Inside Look At Cal: Defensive Standouts
California (2-0) enters its weekend matchup against Notre Dame winners of three straight games and six of its last eight contests. The driving force behind that success has been its defense, led by head coach Justin Wilcox and defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon.
California also doesn't lack talent on that side of the ball. Irish Breakdown looks at the top players to know on the California defense.
XAVIER CARLTON, EDGE
Season Stats: 6 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks
Originally beginning his career as a part of the Utah program, Carlton has the looks of a next level defender at 6-6 and 270 pounds. He is the best playmaker on the front for the Golden Bears, playing both as an outside linebacker and with his hand in the dirt as a pass rusher.
Length and power is the name of the game for Carlton. He can be overwhelming at the point of attack, doing an outstanding job of converting speed to power to collapse the pocket. There is some legitimate explosiveness to his profile that is rare for a player of his size. He is still nowhere near his upside.
Carlton has the potential to be an extremely disruptive player against Notre Dame. Joe Alt and Blake Fisher will need to bring their A game. They will be posed with countering a ton of physicality off the edge.
RICKY CORREIA, DT
Season Stats: 6 tackles, 0 tackles for loss, 0 sacks
Correia is an absolute unit in the middle of the defense for the Golden Bears. In the team’s odd man front, Correia is an incredibly important player to allow for flexibility around him. He mans the nose tackle position for the team and doubles as an immovable object.
At 6-4 and 335 pounds, Correia is an imposing player working at the point of attack. He has a great habit of gaining extension at the run game, two gapping to eliminate both A gaps. Correia is a bull in a China shop, causing absolute havoc in the run game. The linebackers get a lot of headlines, and deservedly so, but the reason they can cause so many programs is because of Correia’s efforts.
Notre Dame must establish some success in the run game. That means that they will have to establish some success against Correia. They can not allow him to camp in the middle and get comfortable taking on blocks.
JACKSON SIRMON, MLB
Season Stats: 17 tackles, 1 tackles for loss, 0 sacks, 2 forced fumble, 1 pass breakup
A really productive player while at Washington, Sirmon opted to end his career under his father for his final year in 2022. He has immediately established a leadership role for a staunch Golden Bear defense.
Sirmon is your prototype middle linebacker, possessing a nice blend of physicality, instincts and dependability. He is one of those players that always seems to be in the right spot, actively finishing plays through traffic. His instinctual game is special. Sirmon’s abilities as a tackler, as well as a communicator, plays a huge role in the Cal defense.
Like Correia, Sirmon’s main responsibility will be to shut down the run, especially on early downs. Notre Dame will need him to cover unnecessary space whenever possible. Allowing him to play downhill and fast is the worst case scenario.
FEMI OLADEJO, WLB
Season Stats: 16 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 0 sacks 1 pass breakup
Sirmon’s partner in crime in the middle, Oladejo is an impressive athlete who is off to a fast start in the 2022 season thus far. The bigger of the two at 6-3 and 255 pounds, Oladejo has the physical profile to work either at middle or WILL linebacker on the inside.
Fast flowing and aggressive, Oladejo gets downhill in a hurry. He comes to balance quickly in the run game, delivering blows at the point of contact. His eye discipline can be a bit sporadic at times but when he sees the game clearly, he is easily able to make a ton of plays near the line of scrimmage. Only a sophomore, his upside is immense.
Misdirection is going to be the key against Oladejo. There are times where he is a tick slow reading and can be fooled on the second level. Notre Dame must do its best to make him uncomfortable.
LU-MAGIA HEARNS III, CB
Season Stats: 6 tackles, 0 interceptions, 2 pass breakups
The best cover man on the backend for the Golden Bears, Hearns is developing into an impressive cornerback as a sophomore. He is asked to do a lot in man coverage for Cal.
Hearns' short area quickness is by far his best trait. It allows him to remain sticky in coverage, quickly changing directions and collapsing on underneath routes. He is also surprisingly physical for a player his size, playing with supreme confidence. His size is the biggest negative for his game.
When matched up in one-on-one opportunities, Notre Dame needs to win. They will have the size advantage across the board and will need to take advantage of it. The Irish wide receivers will need to make plays when opportunities present themselves.
DANIEL SCOTT, S
Season Stats: 9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 0 interceptions, 1 pass breakup
The playmaker on the defensive side of the football, Scott is asked to do a lot for the Cal defense. He patrols everything on the back end, showing the versatility to make a variety of plays in all areas.
Scott is a unique body type for a free safety at 6-2 and 215 pounds. He is pretty loose hipped, showcasing a good amount of range to make plays working from depth. His size also makes him a unique player working against both tight ends and bigger slot receivers. His impact can not be understated.
If a big play is going to be made for the Golden Bear defense, odds are that Scott might have a hand in it. They must play a clean game and not allow him to make too large of an impact on the game.
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