say that this is completely untrue. I’ll make an update when the facts are known.

Athlon: Cal is preseason #11

In Athlon Sports‘ annual pre-season countdown of their take on the top 25 teams, Cal has taken the #11 spot. Describing the Bears’ offense as “electric”, Athlon raves about DeSean Jackson as a Heisman candidate, QB Nate Longshore, the other wideouts, and most of the other positions as well. Take a look.

SI/Rivals: Jackson the #1 WR in CFB

WR DeSean Jackson is on the cover of SI.com’s NCAA Football homepage, taking the #1 spot in their Wide Receiver Power Rankings. Michigan’s Mario Manningham (pictured left) is in the second place spot.

It’s good to see some national publicity for DeSean and the team overall. I think the yellow jerseys are growing on me too.

Feldman: Cal has #7 top trio

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman has put together a list of what he believes are the top trios (QB, RB, WR) in the country. Cal takes the #7 spot:

7. Cal DeSean Jackson is the headliner. He’s the most explosive player in the Pac-10. I also like the improvement that QB Nate Longshore made last season. The Bears do lose TB Marshawn Lynch, but Justin Forsett is a pretty good replacement. Forsett ran for 999 yards in 2005 and did run for 124 yards in Cal’s bowl romp over Texas A&M in December.

Jackson wins Return Man award

WR/PR DeSean Jackson won the 2006 Randy Moss Return Man award for nation’s top returner, the first of its kind. His 18.2 average yards per punt return and 4 returns for touchdowns this season are among the best in the nation.