NoCal OL on the rise

Last season Berkeley head coach Alonzo Carter told anyone who would listen that he had a D-I football player in offensive lineman Faraji Wright. Carter was proved right, as Wright signed with Boise State earlier this month. Once again Carter is saying he's has a lineman who should sign a D-I scholie papers next February.

The offensive lineman to keep your eye on this fall is Demetrius Moore (6-4, 285, 5.1).

"Demetrius is more athletic than Faraji," Carter said. "Faraji is a little more sound as a football player because he played three years of varsity.

"When I first arrived at the school last year the students told me I have to meet "Baby Shaq", that's one of the nicknames the kids have for Demetrius because he resembles Shaq (O'Neal)," Carter said. "The kids led me to him and he was playing basketball during lunchtime.

"I pulled Demetrius off the basketball court and talked him into playing football," Carter said. "I wasn't wrong, he's legit.

"Demetrius has tremendous upside because of his overall athleticism," Carter said. "He's only played one year of football.

"Every coach that came by at the end of the recruiting would ask 'who is that?' They would then follow up with an 'I'll be back' and they will," Carter said. "We will be pretty busy this spring and Demetrius is one of the reasons why.

"Demetrius ended up being a starter for me in his first year playing football. He's extremely quick and nimble for a big man. Like I said, he's going to be pretty good.

"Demetrius will even play some defense for us this fall," Carter said. "He's that athletic.

"Another of his nicknames is Culpepper as in Dante Culpepper because he can toss the football," Carter said. "Demetrius can throw the ball 60 yards and thinks he's a quarterback. I told him we don't want a big quarterback like Culpepper or JaMarcus Russell.

"When Demetrius understood he wasn't going to be a quarterback, he asked if we can make up a play where he becomes eligible so he can throw the ball.

California, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Boise State are said to be interested.