Cal Football: Is Hezekiah Masses the next Cal DB to reach the NFL?

At this point, it’s almost a given that there are multiple players in the California Golden Bears secondary who are on track to get drafted in the NFL. With notable players such as Nohl Williams and Marcus Harris leaving to pursue their dreams in the 2025 NFL draft, head coach Justin Wilcox will once again have to work his magic in the secondary. Luckily, Hezekiah Masses, a transfer from FIU, is ready to fill those shoes this season and prove why he is the next great Cal cornerback.

Cal Football: Who is Hezekiah Masses?

Coach Wilcox has an eye for talent at the defensive back position. That’s why it should surprise no one that Hezekiah Masses has been getting a lot of praise from the Cal coaching staff.

Masses was a three-year starter at FIU, where he played in 36 games for the Panthers. He didn’t necessarily stuff the stat sheet, but that’s mostly due to opposing quarterbacks opting not to throw his way. In those three seasons at FIU, Masses has accumulated a total of 105 tackles, two interceptions, and 14 pass breakups. Fans don’t see too many corners who are willing to come up and make a play in the run either, but Masses also totaled 4.5 tackles for loss to round out his career at FIU.

It’s understandable that Golden Bears fans have their concerns with Wilcox. However, if there is one thing he tends to get right, it’s producing great college defensive backs.

Following in the Footsteps of Greatness

One of the biggest positives about Cal these past few seasons has been their secondary. Bears fans have been blessed with essentially seeing two whole classes of defensive backs get drafted into the NFL. Last year wasn’t any different, and neither should this year.

Cal went out and brought in Hezekiah Masses and Brent Austin to play cornerback this season. Both of them are outstanding players and appear to be the starters for this Wilcox defense.

Fans will see early on that these two are playmakers and major contributors right away. Who knows how they will compare to last season’s secondary. Yet, as far as I’m concerned, the sky is the limit with these two.

What Masses Brings to the Table

It’ll be exciting to see what Masses brings to this defense. He has great height and length, standing at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds. Cal loves their lengthy corners, so by that metric, he already fits right in.

Masses has also shown that he can come up and make tackles if needed, which will make fans smile. The biggest advantage he has right now is that he has a ton of experience. You don’t see many corners come in as a freshman and play instantly. His experience and size give Cal an advantage on the outside when it comes to covering some of the bigger wide receivers the ACC has to offer.

Masses should have no problem fitting into this Cal scheme nicely and make plays when he can. The Calgorithim, I’m sure, will also have a few noteworthy monikers for Masses as the season rolls on.

Conclusion

It’s still a few weeks until the season kicks off for the Golden Bears, but it already feels like Masses is going to be the next Cal defensive back to reach the NFL. He has plenty of talent and the size to be an elite corner for Cal.

It’s always wise to temper expectations, but as mentioned earlier, defensive backs are Justin Wilcox’s bread and butter. He simply just produces at that position, and fans should be excited to see Masses (and Austin) play. If all goes well, these two will be hearing their names called on draft night like the many Cal defensive backs before them.