National Honors Candidate Info: calbears.com/leaveittoweaver
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After Cal
• Selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 202nd pick overall
• One of three former Cal football student-athletes that participated in the 2020 NFL Combine along with Ashtyn Davis and Jaylinn Hawkins, putting up measurable testing marks of 4.21 in the 20-yard shuttle (second fastest time among 30 linebackers at event), 4.76 in the 40-yard dash, 32.0 in the vertical jump, 117.0 in the broad jump and 7.02.3 in the 3 cone drill while bench pressing 15 reps of 225 pounds
• Played in the 2020 Senior Bowl and contributed four tackles for a North team that was a 34-17 winner over the South
Weaver's Cal Career Game Highs
Tackles: 22 (twice, last at Utah, 2019)
Tackles For Loss: 2.5 (at USC, 2018)
Tackle For Loss Yards: 19 (at USC, 2018)
Sacks: 2.0 (twice, last vs. Oregon State, 2019)
Sack Yards: 19 (at USC, 2018)
Forced Fumbles: 1 (three times, last at Utah, 2019)
Interceptions: 1 (twice, last at Washington State, 2018)
Interception Return Yards: 37 (vs. Washington, 2018)
Long Interception Return: 37TD (vs. Washington, 2018)
Interception Return TDs: 1 (vs. Washington, 2018)
Pass Breakups: 3 (at BYU, 2018)
Quarterback Hurries: 2 (at Ole Miss, 2019)
Receptions: 1 (at Oregon State, 2016)
Receiving Yards: 11 (at Oregon State, 2016)
Long Reception: 11 (at Oregon State, 2016)
Kick Returns: 3 (vs. Washington, 2016)
Kick Return Yards: 26 (vs. Washington, 2016)
Long Kick Return: 13 (vs. Washington, 2016)
All-Purpose Yards: 37 (vs. Washington, 2018)
Points: 6 (vs. Washington, 2018)
Cal Career (2016-19)
• Played in 49 of 50 possible games with 31 starts including each of his final 26 possible contests during his last two seasons
• Posted career totals of 412 tackles, 23.0 tackles for loss (-88 yards), 8.5 sacks (-54 yards), two interceptions that he returned for 47 yards and one touchdown on a career-long 37-yard return against Washington as a 2018 junior, 11 pass breakups, 13 passes defended, three forced fumbles and six quarterback hurries
• Finished fourth on Cal's all-time list in tackles
• Recorded a school-record and career-high 182 tackles as a senior, breaking Cal's 34-year-old single-season record of 167 set by Hardy Nickerson in 1985 while he also had 159 stops as a junior that tie for third on the school's career list
• Also registered career highs of 10.0 tackles for loss and five quarterback hurries as a senior
• Had a career-long streak of 12 straight contests with double-digit tackles that included the final seven games of his junior season and first five contests of his senior campaign
• Recorded career highs of 4.5 sacks (-28 yards), two interceptions that he returned for 47 yards and his lone career touchdown on a 37-yard return against Washington, and six pass breakups as a junior while playing in and starting all 13 games for the first time in his career and the first of back-to-back seasons
• Led or shared Cal's lead in tackles 24 times during his career including 12 times as a senior, on 11 occasions during his junior campaign, as well as once as a 2017 sophomore
• One of only three FBS players since 2000 to have three career games of 20+ tackles
• The only Pac-12 player since 2000 with multiple career games of 20+ tackles
• Added his lone career reception for 11 yards on a throw by punter Dylan Klumph on a fake punt attempt that was successful for a first down at Oregon State, as well as three kick returns for 26 yards all against Washington including a career-long 13-yarder, all as a 2016 freshman
• Spent his first season at Cal as a freshman as a defensive end before moving to the inside linebacker spot he finished his career in following a brief stint as an outside linebacker at the beginning of 2017 training camp
Senior (2019)
• Consensus First-Team All-American (AFCA, AP, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, ESPN, FWAA, Sporting News, USA Today, Walter Camp, Yardbarker)
• First Cal player to earn consensus first-team All-American honors since Daymeion Hughes and DeSean Jackson in 2006 and any type of first-team All-American honors since Alex Mack in 2008
• Second-Team All-American (Sports Illustrated)
• Second-Team Senior All-American (Senior CLASS Award)
• Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year (AP, Pac-12 Coaches)
• First-team All-Pac-12 by the league's coaches and Phil Steele
• Finalist for the Butkus Award®, Lombardi, Lott IMPACT Trophy and Senior CLASS Award
• Semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award
• On the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
• A nearly unanimous first-team midseason All-American (Associated Press, The Athletic, Athlon Sports, CBS Sports, ESPN, USA Today), as well as the leading midseason candidate for Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors and a first-team All-Pac-12 selection by the Bay Area News Group
• Served as one of three team season captains along with Camryn Bynum and Jake Curhan
• Lead the nation at the FBS level in total tackles (school-record and career-high 182), total tackles per game (14.0), solo tackles (103) and solo tackles per game (7.9)
• Had 29 more total tackles (second, Dele Harding of Illinois, 153) and 20 more solo tackles (second, Nate Landman, Colorado, 83) than any other FBS player
• Finished fifth on the all-time NCAA's FBS single-season tackle list and was 11 shy of the all-time single-season record of 193 set in 14 games by Lawrence Flugence of Texas
• Had his lone three career forced fumbles to rank tied for second in the Pac-12 and tied for 36th nationally with an average of 0.23 per game while adding a career-high 10.0 tackles for loss (-36 yards) to rank tied for 11th in the Pac-12, 2.5 sacks (-19 yards), three pass breakups, three passes defended and a career-high five quarterback hurries
• Combined with Kuony Deng (119 tackles) to form the nation's leading FBS duo with 301 tackles that is the second-highest total ever by a Cal duo and came within six of Cal's school record of 307 by Weaver (159) and Jordan Kunaszyk (148) in 2018
• One of seven players including five on the defensive side of the ball to start all 13 games
• The only FBS player with three 20+ tackle games in a season since 2000
• Had three of the nine 20+ tackle games by an FBS player while no one else has more than one
• Twice equaled Kunaszyk for the most tackles in a single game in the Cal's recorded history when he had a career-high-tying 22 at Ole Miss and Utah, adding 0.5 tackles for loss (-2 yards), 0.5 sacks (-2 yards) and a career-high two quarterback hurries against the Rebels while he also had 1.0 tackle for loss (-2 yards) and a career-high-tying one forced fumble against the Utes
• His 22 tackles at Ole Miss were the most against an SEC opponent by any defender in at least 15 years according to ESPN Stats & Information
• Twice helped secure victories by making stops on the opponents' final offensive play, stuffing Ole Miss' John Rhys Plumlee on a QB sneak from the 1-yard line as time expired to preserve the first Pac-12 victory on the road at an SEC school since 2010 and then combined with Cameron Goode to stop Stanford's Cameron Scarlett on fourth down and one from its' own 34-yard line to lift Cal to its first Big Game victory since 2009
• Had 21 tackles, a season-high 2.0 tackles for loss (season-high -17 yards) and a career-high-tying 2.0 sacks (season-high -17 yards) against Oregon State
• Had 18 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss (-4 yards) and a career-high-tying one forced fumble at Washington
• Had 15 tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss (-2 yards) against Arizona State
• Recorded 14 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss (-2 yards) and one pass breakup against USC
• Had 13 tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss (-1 yard) against Stanford
• Opened the season with 12 tackles against UC Davis while adding a quarterback hurry
• Registered 11 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss (-3 yards), one quarterback hurry and one pass breakup against North Texas
• Had 10 tackles and one quarterback hurry against a pass heavy Washington State team that had 58 passing plays and 16 rush attempts among its total of 74 plays
• Had nine tackles at UCLA and in the Redbox Bowl against Illinois
• Had six tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss (-1 yard) and one pass breakup at Oregon
• Earned National Defensive Player of the Week by multiple organizations (Chuck Bednarik Award, College Sports Madness, Nagurski Trophy, Walter Camp Award), as well as the Reese's Senior Bowl Defensive Senior of the Week and the Lott IMPACT Trophy's Player of the Week for his performance at Washington
• Earned the Lott IMPACT Trophy's Player of the Week honor on three occasions, also taking the award for his performance against Oregon State and a share of the honor for his outing at Ole Miss
• Was also a final candidate for the Lott IMPACT Trophy's Player of the Week following his performances against UC Davis and Arizona State
• Named Pac-12 Player of the Week twice for his performances against Washington and at Ole Miss
• A three-time Cal Defensive Player of the Week (at Washington, vs. North Texas, at Ole Miss)
• Earned preseason first-team All-American (Athlon Sports) and second-team All-American (AP, The Athletic, PFF, Sports Illustrated) honors with his first-team selection the first by a Cal player since Jahvid Best in 2009
• A preseason first-team All-Pac-12 selection of Athlon Sports, Lindy's, Phil Steele, Power Football Focus and Street & Smith's
• The nation's leading returner tackler after recording 159 stops as a 2018 junior
• Ranked as the No. 3 linebacker in the nation and the No. 37 player overall by Athlon in their early list of the nation's top 50 players released in February
• The nation's second-ranked linebacker and No. 39 player overall in the 2020 NFL Draft class according to CBS Sports, while Mel Kiper Jr. has him as the No. 4 senior inside linebacker
• Saw limited action during the spring game and did not record any statistics other than participation
What They're Saying
"He's a lot of fun to watch because he plays with a lot of passion. It looks like he’s having fun. I’m not just watching casually, there's a professional interest, obviously." – Ron Rivera, Washington Redskins Head Coach
“He’s the best linebacker we’ve seen all year. He’s outstanding. Big. Fast. Long. Violent. Physical. Special. He just has to be accounted for, run and pass – and it’s not just accounted for because he’s hard to block. His acceleration from Point A to Point B is as good as you’ll see in college football.” – David Shaw, Stanford Head Coach
“Weaver now is the nation’s leading tackler and the ringleader of what has become one of the country’s toughest defenses and most surprising 180-degree turnarounds in college football.” – Bruce Feldman, The Athletic
"A strong case could be made for Weaver as the best player in the conference on either side of the ball. He leads the FBS in tackles – nobody in the Power Five is even close – and sets the tone for one of the top defenses in the Pac-12.” – Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News
“He’s a nasty, forceful and instinctive defender who makes plays up the field and in pursuit. I like Weaver’s intensity, football smarts and approach.” – Tony Pauline, Pro Football Network
“So Evan Weaver is averaging 15.6 tackles per game and just perfectly shadowed a TE to force a pass breakup. I am not entirely sure he’s of this planet.” – Mike Piellucci, The Athletic
“At some point in the third or fourth quarter of a given Cal game, you will pause and think to yourself, ‘Wait, has Weaver made every damn tackle for Cal in this game?’ He hasn’t, but it sure seems as if he has.” –Bill Connelly, ESPN
“Evan Weaver has been the best defensive player (in the Pac-12) I’ve seen to this point. Physical, always around the ball. And his tackling numbers are insane. I’m not sure there’s a close second for this.” – Doug Haller, The Athletic
“Weaver is a machine who flies all over the football field, and he’s also an asset in pass coverage. Weaver is a three-down linebacker who’s the anchor of a good defense.” – David Lombardi, The Athletic
Junior (2018)
• One of 10 players including six on the defensive side of the ball to start all 13 games
• Tied for fifth nationally with 6.4 solo tackles per game and eighth in total tackles with 11.9 per contest
• Recorded 159 tackles to rank tied for third on Cal's all-time single-season list, as well as 9.5 tackles for loss (-42 yards) and career highs of 4.5 sacks (-28 yards), two interceptions that he returned for 47 yards and his lone career touchdown, and six pass breakups, as well as one quarterback hurry
• Earned second-team All-American honors (Pro Football Focus), as well as first-team (Associated Press, Pro Football Focus) and second-team (Athlon, Pac-12 Coaches, Phil Steele) All-Pac-12 recognition
• Was also Cal's Bear Backers Award as the team's Co-Most Valuable Defensive Player along with fellow inside linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk while earning Cal's Defensive Player of the Week (at BYU, vs. Washington) or Co-Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Colorado) honors three times
• Served as a team game captain twice (vs. Oregon, at Washington State)
• Added to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Award watch list after his performance in the first four games
• Ranked second in the Pac-12 in both solo tackles per contest (6.8) and total tackles per game (12.2) while he was fourth and sixth in the nation, respectively
• Graded out at 91.6 by Pro Football Focus College, which was second among all linebackers for the season and the eighth-highest mark from 2014-18
• Combined with Kunaszyk for 307 tackles that were the most ever by a pair of Cal players with the number also leading all FBS duos in total tackles, while in addition the duo led the nation in solo tackles per game (14.1) and all Power 5 duos in total tackles per game (23.6)
• Had 11 double-digit tackle games and also led or shared the team lead in tackles 11 times
• Ended the season on a flurry with 62 tackles in his final four games (15.5 per contest) and double-digit stops in each of his final seven games while he also started the season with four consecutive double-digit tackle games
• Had a season-high 18 tackles against Colorado while adding 2.0 tackles for loss (-3 yards) and 1.0 sack (-3 yards) to earn Cal's Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors
• Had 17 tackles against Stanford
• Recorded 14 tackles on three occasions in the Cheez-It Bowl vs. TCU and against both North Carolina and Oregon, adding 1.0 tackle for loss (-2 yards) when he served as a team game captain against the Ducks
• Had 13 tackles twice at USC and against Idaho State, adding all of his career-best tackle for loss (2.5, -19 yards) and sack (2.0, -19 yards) numbers against the Trojans and one pass breakup against the Bengals
• Had 12 tackles at BYU along with a career-high three breakups and one quarterback hurry to earn Cal's Defensive Player of the Week honors
• Named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week by both the conference and College Sports Madness as well as Cal's Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in a 12-10 win over Washington when he had 11 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss (-2 yards), a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown that was Cal's lone touchdown of the game and one pass breakup with the 37 interception return and all-purpose yards both career highs
• Had 11 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss (-9 yards) and 1.5 sacks (-8 yards) at Oregon State
• Registered 10 tackles, one interception that he returned 10 yards and one pass breakup at Washington State when he served as a team game captain
• Had nine tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss (-7 yards) against UCLA
• Had three tackles at Arizona
• Recorded five tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss (-2 yards) in the spring game
Sophomore (2017)
• Played in all 12 games including his first five career starts and contributed 55 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss (-3 yards) and two pass breakups
• Registered a season-high and team game-high nine tackles and one pass breakup vs. Oregon State
• Had eight tackles at Colorado
• Recorded six tackles in back-to-back games at Oregon and Washington, while also sharing the team lead in tackles and adding a season-high 2.0 tackles for loss (-3 yards) vs. the Huskies
• Also had six tackles at Stanford
• Contributed five tackles in the season-opener at North Carolina and vs. USC
• Had three tackles vs. Arizona
• Recorded two tackles in addition to his first career pass breakup in his first career start vs. Weber State and also had two stops vs.Washington State and at UCLA
• Registered one tackle against Ole Miss
• Had at least one stop in all 12 games
• Did not play in the spring game
Freshman (2016)
• Earned the team's Clint Evans Award for its most intense freshman competitor
• Played in the team's final 11 games all off the bench as a defensive end
• Contributed 16 tackles as well as 1.5 tackles for loss (-7 yards) and 1.5 sacks (-7 yards) in his first collegiate action
• Had his lone career reception for 11 yards receiving on a throw by punter Dylan Klumph on a successful fake punt attempt in the first quarter at Oregon State that eventually led to a second-quarter 27-yard Matt Anderson field goal and Cal's first points of the game in an eventual 47-44 overtime loss
• Had his lone career three kick returns for 26 yards all against Washington including a career-long 13-yarder with his 26 all-purpose yards also a season best
• Recorded a season-high four tackles at Oregon State
• Had two tackles along with season highs of 1.0 tackle for loss (season-high -6 yards) and 1.0 sack (season-high -6 yards) against Texas
• Recorded a pair of tackles with 0.5 tackles for loss (-1 yard) and 0.5 sacks (-1 yard) vs. Washington
• Also had two stops vs. Oregon, at USC and vs. Stanford, as well as one in back-to-back games at Arizona State and vs. Utah
• Took 113 special teams snaps and 93 in the last five contests, equaling a career-high-tying 21 in back-to-back games vs. Washington and at Washington State
Gonzaga Prep (Class of 2016)
• A three-year varsity starter who compiled prep totals of 393 tackles, 78.0 tackles for loss, 45.0 sacks, 14 forced fumbles, eight pass deflections and 52 quarterback hurries for teams that compiled a 31-5 overall record and won the school’s third state title in his 2015 senior season finishing 14-0 overall to become the first undefeated team in school history while posting a 5-0 record in district games to win the 4A Greater Spokane Football title and ranking No. 2 in the state of Washington and No. 62 nationally by MaxPreps in its final polls
• Earned Washington State Player of the Year honors from the Tacoma News Tribune, while he earned Defensive State Player of the Year recognition from the Seattle Times, Associated Press and Tacoma News Tribune, won the Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters Junior Awards Athlete of the Year and picked up All-USA Inland Northwest and Regional Defensive MVP honors from American Family Insurance as well as first-team Greater Spokane League as a senior when he racked up 125 tackles, 37.0 tackles for loss, 24.0 sacks, two safeties, one fumble recovery and one blocked punt on defense while adding nearly 1,000 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on the ground for a squad that won its third WIAA 4A state ever and first since 1986 and also captured a 4A Greater Spokane Football crown
• Ran for 133 yards and scored two touchdowns on the ground in state title win over Skyline as a senior, while he had a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown in a state quarterfinal playoff win against Woodinville and three rushing touchdowns in the same contest also in his final prep campaign
• Earned All-USA Inland Northwest and Regional Defensive MVP honors from American Family Insurance as well as first-team All-State and first-team Greater Spokane League recognition as a junior when he posted 123 tackles, 22.0 tackles for loss, 14.0 sacks, six forced fumbles and three blocked kicks including one he returned for a touchdown for a squad that was 10-2 overall and registered a 5-0 mark in district games to win a 4A Greater Spokane Football title, reached the second round of the WIAA 4A state playoffs and ranked No. 15 in the state of Washington according to MaxPreps
• First-team Greater Spokane League selection and second-team all-state as a 2013 sophomore who recorded 145 tackles, 20.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks and three forced fumbles for a squad that posted a 7-3 overall record and a 7-2 mark in 3A/4A Greater Spokane Football district games, reaching the first round of the WIAA 4A state playoffs
• Also played baseball, hitting .294 as a 2015 junior and contributing to his 2014 sophomore for a team that was 22-4 overall, 17-1 in 3A/4A Greater Spokane Baseball district games to win a district title and reach the second round of the 4A state baseball playoffs while finishing the season ranked No. 3 in the state of Washington according to MaxPreps
• Wore No. 89 in football while he was No. 5 (sophomore) and No. 11 (freshman and junior) in baseball with the No. 89 having a special meaning as it is given by his school to the younger player on the football team that shows promise of playing at the next level
Recruiting Rankings and Notes (Class of 2016)
Stars: Tom Lemming (4), 247Sports (3), 247Sports Composite (3), ESPN (3), Rivals (3), Scout (3)
National Overall Player Ratings: 247Sports Composite (921), 247Sports (1020)
National Weak-Side Defensive End Ratings: Rivals (36)
National Strong-Side Defensive End Ratings: 247Sports (44), 247Sports Composite (44)
National Defensive End Ratings: Scout (58), ESPN (81)
Regional Overall Player Ratings: ESPN (110)
West Defensive End Ratings: Scout (8)
Washington Overall Player Ratings: 247Sports Composite (8), ESPN (8), 247Sports (9), Rivals (10)
Washington Defensive End Ratings: Scout (2)
Ratings/Scout Grades: 247Sports (85), 247Sports Composite (0.8464), ESPN (77), Rivals (5.6)
• One of four “Blue Chip” recruits in the state of Washington as a senior according to the Seattle Times
• Had a 101.91 SPARQ score at Nike Eugene to rank among the top 300 players overall nationally
Other
• Born August 11, 1998
• Son of Todd and Christine Weaver
• Major is American studies
Last Updated
May 4, 2020
