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When you look at the depth chart, which position are the Bears the strongest?
On offense, it's the wide receivers. Cal has them in every shape and size - you name them, they've got them; speedsters (Kenny Lawler, Bryce Treggs), possession guys (Darius Powe, Maximo Espitia), and tight ends masquerading as wideouts (Jacob Wark, Spencer Hagan, Richard Rodgers). This allows them to mix and match as the situation requires, and whoever ends up winning the quarterback job should have more than a handful of weapons to choose from.
On defense, the Bears go six or seven deep at linebacker, all of whom are athletic, aggressive, and run very well for their size. Middle linebacker Nick Forbes has not been shy in saying Buh's 4-3 defense could take the team to new heights, and he could be a large part of why. Even better is the youth of this unit - none of the linebackers listed on the depth chart are seniors.
The biggest concern I have with Cal next season is ______ because of ________.
Offensive line, because of the shuffling that has gone on there - the presumable starter at both tackle positions, center, and possibly even right guard will be new this fall. Their task is clear - improve one of the nation's worst lines - but no less large. As of spring practice, there have been signs of improvement in their ability to keep the quarterback upright, but their ability to run block remains a massive worry, with none of the backs able to find consistent holes.
What's the record you project for the Bears this season based on what you've seen in practice?
6 and 6 seems more than reasonable, with a high of 8-4 and a low of 5-7. The talent is there, but the schedule is brutal, with ranked opponents like Ohio State, Oregon and Stanford all waiting. Rough. Still, the Bears should be more entertaining than they were all of last season - a good energy lives in the program again, and there is good reason for excitement in the near future.