It seems like Sonny Dykes doesn’t want to wait too long before announcing his decision. At Bay Area Media Day, Dykes made it clear he wants to have this thing wrapped up as soon as possible so he can get set to preparing for the season. More from Kevin Gemmell of ESPN:

“We’re hoping it happens quickly,” Dykes said. “We’re hoping it’s obvious to all of us quickly. But we’ll decide when we think it’s the best time to decide. It could be five practices in, could be a week in, could be two weeks in. I think the sooner the better for us, but it’s a big decision. It’s a decision that you want to let play out, and it’s an important decision so you have to make sure you have enough credible evidence to base a decision on.”

If you think Dykes is close to a decision, you can go in one or two directions here.

• Cal has a clear favorite coming out of spring camp in most likely Chase Forrest (or potentially Ross Bowers), and they’ll win the job in short order.
• Cal has a clear favorite come into Berkeley in graduate transfer Davis Webb, who should have the skills to be good stop-gap as the Bears transition from the post-Jared Goff era.
• Or the third direction: Dykes is just hoping that the competition resolves itself quickly, and he really doesn’t know which way to lean yet.

I’m not clear of another scenario at the moment. The Cal depth chart is not heavy on details here, giving us a three-way tie between Bowers, Forrest and Webb.

Cal has three weeks of practice (some of them open, come and watch!) before jetsetting to Australia for the season opener on August 26th.

Early thoughts on who the winner of the competition will be?

Replacing arguable the best back in Utah football history is a tall task for the crew that will line up in the backfield in 2016, but make no mistake about it, the running backs that Utah has are very talented. I don’t foresee any of these guys having the slippery-ness that Booker had, but they each bring something different to the table, which is why we’ll probably see more of a running back by committee approach this season.

The likely starter will be Joe Williams, who took over as starter once Booker went down with his knee injury last season. His profile says he’s the fastest returning Utah, running a 4.35 40, so he has a little more top end speed than Booker. Last season, he appeared in 10 games, and started the last three (UCLA, Colorado and BYU). He racked up 477 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season, with 399 of those coming in those last three games. The senior doesn’t have the ability to hit the hole quite look Booker, which few do, but he has proven he can carry the ball as a work horse, but that’s not what we’ll probably see from him this season

Getting plenty of reps will be Troy McCormick, the electrifying back coming off of a torn ACL last spring. The junior from Katy, Texas, gave fans a glimpse of his abilities in the 2014 Las Vegas Bowl against Colorado State, when he rushed for 86 yards on five carries. McCormick is dangerous in the open field, and is hard to tackle. Coaches had big plans for him last season before the knee injury, and are very excited to have him back going into the upcoming season. You’ll likely see McCormick lining up all over the field, in the back field,the slot, wide, just to utilize his receiving capabilities. You’ll hopefully see him and Williams on the field at the same time through out the season.

Utah also has some young freshmen on the team that could see some action and contribute. First is Marcel Manalo, a red shirt freshman who missed last season after a gun shot injury sidelined him. He played very well during the spring, and raised a lot of eyebrows with his production. He proved hard to bring down, and was able to pick up some tough yards. A just 5-11and 220 pounds, he’s a bit of a battering ram, but may see some situations on the field this fall.

Another young one to keep an eye on is Zack Moss. One of the Hallandale three along with QB Tyler Huntley and WR Demari Simpkins, Moss was one that Utah had to fight for. Tennessee and Miami (who he committed too prior to Utah) came hot and heavy after Moss before signing day. If you follow Moss on Twitter, you’ve seen he is an impressive young man, with a college ready body. Although he wasn’t on campus for spring, coaches went after him with the intent of him playing early. He’s got a little bit of Booker in him, with some of his ability to change direction and to break through tackles. Now we’ll have to see if he can translate that to the college level, but fans should be excited for this kid.

Utah’s got some really good depth at running back, and fans shouldn’t see too much of a drop from Booker to this crew, but I don’t know if we’ll see the highlights that Booker provided us, because he was just so special. However, with this returning offensive line, and with as much talent as Utah has in the backfield, we should see a potent running game to help a first year starting QB get comfortable.

(3) Mike McCormack

Mike played offensive line for the Jayhawks from 1948-50.  While at Kansas, McCormack became first team All-Conference in his senior season.  He would be taken #34 overall in the 1951 NFL Draft, but played only one season before being drafted into the US Army.  After serving three years in Korea, he came back to the States to find out that he was a free agent because the team that draft him, the New York Yanks, had folded.

He immediately signed with Baltimore but was then traded to Cleveland, where he would spend an eight year career.  He is widely regarded as one of the best offensive linemen ever to play in the NFL.  After his playing career, he spent 17 years as a head coach in the NFL with various franschises: the Eagles, Colts, and Seahawks, as well as several stints as an assistant.

McCormack was instrumental in founding the Carolina Panthers, and served as their GM from their founding in 1993 until 1997.

Mike is in the Ring of Honor at KU’s Memorial Stadium, has a statue at Carolina’s stadium, and was called by legendary Browns owner Paul Brown “… the finest offensive tackle who ever played pro football.”  He was the second Jayhawk to be enshrined in Pro Football’s Hall of Fame, an honor he achieved in 1984.

(30) Gilbert Brown

Gilbert played at KU from 1989-92, choosing Kansas over Bo Schembechler and Michigan because he reportedly was looking for a quiet, small-town environment different from the one he was used to in Detroit.  He was part of the 1992 Aloha Bowl team under Glen Mason.  His stats in college don’t really jump out at you, hence the low seeding, I would imagine due to his teammate at the time, Dana Stubblefield.  He started all but 2 games in his Kansas career.

Brown was taken 79th overall in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, who cut him late in training camp due to his weight.  The Green Bay Packers picked him up the next day, but Gilbert would only play in 2 games that season while he worked on his weight.

After missing the 1994 and 1995 seasons with injuries (ACL, elbow), he finally played a complete season in 1996.  He would spend his entire career with Green Bay, and ended up second in Packers history in playoff games played behind Bret Favre.  He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2008.

UCLA lost another football recruit on Saturday. This time, it was Jeffrey Manning, Jr. who announced that he is re-opening his recruiting process.

It was just last month that Manning, Jr. announced his commitment to UCLA. So much for UCLA being his “dream school.”

Now, of course, we have no idea exactly what has caused Manning, Jr. to re-open his recruiting process since he didn’t offer any kind of an explanation for the decision in his tweet which announced it.

While losing six recruits who had verbally committed is discouraging, there may be different reasons why each one chose to re-open their recruiting process. And, of course, academics may be a big factor in some of them.

Bruin fans need to remember that these are 17 and 18 year old kids who are making the biggest decision of their lives to date and they are certainly entitled to rethink their decisions or have their doubts about them.

Heck, I remember back when I was a high school senior. I didn’t make my decision to go to UCLA until graduation night. So, I can understand why some indecision is possible.

At the same time, the overall trend is certainly disturbing to Bruin fans.

As derhessian points out in his fanpost, the number of decommits is now twice as large as the list of remaining commits. That’s troublesome.

What else is troublesome is the fact that Manning, Jr. is the third decommit from Cathedral HS. (While Manning attended Bellflower HS last season, he is transferring to Cathedral HS for his senior year.)

It raises the question as to what is going on with Cathedral High and the UCLA Athletic Department. Are the coaches at Cathedral High steering their players away from UCLA because of the Kobe Paras situation? Is the Kobe Paras situation somehow influencing football players at Cathedral HS?

After all, Cathedral is an all-boys Catholic high school with an enrollment of about 750 boys. That means that, roughly, each Cathedral class is made up of approximately 150-200 boys. That’s small enough that it could affect things.

Could the Cathedral coaches be looking at the Paras situation and suggesting their players re-open their recruitment by comparing current players’ grades to Paras’ grades? Certainly.

To be sure, there’s a whole host of issues which could be causing the current UCLA Football recruiting issues. At this point, there’s only one thing which is sure to reduce the concern about the 2017 recruiting class and that’s for the coaching staff to convince more recruits to commit to UCLA and get them to stay committed.

Go Bruins.

The Michigan Wolverines have offered a scholarship to 2018 five-star strong-side defensive end Xavier Thomas.

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound athlete from Wilson High School in Florence, South Carolina has offers to play for Clemson, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State, Auburn, Duke, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, Miami (FL), Michigan, Mississippi State, N.C. State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USF, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Thomas is ranked as the No. 1 overall player on the 2018 ESPN Junior 300. Michigan commit Leonard Taylor is No. 45 on the list. The five-star prospect is ranked No. 2 overall in the 2018 class, according to 247Sports. He is the top strong-side defensive end and the best player in the state of South Carolina.

During his 2015 season with Wilson High School, Thomas logged 70 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Across two varsity seasons, he has made 129 tackles and 17 sacks.

Already with three accepted walk-on offers, the Wisconsin Badgers received a fourth Sunday morning. Merrill, Wis., fullback/linebacker Jake Collinsworth committed to UW as a preferred walk-on. He announced his decision via Twitter.

Collinsworth currently ranks as the No. 3 linebacker in the state, according to WisSports.net. According to his Twitter profile, he holds a 4.0 GPA and earned a 30 on his ACT score. His Hudl profile boasts a 4.63 40-yard dash and was a unanimous first-team all-conference selection at linebacker in 2015, second-team at running back.

On June 29, Collinsworth announced via Twitter he received the preferred walk-on offer. At 6’1, 230 pounds heading into his senior year, the linebacker has solid size that the Wisconsin coaching staff will be able to mold further when he gets to Madison.

Kimberly quarterback Danny Vanden Boom, Menomonee Falls lineman Matt Henningsen and Darlington running back Hunter Johnson are the other known walk-ons who have committed to Wisconsin’s class of 2017.

Honored to announce I am committing to the University of Wisconsin! I will work to earn it every single day. pic.twitter.com/MDRCVxQDTf

— Jake Collinsworth (@Collinsworth33) July 31, 2016

Great day in Madison getting to know the coaches and the school! #OnWisconsin #PWO pic.twitter.com/uhfKeXnEgD

— Jake Collinsworth (@Collinsworth33) July 26, 2016

Very honored to receive a preferred walk-on offer to play football for the Wisconsin Badgers! #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/B2LB2jDpEt

— Jake Collinsworth (@Collinsworth33) June 29, 2016

I’ll confess, I got the idea for this column from my usual source for prompts, twitter:

It appealed to my interest in going beyond surface level discussions of the upcoming football season. I attended Mizzou’s fall camp last year and spring practices this year; admittedly with the typical media restrictions on observing practices. That gives me about as close to an “insiders” perspective as one might come across, even if I’m only standing a few feet closer to the inside than the average fan. I’ve also talked with several current and past players and through them collected some insight into some of the current roster.

For me, predicting an “up-and-coming” Missouri player to be a household name by the end of this season was simple. He needed the following criteria.

It has to be someone on Missouri’s defense since the majority of pundits and fans are already familiar with that side. Sorry Drew Lock or… ummm, J’Mon Moore?

It needs to be an athlete at a premium position – defensive line or linebacker. My rationale for this is these guys are typically on the screen the most, are tackling the ball-carrier almost every play and are in a position to record commonly understood stats – sacks, tackles, interceptions, etc. Missouri has been fortunate to have several standout players at these positions of late; Kentrell Brothers, Shane Ray, and Michael Sam all earned national recognition for their stellar play in the past few years.

It’s my opinion that Charles Harris is already known among college football writers and NFL scouts. It’s certainly the go to name-drop when they’re asked to talk about the Tigers. Perhaps he really does have a 15 sack season, earns a national award and solidifies his first round draft stock but that would feel more like validation than a surprise. Sorry Chuck.

It had to be someone who wasn’t coming off a serious injury. I just didn’t want to take the risk on a player with durability concerns. While I realize injuries are an ever-present possibility, it seemed prudent to consider history. Sorry Harold Brantley and Terry Beckner.

Finally it needs to be a someone who’s role in the defense will be emphasized. All things being equal, guys like Michael Scherer, Rickey Hatley or Marcell Frazier can probably be counted on duplicating last year’s performances.

That left me with just a few names. Sophomore defensive end Nate Howard was high on my list because he’ll be backing up Charles Harris and had the athleticism to compete as a true freshman. I ruled him out because I don’t know if he can have the requisite success from a backup role. Walter Brady quietly had a freshman All-American season last year and looks to capitalize on the focus opponents will likely put on Charles Harris. I’m concerned how Brady adjusts to a new defensive philosophy and changing responsibilities but I’ll admit he was my runner-up.

Which leaves me with just one choice. Redshirt senior linebacker Donavin Newsom.

The hybrid outside linebacker/safety role that Newsom will be playing will give him an opportunity to rush the passer and drop into coverage much like we saw from Kentrell Brothers last year. Coaches and players rave about his athleticism comparing him to Sean Weatherspoon and a blitz-heavy scheme will allow him to record the gaudy stats national pundits and fans notice.

My thought process was: Newsom is an experienced player who was under-the-radar last year due to several factors. Despite Kentrell Brothers hogging all the tackles, Newsom put up some solid stats last year.

Missouri’s offensive woes combined with the protests basically derailed all discussion of an otherwise fantastic defense but Newsom was one of the best players on one of the best defenses in the country last year. I think Newsom will take the next step and earn national recognition and possibly vault himself into a NFL draft consideration with a stellar 2016 season.

A.J. Turner

RS Freshman
Running Back
5-10 / 195 lbs.
Clifton, VA

Recruitment

Varied as a three and four star prospect with over 20 FBS offers, it was thought he would wind up at either Virginia or Michigan St. until South Carolina made a run at him.

Veiwed as a four-star by Rivals.com, the Virginia native rushed for close to 1,300 yards with 32 touchdowns his junior season. He missed the majority of his senior season with a wrist injury.

College Career

Turner redshirted his first season for the Gamecocks and hasn’t seen much of any ame action the past two seasons.

2016 Outlook

Turner looks to be one of those dark house prospects that could easily burst onto the scene as a playmaking threat for the Gamecocks this season. His speed and pass-catching ability is just too much for Kurt Roper and the Gamecocks’ offensive coaches to ignore.

While there’s probably some rust to shake off after missing action in 2014 and 2015, Turner should be primed to excite fans and gets his named tossed around the bleachers of Williams-Brice.

It’s not a crowded room of known playmakers for the Gamecocks, but Turner has the skill level to become a member. We should all be excited we have this guy backing up vet David Williams.

Romeo Finley

S – 6’1 200 Freshman – Fort Walton Beach, Fl

Composite 4 star recruit comes to UM with ambitions to play right away:

*FREE* Miami Freshman S Romeo Finley Working to Earn a Role https://t.co/PP7uZ19j7e

— InsideTheU.com (@InsideTheU) July 15, 2016

Picked the ‘Canes over Clemson and Georgia Tech among others.

Early on will likely have a tough road to PT on D, with veterans like Jaquan Johnson, Rayshawn Jenkins, and Jamal Carter returning at safety.

However, Finley brings outstanding size, athleticism, and a mean streak to the table.  So it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could see early action nonetheless:

Looks like his natural position will be SS, but he is long and fast enough to perhaps play some FS as well down the line.

Summary: I could very easily see Finley earning at minimum a role on Special Teams this season, so a RS is not a strong possibility.  But the more exciting prospect is what this kid could mean to Manny Diaz’ attacking D next year and years to come.  Miami has a long history of great safeties, but the comparison I see when watching his highlights is Brandon Merriweather.  Finley, however,  is even bigger than the former Hurricanes great who has been very solid in the NFL for Patriots, Giants, and Bears among others. The Niceville, Fl product is anything but nice when he brings the wood to opposing ball carriers. He’ll need to learn the playbook, and get a feel for the speed of the game at this level.  But he already has the physical skill set you want in a strong safety, and he’s only going to get bigger and stronger.  His ball skills are very solid as well, but the best part of his game right now is his tackling. Finley has the potential to be an absolute monster as a blitzer and in the box down the line.  In 2016, watch for him on coverage units and on D perhaps in mop up situations. He just might separate a few players from the ball as a true freshman, and his future beyond this season is undoubtedly bright.