Cal’s three-man QB competition is too close to call as season nears
Sam Jackson V, Fernando Mendoza and Ben Finley have two more weeks to make their case to start for Cal Bears vs. North Texas
BERKELEY, CA — The coaching staff at Cal has been waiting for one of three candidates to emerge as the starter. They’re still waiting two weeks into fall camp.
“At one point in this competition, I thought (each) of those quarterbacks would be our starter,” offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said after practice Tuesday. “When you think it’s one guy, it flips to another.”
Early this week, Sam Jackson V, who emerged from spring practice as the starter, appeared to be the answer. “Sam’s playing at a really high level right now,” Spavital confirmed.
Fernando Mendoza and Ben Finley, on the other hand, will continue to share practice reps through Saturday’s scrimmage — the second of training camp — and likely into next week. Spavital hopes to make a decision by next Wednesday, though another scrimmage is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 26 — one week before the Sept. 2 opener at North Texas.
Jackson, Mendoza, and Finley appear to be the unofficial pecking order, with each player having one advantage. Mendoza, a 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman, is possibly the best pure passer on the team. After starting two games last season, Finley, a wiry 6-3 summer transfer from North Carolina State, has the most experience.
But it’s Jackson, the 5-11, 195-pound redshirt sophomore transfer from TCU, who brings the promise of a dual-threat weapon, with elite speed and elusiveness as well as a strong enough arm.
If Jackson can demonstrate the consistency that the coaching staff desires, he appears to be in line for the job.
“We’ve been working on his efficiency and decision-making because we know he’s talented,” Spavital said. “We know he can make plays when he scrambles around.”
Jackson, a Chicago native, is attempting to be the player the Bears require.
“I think I’ve gotten better from Day 1 of fall camp to today,” he said when asked what he needed to do to get the starting job. “I think the most important thing is to do what Spav asks of me. Simply play the game.”
In other words, just as the 49ers want Trey Lance to learn how to operate in the pocket, Spavital wants Jackson to develop the patience to wait for a play to develop.
“He’s nowworking on it and staying in the pocket.” It’s especially difficult because that’s how he’s always succeeded. “He has the ability to scramble around and make those ‘wow’ plays,” Spavital said. “We’ve talked about staying in the pocket, going through progressions, and getting checkdowns when you need to, and I’ve seen a drastic improvement from Practice 1 to now.”
Spavital reluctantly decided to have his quarterbacks go live for a good portion of Sunday’s 105-play scrimmage in order to obtain the evidence he required.
“I’m always a little bit nervous when you do that, but with this competition the way it is, that’s the best way to see how they operate when the bullets are live,” he said. “Sit in that pocket and make difficult decisions instead of wearing that yellow jersey all the time.”
Jackson performed admirably. He ran out of the pocket five times for 41 yards. He also completed 10-of-14 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown while not throwing an interception or being sacked.
Mendoza also had a strong performance in the scrimmage, completing 13-of-17 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked once but did not throw an interception.
Mendoza, a Miami native, has been a pleasant surprise since arriving at Cal a year ago. But he is aware of his underdog status.
“It feels like I’ve always been counted out in some ways,” he explained. “So it feels great to be thrust into the competition and show what I can do to help the team win.” Every day in practice, I see myself getting better.”
Finley, a Phoenix native, left NC State after it became clear that he would be the No. 3 quarterback entering fall camp. That could still be his fate here, but for the time being, he has a chance to compete for the top spot.
He was 5-for-12 for 65 yards and avoided throwing a pick, but he was sacked twice. He also scored from 8 yards out.
“I think I did well,” said Finley. “I didn’t throw as much as I would have liked, but we ran the ball.” The offensive line was being pushed, and our running backs were sprinting.”
