Cal Football: Bears Looking For More From OLBs David Reese and Xavier Carlton

Cal’s defense allowed the third-most passing yards in the nation last year, but that wasn’t merely an indictment of the Bears’ secondary.

Their inability to consistently mount a pass rush against some of the country’s best quarterbacks was an equally significant factor.

Cal totaled just 24 sacks last season, tied for the second-fewest in the Pac-12. In their six victories, the Bears assembled 17 sacks but in their seven defeats they totaled just seven.

They went four straight games — Washington, Arizona State, Oregon State and Utah — without taking down the opposing quarterback. 

The Bears earned bowl eligibility after consecutive wins over Washington State, Stanford and UCLA in which they collected 13 sacks — more than half of their season’s total. 

“Honestly, I think the difference in our pass rush from the beginning of last season to late in the season was really just our will and want-to to get to the quarterback,” Xavier Carlton said. “We were looking at some of the articles about where our pass rush was and we wanted to basically prove the whole country wrong. 

“The first half of the season was rough . . . we were thinking too much instead of playing like we’ve always been playing. We were tired of being always looked down upon. We want to make sure our pass rush continues to get better and better and better.”

The return of the Bears’ two starting outside linebackers — Carlton, a fifth-year senior, and David Reese, in his seventh year of college — gives the coaching staff confidence things will be different next fall when Cal joins the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Coach Justin Wilcox identified what the Bears need from Carlton and Reese,

“They need to step up and play consistently at a high level. I thought we saw some real good play from them, especially late, and we need to see that week in, week out,” he said. “I think both of those guys are ready to take another step.”

Reese, who began his career at Florida, had all but one of his team-leading 6.5 sacks over the final four games. That included two sacks (and two forced fumbles) in the win over WSU and three sacks (and one forced fumble) against UCLA.

“Just keeping my faith, focus. You never, never giving up on myself. Just staying true to myself and believing in me,” Reese said, when asked to explain the jump in his performance. “I never felt like I couldn’t. I just needed to stay the course. Just keep believing, keep working.”

Carlton, who had 4.5 sacks and five quarterback hurries last season, expects big things from the defense next fall.

“We can have a great impact. Especially now that we’re in the ACC, where it’s heavy pass — I can’t wait for that,” Carlton said. “As a defense, we can take a major jump from last year.”

Vic So’oto, who coaches the Bears’ outside linebackers, anticipates a jump from Reese and Carlton.

“So we’re excited about who we recruited here and big expectations when we get in the fall,” said So’oto, adding that the Bears anticipate signing one or two more outside linebackers out of the transfer portal in the coming weeks. “Guys that are hungry, coachable and have the ability — that’s what we’re looking for.”

Carlton, who goes 6-foot-6, 275 pounds, said he tries to emulate former NFL star Julius Peppers — a mix of power and speed. He compares Reese, at 6-2, 240, to Von Miller, known for his speed off the edge.

Reese played a total of 20 games in four seasons spread over five years at Florida. He missed all of the 2021 campaign with an Achilles injury, but has remained healthy the past year.

“It was really the first year he played a full season and understanding what that feels like, physically and mentally — that was important,” Wilcox said of Reese’s 2023 season. 

So’oto said there were mental obstacles for Reese to overcome as a full-time starter for the first time.

“Start a game and play an entire game. And then do it back to back to back to back. That was new territory for him,” So’oto said. “I think once things calmed down and he was able to work through those things, you saw at the end of the season what he could do. And that is the expectation, right?

Wilcox likes what he’s seen lately from Reese on and off the field.

“He’s done a fantastic job, leadership wise. He’s a very serious guy about football. I really like everything he’s done this offseason,” Wilcox said. “He’s passionate about football, he’s tough, he’s competitive. He’s really prepared his body to play a full season at a high level.”

Reese doesn’t take for granted being able to practice on a daily basis.

“Given my history with injuries, it’s a blessing to be able to come back 100 percent healthy,” he said. “It just gave me the confidence I needed through this journey, to just go out and perform and do what I need to do on the field.”