California Golden Bears Position Preview: Wide Receivers
By Alec Dietz
Before the football season starts, lets look at how the California Golden Bears are doing at each position entering the spring, and see where there are potential position battles. With a squad that’s returning 17 of 22 starters from a year ago, we might not see a lot of new faces in the starting lineup, but it doesn’t hurt to know who’s new, and who’s backing up those 17 returning starters.
More from Cal Bears
- Stanford and Cal football seasons canceled with recent Pac-12 announcement
- Cal Football: Golden Bears land local three-star OT Ryan Lange
- Stanford, Cal Football: Pac-12 will only play conference games this season
- Cal Football: Golden Bears land highest-ranked recruit of Justin Wilcox era
- Cal Football: Analyzing Ashtyn Davis’ 2020 NFL Draft landing spot
A Year Ago…
One of the strongest positional groups in the Pac-12, the Bears’ receivers were one of the bright spots during a fairly mediocre 2014 season. No receiver broke the 1,000 yard mark, but five wideouts caught five or more touchdowns.
Juniors Chris Harper, Bryce Treggs, and Trevor Davis were all outstanding, and were considered to be playmakers before the season even started. But it was Sophomore Kenny Lawler who stole the show over the course of the season, amassing over 700 yards receiving and nine touchdowns.
Overall, the wideout group for the Bears was just another outstanding group in a pretty outstanding Cal offense. The receivers helped quarterback Jared Goff, and running back Daniel Lasco, lead a potent Cal Bear offensive attack that pretty much carried the whole team.
This group looks to continue to grow off their 2014 campaign, in which they ranked 6th in the NCAA in passing yards per game.
Saying Goodbye:
- Chris Harper, 5-11, 175
- Jake Whitehurst, 6-6, 215
- James Grisom, 5-11, 180
- Bryce McGovern, 5-10, 195
New Faces:
- Austin Aaron, 6-5, 210
- Greyson Bankhead, 5-10, 160
- Kanawai Noa, 6-0, 175
- Brandon Singleton, 6-0, 175
- Carlos Strickland, 6-5, 200
- Jaylinn Hawkins, 6-1, 164
- DePriest Turner, 6-1, 184
- Billy McCrary III, 5-11, 187
Current Roster:
- Jaylinn Hawkins, Fr, 6-1, 164
- Billy McCrary III, Fr, 5-11, 187
- Raymond Hudson, So, 6-3, 235
- Bryce Treggs, Sr, 5-11, 185
- Maurice Harris, Sr, 6-2, 195
- Kenny Lawler, Jr, 6-3, 195
- Trevor Davis, Sr, 6-2, 180
- Darius Powe, Sr, 6-3, 220
- Erik Brown, Fr, 6-2, 180
- Jeffrey Coprich, Jr, 5-8, 175
- Jack Austin, So, 6-3, 210
- Matt Rockett, So, 5-10, 180
- Chad Hansen, So, 6-3, 190
- Patrick Laird, So, 6-0, 210
- Nicholas White, Fr, 6-2, 185
- Chase Marshall, Fr, 6-3, 240
- Jake Ashton, Fr, 6-4, 215
- Kenny Portera, So, 5-10, 175
- Cameron Stevens, Sr, 6-1, 200
- Justin Dunn, Fr, 6-5, 200
- Kyle Wells, Fr, 6-4, 230
- Austin Aaron, Fr, 6-5, 210
- Greyson Bankhead, Fr, 5-10, 160
- Kanawai Noa, Fr, 6-0, 175
- Brandon Singleton, Fr, 6-0, 175
- Carlos Strickland, Fr, 6-5, 200
Oct 18, 2014; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears wide receiver Kenny Lawler (4) catches a touchdown pass against the UCLA Bruins in the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. The Bruins defeated the Golden Bears 36-34. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
2015 Preview:
As great as last season’s Golden Bear receivers were, this season’s look to be even better. With only one key contributor — Harper — gone, the Bears’ wideouts are poised to have a massive year.
Seniors Treggs, Harris, and Davis look to continue successful seasons from a year ago, and star junior Lawler looks to break the 1,000 yard receiving mark this season. And with starting quarterback Goff returning, there is a lot of optimism heading into this season.
Some new faces to watch out for include high school sensation Strickland, who has enormous size for his age and will definitely be used as a red-zone threat, as he towers over average Pac-12 corners.
Hawkins could also see early action for the Bears as a slot receiver and a deep threat, as Hawkins is known for his blazing speed and his ability to separate from corners — an asset that could definitely benefit Goff and the Bears offense.
With key starters returning from last season, and new faces that could contribute — and boost — an already potent Bears passing attack right away, this positional group could be even better than it was last season.