Cal Football: Bill Musgrave Brings Back the Fullback Position
A quick primer on what "21 personnel" means: The first number refers to the number of backs in the backfield (in this case two), and the second number refers to the number of tight ends on the field (in this case one). So 21 personnel means there are two backs in the backfield, one tight end on the field and, by process of elimination, two wideouts.
In other words, 21 personnel means a fullback as well as a tailback will be on the field together, something that has become rare in today's high school, college and pro football.
Why is this important in the case of Cal? Because Cal will be using a fullback and 21 personnel on occasion in the offensive system being installed by new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave. He brings an NFL midnset to the Bears.
The San Francisco 49ers are one of the few NFL teams that uses a fullback extensively, and it helped them get to the Super Bowl and made a star out of fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
Whether he be a powerful lead blocker, another pass receiver out of the backfield or a guy who can get you the tough yards on short-yardage situations, a fullback adds a dimension a lot of teams have discarded. Having the fullback as an option also makes the offense more versatile and more adaptable to the kind of defense it faces. It also gives an offense a more physical identity.
Cal has just one fullback on its spring roster, and he is a converted linebacker. But that player, Zach Angelillo, could be a key piece to the Bears' running and passing game as a fullback in Musgrave's system.
"We want to be difficult to defend," Musgrave said Friday in the video above, "and at times when you have a fullback on the field, you can be more difficult to defend than if your have three or four wides. We have that too, and we enjoy that, but I think the defense feels the impact of a fullback out there, both formationally and when you execute a play."
Much of it depends on the development of the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Angelillo, who saw no playing time at linebacker and asked to be moved to fullback after the 2019 season to have chance to play in games.
"We've got Zach, a linebacker, he's an aspiring fullback in training," said Musgrave. "So he's doing some good things out there, thus far, in just two days. Small sample size, but very promising."
