Raiders rookie cornerback Hezekiah Masses, who played at Cal last season, probably had the best performance of the four former Golden Bears who played in NFL preseason games on Thursday.
Marcus Harris, Ashtyn Davis, and Daniel Scott were the three ex-Golden Bears besides Masses who played Thursday, and it's no coincidence that all four of them are defensive backs. Eleven former Cal defensive backs are on NFL preseason rosters.
This foursome does not include quarterback Fernando Mendoza, a Cal graduate
who was impressive in his first competition as an NFL players.
Marcus Harris | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Harris was a starting cornerback for the Titans in their 19-13 victory over San Francisco, and that is significant because Tennessee, under new head coach Robert Saleh, opened the game with its projected regular-season starters.
The Titans went 3-14 last season, so you can understand why Saleh wants to see his regular starters in the preseason.
Harris, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, played in 14 games, including five starts, for the Titans last year as a nickel corner, but he missed the final two games with a knee injury. He had 25 tackles, five passes defensed and a forced fumble last year.
Harris did not have a great game on Thursday, according to media reports. He had two tackles and no other statistics, and he missed a tackle on 49ers receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, who was San Francisco's most impressive player Thursday.
Hezekiah Masses | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Masses has been getting favorable reviews for his play in practice, and he performed well on Thursday.
He was not a starter in the Raiders' 27-14 loss to the Cardinals, but he played 30 snaps on defense and five more on special teams. He finished with five tackles, including two solo stops.
Masses was a fifth-round pick in this year's NFL draft following his one season at Cal. A week ago, Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby gave Masses a big compliment:
Daniel Scott tackles New England's Lan Larison for a loss | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Scott is giving it one more try after having his first three NFL seasons wiped out by major injuries.
A fifth-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts out of Cal in 2023, Scott had his rookie season halted when he sustained a season-ending torn ACL in preseason organized team activities (OTAs). His 2024 season was also ended before it started when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in OTAs.
He rallied from both those serious injuries to make the Colts' regular-season squad last season and played in the first four games. But he then suffered a knee injury that put him on injured reserve and ended his season.
Scott was not a starter in the Colts 13-13 tie with Patriots on Thursday, but he got considerable playing time at safety and performed well.
He recorded four tackles, including three solo stops, and had a big defensive play when he tackled Patriots running back Lan Larison for a 2-yard loss after a pass completion.
Scott seemed to have good speed and quickness, which is impressive for a player who has had the injuries that he has sustained.
Ashtyn Davis | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Davis was in the starting lineup for the 49ers on Thursday, and he is hoping to land a starting spot for the regular season as well.
He finished Thursday's game with two tackles and broke up a Cam Ward pass that Davis nearly intercepted.
The 29-year-old Davis is entering his seventh NFL season after playing the 2019 season at Cal and being a third-round draft pick by the Jets in 2020.
He started 12 games for the Dolphins last season before signing with the 49ers in the offseason as a free agent.
Mendoza, who spent three years at Cal and his final college season at Indiana, was impressive in his NFL debut, even if was in a meaningless preseason game.
He went 10-for-16 for 97 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions in the Raiders' 27-14 loss to Arizona.
Mendoza was not the starter on Thursday, and Kirk Cousins has been named the starter for the Raiders' first regular-season game. It remains to be seen when Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, will make his first regular-season start , but it's likely to come this season.
The Detroit Lions signed former Cal defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina as an undrafted free agent shortly after the 2026 NFL draft. But he was placed on injured reserve a few days ago with an undisclosed injury, so he is unlikely to rejoin the active roster this season..
The Lions lost to the Bengals 16-14 on Thursday.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/cal as Hezekiah Masses the Best of 4 Ex-Cal Defensive Backs in NFL Preseason Games .
