In 2002, Jeff Tedford became Cal’s head coach. Prior to that time, he was known for his innovative passing offenses and unique ability to develop quarterbacks. But since Tedford’s arrival in Berkeley, Cal has been known more for its running game. The Bears have produced seven straight 1,000-yard rushers, which is the nation’s longest active streak. Former star running backs like J.J. Arrington, Marshawn Lynch, and Justin Forsett have all successfully transitioned into the NFL, and it probably won’t be long before another Cal runner joins them.

The Pac-10 will feature some of America’s most talented tailbacks this fall. In a conference full of stars, Cal may have the Best one of all.

Junior sensation Jahvid Best enters the 2009 season as a legitimate Heisman candidate. The electrifying Best ran for 1,580 yards and 15 touchdowns during a breakout sophomore campaign. He led the Pac-10 in rushing yards and finished 3rd nationally last season. His 1,580 yards are the second most in school history for a single season.

Best carried the ball 194 times and still managed a stunning 8.1 yards per carry, which was the best rushing average of any tailback in America with at least 125 carries. He also managed to catch the ball 27 times for 246 yards and one TD (9.1 yards per catch). Best finished second nationally in all-purpose yards, averaging 187.25 yards per game. His 2,247 total yards are a school record. On top of all that, he finished 1st in the conference in kickoff return yards, with 26.3 yards per return.

Best may have started his 2009 Heisman campaign at the end of 2008. He closed out last season with three Herculean efforts. First, he ran for 201 yards and two touchdowns against Stanford in the Big Game (he also caught a TD). Next, he ran for a staggering 311 yards and four TD’s against Washington. Best carried the ball 19 times against the Huskies, averaging a remarkable 16.4 yards per carry. In the Emerald Bowl finale against Miami, he ran for a bowl record 186 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. His statistical totals from the three games almost seem unrealistic for a video game, adding up to nearly 45% of his total yards last season.

At 5-10 194 pounds, Best possesses an extremely rare combination of speed, agility and vision. He has game-changing ability, and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. The Vallejo (CA) native has always produced eye-popping numbers on and off the gridiron. At Salesian High School (CA) he ran for 6,428 career yards and scored 91 touchdowns. He also won a Junior Olympics Gold Medal in the 200 meters and won the 2007 California State Championship in the 100 meters with a time of 10.31 seconds.

Durability is a concern for Best, and he has been limited by injuries in each of the last two seasons. He missed most of the spring with off-season elbow and foot surgery. Still, Best enters 2009 as the marquee player in the Pac-10 conference. If he can stay on the field for 200+ carries, his name will be involved in Heisman discussions all year long.

It has become a tradition at Cal for each star running back to emerge as a backup first. In 2004, Marshawn Lynch ran for 628 yards as a backup while J.J. Arrington was running for over 2,000 as the starter. The next season, Justin Forsett ran for 999 yards while Lynch ran for 1,246 as the starter. Jahvid Best was Forsett’s understudy in 2007.

Last season, Cal fans were introduced to the next great running back to come through Berkeley. Sophomore Shane Vereen ran for 715 yards and four touchdowns in 2008 as the Bears primary backup. The 5-10 198 pound tailback played extremely well as a freshman, even in the shadows of Best. Vereen averaged 5.0 yards per carry and finished tied for second on the team with 27 receptions.

The Valencia (CA) native burst onto the scene in the season opener against Michigan State, with 101 yards rushing on only 9 carries. In that game, Vereen flashed his explosive speed with an 81-yard touchdown that ignited Memorial Stadium and helped secure the win. Vereen showed off his multitude of talents throughout the rest of the season, including hauling in a 59-yard touchdown pass against rival Stanford.

Vereen came out of Valencia High School (CA) as a highly rated recruit. His skill set is similar to Best, a deadly combination of speed and vision. Vereen was given four-stars by Rivals.com and was a Prep-star All-American choice. He amassed over 6,000 yards rushing in his high school career with 89 touchdowns. Vereen enters 2009 as Best’s number one partner in the backfield.

The power running may come from redshirt freshman RB Covaughn DeBoskie. The 5-11 205 pound back out of Chandler, AZ was a four-star recruit in 2008, and played on the scout team last season. The former super-prep All-American is not likely to get many carries, but he could be a huge value in short yardage and goal line situations.

The first-year starter at fullback will be 5-9 235 pound senior Brian Holley. The Pomona (CA) native has been excellent on special teams and has all the tools to be a perfect run blocker for Best and Co.

Other backs competing for time are: true freshman Dasarte Yarnway, redshirt freshman Langston Jackson, and redshirt freshman Kevin Lewis.

My Take

I’m not going to claim that Cal is Running Back University, but how can you not be impressed by the production over the last 7 years? Best has a chance to surpass them all, and the table is set for a special season as long as he can stay healthy. If you live in the Bay Area and haven’t seen him play in person, do yourself a favor and find a place at the top of Strawberry Canyon this fall.

Shane Vereen looks like the next in line for Jeff Tedford’s great tailbacks and I look for him to have another solid year. If DeBoskie emerges as the thunder to all that lightning, there will be no way to stop this rushing attack. One thing is for sure; it’s an exciting time to be a Bears fan.