Patrick Laird Named to Maxwell Watch List, Huge Piece of Cal’s Puzzle
Patrick Laird has been named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, and the Golden Bears might need him to perform at that level in 2018.
After a breakout season in 2017, Cal football’s running back Patrick Laird is receiving national recognition ahead of his redshirt senior season. He has been named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, given annually to the nation’s collegiate player of the year.
This is an award given to the best of the best, with the last four winners (Marcus Mariota in 2014, Derrick Henry in 2015, Lamar Jackson in 2016, and Baker Mayfield last year) also earning the Heisman Trophy in the same season they won the Maxwell Award. No Golden Bear has even won the Maxwell Award, just like no Golden Bear has won the Heisman Trophy. In order for the Bears to take that next step in 2018, they might very well need Laird to play at that level.
With about six weeks until the Bears open their season, there are a lot of question marks with the offense. There still isn’t a definitive starting quarterback yet, with incumbent Ross Bowers and Brandon McIlwain still battling it out among others. Wide receiver Demetris Robertson, the star freshman of 2016 who played just two games last year before an injury, was supposed to be the number one receiving threat this year. Instead, he transferred to the University of Georgia to, reportedly, be closer to his sick mother.
Laird became the workhorse last year after starting the season down on the depth chart. He emerged as a game-changing running back who can impact a game as a receiver as well, turning into the Bears’ biggest offensive weapon. He carried the ball 191 times for 1,127 yards and eight touchdowns, all team-leading totals that represent career-highs for Laird. He also caught the ball 45 times for 322 yards.
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This year, there isn’t a lot of experienced running back depth behind Laird. Vic Enwere has graduated and moved on to the NFL, where he is trying to make the New York Jets’ team. Tre Watson also transferred after graduating, joining the Texas Longhorns. Underclass running backs Billy McCrary and Zion Echols, who both had previous on-field experience, also transferred out.
Currently, sophomore Derrick Clark is the only other running back listed on the roster who has taken a carry in-game. He rushed 14 times for 46 yards last year, and didn’t carry more than five times in a single game. Redshirt freshman Biaggio Ali Walsh and junior Alex Netherda (who has played safety and wide receiver over the last two years) are the only other running backs listed on the current roster.
That leaves the big offensive burden on Laird. He will once again be expected to carry a heavy load, and if the Golden Bears are going to be competitive in the Pac-12 this year, they’ll need Laird to replicate, and likely exceed, his 2017 performance. They’ll obviously need other players to step up on offense, particularly a quarterback who can take the reins and a wide receiver he can rely on, but Laird is likely going to be the main focus of the offense.
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If Laird can match his breakout season, it will take some of the pressure off his quarterback and the rest of the offense. If not, or if Laird gets hurt, it could turn out to be yet another long season for the Bears.