Cal Football: Center Michael Saffell Named to Lindy's Preseason All-Pac-12 First Team
Fifth-year senior center Michael Saffell is Cal’s lone representative on Lindy’s Sports’ preseason All-Pac-12 first team.
Saffell is identified simply as an offensive lineman on Lindy’s all-conference team, which has Oregon State’s Nathan Eldridge listed as the center.
Cal had no first-team selections on the recently released Athlon Sports’ preseason All-Pac-12 team. Saffell was a third-team pick by Athlon.
A 6-foot-2, 295-pounder from Huntington Beach, Saffell has played in 28 games for the Bears with 23 starts, including in all four of Cal’s games last fall during their abbreviated schedule.
He was an honorable mention all-conference selection by the Pac-12 coaches after last season.
In the video above, Cal coach Justin Wilcox talked last fall about Saffell's history of injuries and his willingness to play through issues when possible.
Running back Christopher Brown Jr., wide receiver Kekoa Crawford and outside linebacker Cameron Goode were second-team picks by Lindy’s and outside linebacker Kuony Deng was named to the third team.
USC, Oregon and Arizona State each had four first-team selections, Washington and Utah had three apiece, Colorado two, and Cal, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA and Washington State each one. Arizona is not represented on the Lindy’s preseason first team.
Top individual awards include Oregon defensive lineman chosen as Most Valuable Player, USC quarterback Kedon Slovis as Offensive Player of the Year, Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell as Defensive Player of the Year and USC defensive end Korey Foreman as Newcomer of the Year.
Lindy’s picks Oregon to win the Pac-12 North title, followed by Washington and Stanford. The magazine slots Cal fourth in the North, ahead of Oregon State and Washington State.
Here’s what they had to say about the Bears:
Good news: Physical style seen under Justin Wilcox has Cal competing with the Pac’s best.
Bad News: Coaching staff reshuffling and search for offensive consistency are question marks.
Our call: Cal will need to be road warriors (at UW, UO, Stanford) to contend in the North.
Arizona State is a slightly surprising choice as Lindy’s pick to win the Pac-12 South over USC. Utah, Colorado, UCLA an Arizona follow as the next four finishers in the South.
Cover photo of Michael Saffell courtesy of Cal Athletics
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
