National Signing Day is February 3, and as attrition, NFL draft departures and defections continue to shape each team's roster, we'll be looking at the biggest area of need for each team, and what kind of help might be on the horizon on the recruiting trail.
Golden Bears' biggest area of need: The headlines surrounding the Golden Bears all point to the loss of quarterback Jared Goff but there are talented players -- namely, Chase Forrest and Ross Bowers -- who will be fighting to replace him.
Losing a signal caller of Goff’s quality is always concerning, but keep in mind that the other side of those gaudy passing totals has also departed: Cal’s six top receivers won’t be around in 2016. Kenny Lawler, Bryce Treggs, Trevor Davis, Darius Powe, Maurice Harris, and Stephen Anderson are all gone. That’s 265 catches, 3,778 yards, and 38 touchdowns of production to replace. The crew that repeatedly stated it was the top receiving corps in the nation has been dismantled.
The Bears’ leading returners aren’t big names: Chad Hansen (19 catches in 2015) is the most productive of the bunch. Kanawai Noa, Carlos Strickland, and Brandon Singleton are all young prospects to watch moving forward. Tight end Raymond Hudson is expected to have a bigger role in the receiving department. A new leader will likely emerge in this receiving corps, but given the amount of talent that has left the room, Cal could use a solid infusion of new playmakers to help out its new quarterback in 2016. -- David Lombardi
Help is on the way?: Cal coaches knew there would be plenty of opportunity for instant impact to be made at the receiver position and they've hit it hard with the 2016 class. ESPN 300 athlete Melquise Stovall has the ability to line up anywhere in the backfield or out wide and is potent with the ball in his hands. Four-star wide receiver Jordan Duncan was a big recruiting win out of Mississippi, while Drew Kobayashi (6-foot-3), Matt Laris (6-foot-3) and Logan Gamble (6-foot-6) will be big targets on the outside.
Junior college receiver Jordan Veasy adds another big body to this group, while the Golden Bears coaches are still looking to make yet another splash in the form of ESPN 300 targets Demetris Robertson and A.J. Brown, who are both longshots but would represent huge recruiting wins. -- Erik McKinney