New Cal Wide Receiver QuaRon Adams Brings Speed to Berkeley

Two numbers stand out on Cal wide receiver QuaRon Adams’ athletic resume, and no doubt they are related:

— 10.49: His 100-meter dash time as a freshman at Chandler High, the winning mark at the 2019 Arizona high school large-school state championship

— 30.2: His yards per reception average last season as a redshirt sophomore at FCS powerhouse South Dakota

The Bears are counting on Adams’ speed translating nicely to the FBS level?

Asked where he ranks among the team’s fastest players, Adams said, “Top two . . . me and Dazmin James.”

Adams says he and the Arkansas transfer have each logged 10-yard and 20-yard times since arriving in Berkeley and Adams claims to have the faster clocking over 20 yards.

The standard football measurement for speed is the 40-yard dash, and Adams says he runs 4.39 seconds.

At South Dakota, the 5-foot-7, 170-pounder played almost exclusively in the slot and broke loose for a series of field-stretching plays.

He had a 61-yard touchdown catch vs. Southern Illinois, a 48-yard score vs. Youngstown State, TDs of 66 and 67 yards vs. Indiana State and a 31-yarder touchdown vs. North Dakota.

He also had a 71-yard reception vs. UC Davis that somehow did not get him to the end zone.

On those six receptions, Adams averaged a staggering 57.3 yards.

In an offense that had two 1,000-yard rushers and featured nine different receivers with TD catches, Adams finished the season with 18 catches and 543 yards, computing to the 30.2 per reception. The Coyotes finished the season 11-3 after advancing to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs for the first time in program history.

Even with new pieces everywhere, Adams is optimistic the Bears can field a high-powered offense of their own.

“One thing I can say is (we’ll be) explosive,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who can do a lot of things. We’re going to attack every play like it’s our last. I think that’ll generate a lot of points for us.

“The faster we go, the harder it’ll be to cover us up.”

The slot figures to continue to be Adams’ regular position, but he believes he has more to offer.

Asked about new coordinator Bryan Harsin’s offense, Adams said, “It’s amazing. You get a guy like me, a quick-twitch guy, you can put me in different spots and I feel like that helps the team go a long way.”

It’s not yet clear who will earn the Bears’ starting quarterback job, with Ohio State transfer Devin Brown and freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele the two lead candidates. Adams has faith in both players.

“These guys come out to work every day, they push each other to be better,” Adams said. “I feel like that’s what it takes to lead an offense to a conference championship and possibly a college football playoff run.”

QuaRon Adams leads the way at the 2019 Arizona high school state meet | Cheryl Evans/The Republic

As far as track and field, Adams said he’d welcome the chance to run again. He has not had any conversations with Cal track coach Robyne Johnson but is confident she and her staff are aware of his sprint credentials.

Adams’ time as a freshman at Chandler High School is just shy of fast enough to land on Cal’s all-time top-10 list.

“I was like 13 or 14 at the time,” he said. “Once I got that time, it was a proud moment for me.”

Asked if he’s run faster since then, Adams allowed, “Not on clock.”

“I’d love to get on the track one more time,” he said. "The track training with me never stops. I just haven’t competed in a while.”

Either way, Adams is excited to be at Cal, which recruited him out of high school four years ago. He opted for Iowa State, spent two seasons there with no production then had his breakout year at South Dakota.

Asked about his time so far in Berkeley, Adams said, “Couldn’t be more blessed. It’s beautiful. Best campus I’ve been on in my college days. Very historical place and I’m just proud to be part of this program and this institution.”

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