Nine On Phil Steele Preseason All-Pac-12 Team

BERKELEY – Cal has nine selections on Phil Steele's 2022 Preseason All-Pac-12 Team announced Wednesday with first-teamers Daniel Scott and Jackson Sirmon leading the way. Brett Johnson was a second-team pick, while Ben Coleman and Lu-Magia Hearns III were third-team selections, and Matthew Cindric, Ricky Correia, Femi Oladejo and Jaydn Ott fourth-team choices.

Below are notes on each of Cal's nine selections with an extended bio available by clicking on each of their names.
 
Matthew Cindric, OL, 6-4, 295, R-Sr., 5th Season At Cal (Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS)
— A Preseason All-Pac-12 third-team selection by Athlon and fourth-team pick according Phil Steele as a 2022 senior
— Has played in 28 games with 27 starts over the past three seasons with 14 starts at right guard and 13 at center including 11 of 12 contests in his 2021 junior campaign when he earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors from the league's coaches
— Helped Cal roll up over 500 total yards of offense in three contests as a 2021 junior (636 at Stanford, 534 vs. Sacramento State, 517 vs. Oregon State) and more than 200 yards rushing on four occasions (352 at Stanford, 255 vs. Oregon State, 246 vs. Sacramento State, 213 vs. Colorado)
— Helped Cal break a Big Game record as a 2021 junior with 636 total yards of offense that were its most since also compiling 636 in a double overtime home win over Oregon in 2016, while the Golden Bears' 352 rushing yards were their most since rushing for 431 against Washington in 2008
 
Ben Coleman, OL, 6-4, 325, R-Jr., 4th Season At Cal (Murrieta, CA/Linfield Christian HS)
— A Preseason All-Pac-12 third-team selection by Athlon and Phil Steele as a 2022 junior
— Expected to be Cal's starting left tackle in 2022 after moving to the position in spring practices
— Started 11 of 12 games as a 2021 sophomore all at left guard and has played in a total of 14 career contests including three off the bench as a 2020 redshirt freshman
— Helped Cal roll up over 500 total yards of offense in three contests as a 2021 junior (636 at Stanford, 534 vs. Sacramento State, 517 vs. Oregon State) and more than 200 yards rushing on four occasions (352 at Stanford, 255 vs. Oregon State, 246 vs. Sacramento State, 213 vs. Colorado)
— Became the first Cal player to win Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week honors since its' inception in 2019 for his performance in the Golden Bears' 41-11 win over Stanford in the Big Game as a 2021 sophomore when he had the highest internal grade of Cal's offensive linemen (90%) during a historic performance with Cal producing a Big Game record 636 yards of total offense including 352 on the ground that was the most by the Bears in any game since Cal rushed for 431 yards against Washington in 2008, and threw a key block to spring Marcel Dancy on a 76-yard touchdown that was the Bears' longest since an 81-yard touchdown run by Brendan Bigelow at Ohio State in 2012
 
Ricky Correia, NG, 6-4, 335, Jr., 3rd Season At Cal (Fresno, CA/Central HS)
— A Preseason All-Pac-12 fourth-team selection by Phil Steele as a 2022 junior
— Played in 10 games all off the bench and contributed 11 tackles as well as two quarterback hurries in his first season on the field at Cal as a 2021 sophomore
 
Lu-Magia Hearns III, CB, 5-10, 170, So., 2nd Season At Cal (Pittsburg, CA/De La Salle HS)
— A Preseason All-Pac-12 third-team selection by Phil Steele and fourth-team pick according to Phil Steele as a 2022 sophomore
— Earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors, as well as honorable mention recognition for the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year presented by Nextiva, both from the league's coaches, as a 2021 true freshman when he played in 11 of 12 games with eight starts that were the most among four Cal true freshmen that started contests
— Registered 28 tackles, one interception, one fumble recovery and team highs of 10 pass breakups that ranked tied for second in the Pac-12 and 11 passes defended that were third as a 2021 freshman, while his 1.00 passes defended per game were also third in the conference
— First Cal player to win Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors since its' 2019 inception for his performance in the 124th Big Game at Stanford when he had his first career interception on the second Cardinal offensive play, four pass breakups and three tackles
 
Brett Johnson, DL, 6-5, 300, R-Jr., 4th Season At Cal (Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista HS)
— A Preseason All-Pac-12 second-team selection by Phil Steele and third-team pick according to Phil Steele as a 2022 junior
— Has played in 17 games with 13 starts since arriving at Cal as a true freshman in 2019 and posted career totals of 46 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss (-26 yards), 3.0 sacks (-19 yards), one pass breakup, one pass defended and one fumble recovery
— Played in all 17 games possible during his first two seasons at Cal as a 2019 true freshman and 2020 sophomore before missing the 2021 campaign due to injuries suffered in an automobile accident but returned to the field for 2022 spring practices and is expected to play in 2022
— A Preseason All-Pac-12 second-team selection of Pro Football Focus as a 2021 junior and third-team pick by Athlon as a 2020 sophomore
— Earned Freshman All-American third-team and All-Pac-12 third-team honors from Pro Football Focus as a 2019 freshman when he played in a career-high all 13 games with nine starts including seven of the last eight contests and recorded career highs of 26 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss (-18 yards), while adding a career-high-tying 1.5 sacks (career-high -12 yards) and his lone career fumble recovery
— Started all four games in a season shortened by COVID-19 as a 2020 sophomore and was tied for third on the team and first among defensive linemen with 20 tackles, while adding 2.5 tackles for loss (-8 yards), a career-high-tying 1.5 sacks (-7 yards), one pass breakup and one pass defended
 
Femi Oladejo, ILB, 6-3, 250, So., 3rd Season At Cal (Fresno, CA/Central HS)
— A Preseason All-Pac-12 fourth-team selection by Phil Steele as a 2022 sophomore
— Played in nine games including his first career start against Oregon State and contributed 36 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss (-8 yards) and two quarterback hurries in 2021 when he led all Cal freshmen in tackles
— One of eight Cal true freshmen to play in a game in 2021 and one of four make a start 
 
Jaydn Ott, RB, 6-0. 200, Fr., 1st Season At Cal (Chino, CA/Norco HS/Bishop Gorman HS)
— A Preseason All-Pac-12 fourth-team selection by Phil Steele as a 2022 freshman
— Played 23 prep games over two seasons at Norco High School as a 2018 freshman and 2021 senior, while also spending two seasons at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas in 2019 and 2020 without playing
— Rushed for 2236 yards and 30 touchdowns as a prep on 265 carries for averages of 97.2 yards per game rushing with 12 100-yard rushing games and 8.4 yards per carry, while adding 17 receptions for 228 yards and one touchdown, as well as one kick return for 16 yards for a total of 2480 all-purpose yards
— Earned MaxPreps Big XIII League Back of the Year as a 2021 senior when he rushed for 1140 yards and 17 touchdowns on 114 carries for a 10.0 yards per rush average, while adding 11 receptions for 154 yards as well as his career prep kick return for 16 yards (all career highs) and both of his career two-point rushing conversions
— Rushed for 1096 yards and 13 touchdowns on a career-high 151 carries for a 7.3 yards per rush average, while adding six receptions for 74 yards and his lone career touchdown reception as a 2018 freshman to earn MaxPreps Freshman All-American honors 
 
Daniel Scott, S, 6-2, 215, Sr., 6th Season At Cal (Pasadena, CA/St. Francis HS)
— A member of the preseason watch list for the Lott IMPACT Trophy given annually to a defensive player who has the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field as a 2022 senior, as well as a Preseason All-Pac-12 first-team selection of both Athlon and Phil Steele
— One of two sixth-year seniors on the 2022 Cal roster along with graduate transfer Odua Isibor and the lone current member of the Golden Bears' program who began his collegiate career at Cal in Justin Wilcox's first season as head coach in 2017
— Has played in 37 career games with 16 starts at Cal over the last four seasons after redshirting as a true freshman in 2017 and registered totals of 122 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss (-37 yards), 1.0 sack (-27 yards), one forced fumble, four interceptions he has returned for six yards and one touchdown, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two quarterback hurries and three pass breakups
— Earned All-Pac-12 first-team honors from Pro Football Focus and was PFF's second-highest rated safety in the conference behind only teammate Elijah Hicks as a 2021 senior when he had career highs in every defensive category he has recorded career stats in other than fumble recoveries with 82 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss (-37 yards), 1.0 sack (-27 yards), one forced fumble, three interceptions returned for six yards, two quarterback hurries and two pass breakups
 
Jackson Sirmon, ILB, 6-2, 240, R-Sr., 5th Collegiate Season/1st Season At Cal (Brentwood, TN/Washington/Brentwood Academy/Loyola HS)
— A Preseason All-Pac-12 first-team selection of both Athlon and Phil Steele
— Enrolled at Cal in January of 2022 after playing the previous four seasons at Washington (2018-21) and participated in the Golden Bears' spring practice sessions in April of 2022
— Compiled four-year totals over 33 games played and 16 starts at Washington of 147 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss (-10 yards), one interception that he returned 20 yards, one pass breakup, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one safety
— Earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors as a 2021 junior when he started all 12 games and finished tied for fifth in the Pac-12 with a career-high 92 tackles, while adding 0.5 tackles for loss (-6 yards), one forced fumble, his lone career interception that he returned for 20 yards, one pass breakup and one safety