There was a theme of things feeling "brand new" when California took the field to open training camp for the 2017 season Monday afternoon at California Memorial Stadium under a perfect sun-drenched afternoon in Berkeley.
 
The Golden Bears were sporting brand new Under Armour practice uniforms and they were competing on freshly-carpeted and branded FieldTurf. But what was most noteworthy among the "brand new" items was the first training camp practice for head coach Justin Wilcox and his coaching staff.
 
Wilcox said he was pleased with what he saw in Cal's first official practice since the spring game back in April.
 
"The guys had great energy today," Wilcox said. "Everybody has been eager and itching to get back on the field. Obviously, no pads on the first day, so there was just a lot of teaching going on. They had a great attitude. We're teaching them what to do and how to do it. When we get into the more physical practices, that's when the evaluations will begin."
 
Wilcox's assessment that the Bears were excited to take the field again was echoed by a couple of the senior leaders on the Cal defense at the College Football Bay Area Media Day last Friday.
 
"We're really pumped up to get Coach Wilcox in there and for us to keep getting acclimated with all of his coaches," said cornerback Darius Allensworth. "We're excited to get wins this year. All the guys are ready to get after it. We underachieved last season, so we're ready to go out there and show we're capable of getting more wins than that."
 
"The energy is very high right now," added inside linebacker Raymond Davison. "With the coaching changes, everybody gets a clean slate in trying to make a name for themselves. The energy in the locker room right now is probably the highest it's been since I got here."
 
Since he first arrived in Berkeley, Wilcox has made his presence felt in multiple ways from accountability to bonding with the players on and off the field. 
 
Staying in the mindset day by day of doing what's best for the program has been a major point of emphasis by Wilcox, and the message was received loud and clear from leaders like Allensworth.
 
"Right now, we're all holding each other accountable, it doesn't matter if it was one player or a position group, we all keep on each other about that," Allensworth said. "We need to show the younger guys the importance of going to treatment on time, going to meetings on time and showing them that being a leader means always doing what you're supposed to do."
 
In addition to his leadership role on the practice field, Davison appreciates how much Wilcox spends time with the team off the field. Being a player's coach has helped him bond with the Bears at a quick rate.
 
"There's not a day that goes by when you don't see him hanging out with the players," Davison said. "When we're eating together as a team, you'll see him at a table with the guys talking about whatever. During March, he was talking about the college basketball tournament with everybody. Now, it's Game Of Thrones. I don't think he watches that, but just the fact that he's engaged in that conversation with everybody really shows his presence and drive to be around the guys all the time."
 
Offensive lineman Addison Ooms has also seen firsthand how Wilcox wants to bring the team together as a family.
 
"It's really cool to see that he's established a whole culture of brotherhood and community," Ooms said. "Everybody is there for each other. Last night, we had a table for families to eat with the team. We all love coming here."
 
Wilcox knows how critical the time during training camp is for the team to come together and build its identity.
 
"This is a huge part of the season," Wilcox said. "It's not only the development on the field and in the meeting rooms and walk-thrus, but just being around each other and developing that chemistry. Every team is different whether there's a coaching change or not. Every team takes its own identity, and it's driven by the players. We have to set the expectations and the culture standards, but it's really all them. It's fun to watch. That's the fun part about college football, seeing that team take shape."
 
There's still a lot of work to be done before the Bears head to North Carolina for the season-opener against the Tar Heels on Saturday, Sept. 2, but Wilcox has already taken the right steps towards guiding the Bears to success in 2017.