California’s players and coaches will hear Jared Goff’s name all year. In many ways, it’s as if he never left.
Goff was a starter as a true freshman, and a player who helped bring the Golden Bears out of the dumps and back into relevance.
Then, of course, he was picked first overall in the NFL Draft. He is now the face of the Los Angeles Rams in their move back to California.
Media Day in July was held in, of course, Los Angeles. The questions poured in from local reporters, too — what was Jared Goff like?
For this California team, coming off a season with an 8-5 record and its first bowl win — in the Armed Forces Bowl — since 2008, the bigger question is “What will life be like after Jared Goff?”
“You have to realize it’s the ultimate team sport,” said offensive lineman Steven Moore. “He’s not going to break our whole team by leaving. Obviously he doesn’t help us by leaving, but we just got to realize we have good quarterbacks, whoever is going to step in, is going to be good. There’s not going to be that big of a drop-off, I think.”
People are also reading…
It became much easier to say that in mid-May, when Cal’s outlook really changed for the 2016 season.
That’s when Davis Webb, initially headed for Colorado, changed course and announced he’d be transferring instead to the Bay Area to play for the Golden Bears.
For a quick fix post-Goff, there weren’t many better options out there on short notice. Webb comes to California from Texas Tech, where he played 18 games his first two years, amassing 5,257 total passing yards with 44 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. He was relegated to the backup job a year ago, prompting the transfer.
He committed to the Buffaloes in January as a graduate transfer but continued to take visits. He checked out Cal, Auburn and Mississippi State.
“I talk to Davis Webb basically every day,” Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre told ESPN in late-April. “Almost every night. He’s told me every time he’s definitely coming to Colorado. I don’t have any other reason to think why he wouldn’t.”
A few weeks later, he did just that.
So what changed?
“It was nothing against Colorado, but at the same time, I only have one year to do this,” Webb told FoxSports after announcing his commitment to California. “When I committed in January, that was the best situation for me, but then something that fit me better came along.”
So far, Webb has already made an impression on his new teammates and coaches. In August, he was named the starting quarterback.
“He works hard just like Jared did and he’s confident, that’s the thing. That’s the good thing about a quarterback, they should be confident, not cocky,” Moore said. “And he’s confident. He knows what his capabilities are.”
Cal coach Sonny Dykes has been particularly impressed with his work ethic. Webb’s measurables aren’t bad, either: He stands 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 230 pounds. CBS Sports rates him the 10th best NFL prospect among seniors.
“Yeah, the thing that’s really honestly been the most impressive thing about Davis has just been his work ethic,” Dykes said. “Since he got on campus, he comes to work at 7 a.m. and leaves at 10 p.m. That’s what he does every day. … He just wants to work. It’s incredibly important to him. He’s very passionate.
“He loves football, and he sees this as an opportunity to accomplish his goals.”
