2020 Honors
BERKELEY – Seniors Camryn Bynum and Kuony Deng became Cal's most recent honoree on Thursday when they were included on the Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250 list released by the prestigious college all-star game. Cal has had 38 former players selected to participate in the annual contest that showcases college seniors. Ashtyn Davis and Evan Weaver were the most recent Golden Bears selected for the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl played in January.
The game's list of student-athletes to keep an eye on released each preseason normally contains a group of nearly 500 but was cut to 250 this season due to the sensitivity of the current health climate.
The Pac-12 CEO Group voted unanimously to postpone all sport competitions in the conference including those for Cal football through the end of the 2020 calendar year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference also announced that when conditions improve, it would consider a return to competition for impacted sports after January 1, 2021.
Below is a list of Cal's 2020 honors to date and notes on each of Cal's selections. Extended bios are available by clicking on each name.
2020 Cal Football Honors
Luc Bequette (Sr., DL) – Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (BANG/Jon Wilner), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, Phil Steele, Pick Six Previews)
Christopher Brown Jr. (Jr., RB) – Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidate, Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, Lindy's, Phil Steele), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Pick Six Previews)
Camryn Bynum (Sr., CB) – Bednarik Award Watch List, First-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (BANG/Jon Wilner, Lindy's), Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List, Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250, Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, Phil Steele, Pick Six Previews)
Jake Curhan (Sr., OL) – Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List, Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (BANG/Jon Wilner, Phil Steele), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, Lindy's, Pick Six Previews)
Kuony Deng, ILB (Sr., ILB) – Bednarik Award Watch List, California Region Preseason Defensive Player of the Year (SportsPac12), First-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele), Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250, Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, BANG/Jon Wilner, Pick Six Previews), The Butkus® Award Watch List, Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Lindy's)
Chase Garbers (Jr., QB) – Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Preseason Watch List; Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, Lindy's, Pick Six Previews), Fourth-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele)
Tony Gonzalez (1994-96, TE) – College Football Hall Of Fame Ballot
Cameron Goode (Sr., OLB) – Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Lindy's), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele), Fourth-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon)
Elijah Hicks (Sr., S) – Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele)
Brett Johnson (So., DL) – Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon)
Zeandae Johnson (Sr., DE/DT) – Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele)
Tevin Paul (Sr., OLB/DE) – Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Lindy's)
Nikko Remigio (Jr., WR/PR) – Fourth-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 Wide Receiver (Athlon), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 Punt Returner (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Ron Rivera (1980-83, LB) – College Football Hall Of Fame Ballot
Michael Saffell (Sr., OL) – Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Pick Six Previews), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, Lindy's), Fourth-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele), Wuerffel Trophy Preseason Watch List
Jake Tonges (Jr., TE) – Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12)
Justin Wilcox (Fourth Season, Head Coach) – California Region Preseason Coach of the Year (SportsPac12)
Slater Zellers (So., LS) – Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele)
2020 Cal Football Honors Selections Notes
Luc Bequette, DL, 6-2, 290, RSr., 3L, Little Rock, AR (Catholic HS)
– Has played in 42 games over the last four campaigns after redshirting as a true freshman in 2015 and started all 38 contests over the past three seasons to share Cal's active career lead in current consecutive starts and contributed 130 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss (-57 yards), 10.0 sacks (-53 yards), three pass breakups, three passes defended, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, four quarterback hurries and one blocked kick
– One of seven players and five on the defensive side of the ball to start all 13 games as a 2019 junior when he registered a career-high 52 tackles, while adding 4.0 tackles for loss (-16 yards), 3.0 sacks (-14 yards), career highs of two pass breakups and two passes defended, one quarterback hurry and a career-high-tying two forced fumbles
Christopher Brown Jr., RB, 6-1, 230, Jr., 2L, Oceanside, CA (El Camino HS)
– Has played in all 26 games possible including 12 starts since his arrival at Cal as a freshman in 2018 with all of his starts coming as a 2019 sophomore when he set career highs in rushes (208), yards rushing (914), rushing touchdowns (8), receptions (22), yards receiving (166), touchdown receptions (4), total touchdowns (12), points (72), total offense (914) and all-purpose yards (1259)
– Cal's active career leader in rushes (245), yards rushing (1062), rushing touchdowns (9), receiving touchdowns (4), total touchdowns (13), points (78) and all-purpose yards (1259)
Camryn Bynum, CB, 6-0, 200, RSr., 3L, Corona, CA (Centennial HS)
– Has started each of Cal's last 38 games at cornerback over the past three seasons to equal the longest active string of current starts on the team seasons after redshirting as a 2016 true freshman and posted career totals of 169 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss (-13 yards), 0.5 sacks (-5 yards), five interceptions, 27 pass breakups and 32 passes defended
– Earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors from the league's coaches as a 2019 junior when he was one of seven Cal players including five on the defensive side of the ball to start all 13 games, and was third on the team with a career-high 63 tackles while also picking up a career-high 3.0 tackles for loss, one interception, and team highs of nine pass breakups and 10 passes defended
Jake Curhan, OL, 6-6, 335, RSr., 3L, Larkspur, CA (Redwood HS)
– Has started each of Cal's last 38 possible games over the past three seasons all at right tackle, including a career-high-tying 13 as both a 2018 sophomore and 2019 junior, as well as all 12 during his 2017 redshirt freshman campaign with his streak of 38 consecutive starts tied for the team's longest current run
– Earned third-team All-Pac-12 recognition from Pro Football Focus, was an honorable mention selection of the league's coaches and Cal's winner of the Brick Muller Award as its most valuable lineman on offense as a junior when he played a key role on an offense that committed a school-record low 13 turnovers in 13 games, put together game-winning drives on its final possessions both at Washington and Stanford, and averaged 30.0 points and 414.3 total yards per game over its last four wins while scoring a season-high 35 points in its final contest in a Redbox Bowl victory over Illinois
Kuony Deng, ILB, 6-6, 250, RSr., 1L, Aldie, VA (Independence Community College/Virginia Military Institute/John Champe HS)
– Earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors in a vote of the league's coaches in his first season at Cal as a 2019 junior when he was one of seven players overall including five on the defensive side of the ball to start all 13 games and was second on the team with 119 tackles, while adding 7.5 tackles for loss (-27 yards), 3.0 sacks (-12 yards), eight pass breakups, eight passes defended, five quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery
– Ranked third in the Pac-12 and 15th in the NCAA with his 119 tackles as a junior, while he was fourth in the Pac-12 and 27th nationally in total tackles per game with an average of 9.2
Chase Garbers, QB, 6-2, 215, RJr., 2L, Newport Beach, CA (Corona del Mar HS)
– Has started 19 of the 21 games he has played in with the 19 starts the most among active Pac-12 quarterbacks and posted a 13-6 record as Cal's starting signal caller while he is 13-2 in games in which he has started and played more than half the contest, completing 290-of-475 passes (61.1%) for 3278 yards with 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for a 133.00 passer efficiency rating that ranks sixth on Cal's all-time list
– Started and played in nine games as 2019 sophomore with the Golden Bears posting a 7-2 record in those contests including a 7-0 mark when he played for more than half of the game, completing 131-of-215 passes (60.9%) for 1772 yards with 14 touchdowns and three interceptions for a 148.86 passer efficiency rating that ranks fifth on Cal's all-time single-season list
Tony Gonzalez, TE (Cal, 1994-96)
– Consensus first-team All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 selection in his final collegiate season in 1996 when he had career highs of 46 receptions for 699 yards receiving and five touchdown catches– A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team who played in the league for 17 seasons and ranks among the all-time regular-season leaders in receptions (3rd, 1325), receiving yards (6th, 15127) and receiving touchdowns (8th, 111)
Cameron Goode, OLB, 6-3, 235, RSr., 2L, Spring, TX (Klein Collins HS)
– Has played in and started 22 games all at outside linebacker and posted career totals of 106 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss (-97 yards), 11.0 sacks (-71 yards), two interceptions that he has returned for 70 yards and a pair of touchdowns, five pass breakups, seven passes defended, two forced fumbles and six quarterback hurries
– An All-Pac-12 honorable mention selection of the league's coaches as a 2019 junior when he recorded career highs of 12 games played and starts, 57 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss (-76 yards), 9.5 sacks (-62 yards) and six quarterback hurries, while ranking second in the Pac-12 with his 1.21 tackles for loss per game and third in the conference with a per-game sack average of 0.79
Elijah Hicks, S, 5-11, 200, Sr., 3L, Long Beach, CA (La Mirada HS/St. John Bosco HS)
– Has played in all 38 games possible with 30 starts and posted career totals of 113 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss (-25 yards), 2.0 sacks (-7 yards), one interception that he returned 34 yards for a touchdown, 10 pass breakups, 11 passes defended and two forced fumbles over the last three seasons since his arrival in January of 2017
– Contributed career highs of 44 tackles, 2.0 sacks (-7 yards), five pass breakups and five passes defended while making a career-high 12 starts and playing in a career-high-tying 13 contests as a 2019 junior
Brett Johnson, DL, 6-5, 285, So., 1L, Aldie, VA (Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista HS)
– Earned third-team Freshman All-American and third-team All-Pac-12 honors from Pro Football Focus as a 2019 rookie when he played in all 13 games and contributed 26 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss (-18 yards), 1.5 sacks (-12 yards), one quarterback hurry and one fumble recovery
Zeandae Johnson, DE/DT, 6-4, 280, RSr., 3L, Fresno, CA (Central HS)
– Has played in 37 games with 14 starts and posted career totals of 51 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss (-39 yards), 5.5 sacks (-32 yards), one forced fumble, eight quarterback hurries, one pass breakup and one pass defended while being granted a sixth season of eligibility for the 2020 campaign following the 2019 season due to missing two full seasons due to injury in 2015 and 2017
– Earned an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection, Cal's Bob Tessier Award as the team's Most Improved Lineman and the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in the Redbox Bowl as a 2019 junior by playing in a career-high-tying all 13 games for the second straight season including a career-high 12 starts and contributing career highs of 29 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss (-26 yards), 3.5 sacks (-25 yards), two pass breakups, two passes defended, one forced fumble and five quarterback hurries
Tevin Paul, OLB/DE, 6-4, 270, RSr., 3L, Austin, TX (Lake Travis HS)
– Has played in 35 of 38 possible games and made 21 starts over the last three seasons after redshirting as a 2016 true freshman, posting career totals of 90 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss (-74 yards), 6.0 sacks (-49 yards), five pass breakups, five passes defended and five quarterback hurries
– Made a career-high 11 starts as a 2019 junior and recorded career highs of 3.0 sacks, 23 sack yards and two passes defended, while his 44 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, 38 tackle for loss yards and three quarterback hurries as a 2018 sophomore were career bests
Nikko Remigio, WR/PR, 5-10, 180, Jr., 2L, Orange, CA (Mater Dei HS)
– Has played in 21 games with 10 starts since his arrival at Cal as a freshman in 2018 and contributed 49 receptions for 575 yards and three touchdown grabs, as well as 27 punt returns for 241 yards and four rushes for seven yards to total 823 all-purpose yards as Cal's active career leader in receptions, yards receiving, punt returns and punt return yards while ranking second behind only Christopher Brown Jr. in all-purpose yards
– Recorded all of his career highs other than punt returns when he played in a career-high 12 games with a career-best eight starts as a 2019 sophomore with team highs of 38 receptions and 513 yards receiving, the first three touchdown grabs of his career, four rushes for seven yards, 138 punt return yards and 659 all-purpose yards
Ron Rivera, LB (Cal, 1980-83)
– Consensus first-team All-American, Lombardi Award finalist, East-West Shrine Game MVP and Pac-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a 1983 senior who ed Cal in tackles for each of his final three seasons (1981-83), finished his career as the school's all-time record-holder with 336 and still ranks sixth on the career list
– Had a successful nine-year NFL playing career with the Chicago Bears (1984-92) including a victory in Super Bowl XX to cap the 1985 season and has coached in the NFL since 1997, entering his first season as the head coach of the Washington Redskins in 2020 after spending eight-plus seasons as the Carolina Panthers' head coach (2011-19)
Michael Saffell, OL, 6-2, 290, Sr., 3L, Huntington Beach, CA (Edison HS)
– Has played in 24 games with 19 starts since his 2017 arrival, making a career-high 11 of his starts at center as a 2019 junior when he was named second-team All-Pac-12 by Pro Football Focus
– Played a key role on an offense as a junior that committed a school-record low 13 turnovers in 13 games, put together game-winning drives on its final possessions both at Washington and Stanford, and averaged 30.0 points and 414.3 total yards per game over its last four wins while scoring a season-high 35 points in its final contest in a Redbox Bowl victory over Illinois
Jake Tonges, TE, 6-5, 230, RJr., 2L, Los Gatos, CA (Los Gatos HS)
– Has played in 25 of 26 possible games over the last two seasons as a 2018 redshirt freshman and 2019 sophomore after redshirting as a 2017 true freshman, contributing career highs of 13 receptions for 262 yards receiving and one touchdown as a sophomore
– Leads all active Cal players with an average of 20.2 yards per reception and had a career-long 60-yard TD reception at Ole Miss that was the longest Cal play from scrimmage of the 2019 season and is the longest by any active Cal player
Justin Wilcox, 4th Season
– Back-to-back winning seasons and bowl appearances in 2018 and 2019 for first time at Cal since 2008 and 2009
– Beaten four of the five other teams in the Pac-12 North and have wins over top-15 teams in each of his first three seasons, while being victorious in road games at all three California opponents in the Pac-12 over last two campaigns
Slater Zellers, LS, 6-1, 240, RSo., 1L, Scottsdale, AZ (Notre Dame Prep)
– Made his debut as Cal's primary long snapper by playing in all 13 games
– Took every snap on punts, field goals and PATs without an errant snap