Cal Golden Bears: CFN College Football Preview 2021

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Cal Golden Bears season with what you need to know.

Cal College Football Preview 2021: Top Players

Best Cal Offensive Player

QB Chase Garbers, Sr.
After throwing 28 touchdown passes and running for 643 yards and five touchdowns in his first two seasons, he was all set to have a massive 2020 and then … 2020.

He was hardly bad – he completed a career-best 63% of his throws with six touchdowns in the four games – but he struggled to lead the team to big plays in key moments. He’s got the size, experience, and ability to very, very quietly be – maybe – the best quarterback in the Pac-12.

2. RB Christopher Brown, Sr.
3. WR Kekoa Crawford, Sr.
4. C Michael Saffell, Sr.
5. WR/KR Nikko Remigio, Sr.

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Best Cal Defensive Player

LB Kuony Deng, Sr. 
The numbers don’t do him justice in a shortened season. The 6-6, 245-pound senior can play inside or out, making 121 tackles in 2019 and following it up with 31 stops in four games last year. While he’s built to do more as a pass rusher on the outside, he’s quick enough to be a factor as a pass defender, too – he broke up eight plays in 2019.

2. LB Cameron Goode, Sr.
3. CB Josh Drayden, Sr.
4. S Elijah Hicks, Sr.
5. DE JH Tevis, Jr.

Top Incoming Cal Transfer

S Raymond Woodie, Jr.
Cal isn’t doing much in the transfer portal with so much talent returning on both sides, but getting the 6-0, 205-pound former Florida State Seminole is a nice boost. The former star recruit only made 34 tackles with a broken up pass in his two years as FSU, but he’s got the size and range to be an instant part of the rotation.

NEXT: Cal College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season