Keenan Allen now plays for the San Diego Chargers, leaving Cal as the holder of the school reception record. So how does the team replace the production of the best receiver in school history? By bringing in one of the most talented sets of receiving recruits in school history to split the burden.
The start of the 2012 season brought the emergence of a talented trio of freshmen: Bryce Treggs, Chris Harper and Darius Powe. Treggs arrived with the highest pedigree, ranking among the top wideout recruits in the nation. After his impressive debut against Nevada, however, his production slowed when an ankle injury hampered his progression. Coach Sonny Dykes selected Treggs as one of his representatives for Pac-12 media day, an indication that a breakout season is expected from the 6-foot wideout in his sophomore campaign.
Harper, the lowest-ranked recruit of the three, broke out in a spectacular way in the latter half of the season. He finished with 544 receiving yards on the season, mostly on the strength of a three-game stretch against Stanford, Utah and Washington, where he accumulated 80 or more receiving yards in each game. Harper begins the year on the short list for the Biletnikoff Award, annually bestowed upon the best receiver in college football.
In addition to Powe, who flashed potential with a couple of highlight reel grabs, junior tight end Richard Rodgers and redshirt freshman Kenny Lawler look to contribute heavily to the pass-happy attack. Allen’s gone, but the collection of talent remaining ought to make his departure a little less painful for Dykes and company.
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