Cal Players to Watch against UCLA

Freddie Tagaloa-Left Tackle

Freddie Tagaloa is not someone who I expected to mention heading into this week as a player to watch. However, the more and more I read, the more I figured he was going to be a pivotal player in this matchup as he will be the man covering Anthony Barr. We’ve already gone over how ridiculously talented Barr is and how tough a matchup he is. Tagaloa, who is only a sophomore, is known for being a powerful guard who can use his size (6’8, 330 pounds) to his advantage. The biggest knock on him has been the pass protection area of his game, but he seems to be improving weekly in that sense.

That said, this kid is still only a sophomore, going up against the best linebacker in the nation. I know he is putting in the work to try and get ready for the speedy Bruin linebacker, but one wonders whether he’ll be able to keep Barr at bay. The Rotary Lombardi Award and Jim Parker Trophy candidate is going to be in for a long day, but if he can play outstanding ball, it could make the game just that much easier for Goff and the rest of the offense.