Surprise: Bears LB Kuony Deng Plans to Return to Cal for 2021
Cal received some good news for its 2021 football season: Linebacker Kuony Deng said on his Twitter account on Thursday that he plans to return to Cal for the 2021 season.
Deng was a fifth-year senior this past season, but in this unusual COVID-19 season, players were not charged with a year of eligibility in 2020, so seniors have the option of returning for another season.
But Deng's decision to return to Cal comes as somewhat of surprise since many thought he would enter the NFL draft this spring after spending two seasons at Cal
Deng is a thoughtful person, and he no doubt believes another season of playing college ball and the coaching he will get at Cal will improve his draft status.
Cal only played four games this season, and while Deng had a solid season he did not have the spectacular season some had envisioned. He was not one of the six linebackers named to the Pac-12 first-team or second-team all-conference squads.
Before the season began, Deng was considered a mid-to-late-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. When the season ended there was some question as whether he would get drafted at all this spring.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Deng is projected to be an outside linebacker in the pros, and he did play on the edge at times for Cal. However, he has been primarily an inside linebacker for the Bears.
His athleticism, intelligence, length and rapid rate of improvement in recent years make him an interesting prospect for the pros, but he needs a productive 2021 season to improve his draft status and NFL potential.
Deng was the Bears' leading tackler in 2020 with 31 tackles, and his 7.8 tackles per game ranked 10th in the conference. In 2019, while playing alongside Evan Weaver, Deng averaged 9.2 tackles per game, which was fourth in the Pac-12.
Deng also had 2.5 tackles for loss this season as well as half a sack.
His best game came in the upset of eventual Pac-12 champion Oregon. Deng had 1.5 tackles for loss and forced two fumbles in that game that were recovered by the Bears, leading directly to the Bears' 21-17 win in what turned out to be their final game of the Cal season.
Deng had 14 tackles the previous week when Cal lost the Big Game to Stanford by one point when Cal had an extra point blocked with 58 seconds left in the game.
Deng graduated from Cal in December, and it' unclear what post-graduate path he will take.
Cal cornerback Camryn Bynum and offensive tackle Jake Curhan, both of who are fifth-year seniors who graduated in December, have announced they will enter the 2021 NFL draft.
Cover photo of Kuony Deng by Kelley L Cox, USA TODAY Sports
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