Late last November, John Chavis leaned against the wall as he does every Tuesday during a Tennessee football season and threw the assembled media a bone.

The topic was replacing six defensive starters about to play their final game. "I don't see it being a big drop-off,'' Chavis retorted.

That got everyone's attention. But what about losing those three senior linebackers?

As a matter of fact, Chavis could see linebacker being an even stronger position in 2006.

"I don't want to start naming names yet,'' he said then, "but we've got a couple you haven't seen that I think you'll be excited to see.''

Nine months later, California is headed to town and it's show-and-tell time.

Chavis, beginning his 12th season as UT's defensive coordinator, leaned against the same wall Tuesday and was asked if anything had tempered his optimism about his young linebackers.

"No,'' he said. "Not at all.''

That said, let's interject one caveat.

When he projected in November his linebacker corps could be better in 2006, he didn't necessarily mean it would be better on opening day against a preseason No. 9-ranked team with a Heisman Trophy candidate -- Marshawn Lynch -- at tailback.

"We're a work in progress,'' Chavis said.

"It's a talented group that's just green as a gourd.''

Jerod Mayo, Ryan Karl and Marvin Mitchell know there's nowhere to hide Saturday. Cal more closely resembles Southern Cal than Southern Mississippi.

That's fine. No one's looking to hide. Mitchell is a fifth-year senior, Karl a junior. Mayo is a sophomore anxious to resume a brief career interrupted by knee surgery.

"Any time you come into a season with three new starters, that's something everybody's going to look at,'' said Mitchell. "That motivates us a lot, this being a school that's always had great linebackers.''

From Steve Kiner to Keith DeLong to Al Wilson and Raynoch Thompson to Kevin Burnett, there are several All-America plaques hanging on the wall.

And for every great one in the Chavis era there's been a handful of darn good ones like Darryl Hardy or Eric Westmoreland or Omar Gaither.

"Chief (Chavis) told us this is the first time since he's been here none of his linebackers have been preseason anything,'' said Karl.

Added Mayo, "It's hard living up to that expectation, but I feel like we can all do it. It's feasible.''

Having Chavis as both tutor and coordinator makes it more feasible.

"Chief's a veteran at this,'' said Karl. "He's gonna get us in the right spots.

"And we've run every play together for eight months now. It's not like we're going out there and never have played the position before.''

In Rico McCoy's case, it will be exactly like going out there and never have played before.

McCoy, a redshirt freshman, is listed as second-team, but he's one of the guys Chavis was talking about last November.

"Rico still lacks experience like the rest of us,'' said Mayo, "but he has more talent than anybody here probably.''

That takes in Ellix Wilson, Adam Myers-White, Andre Mathis and James Turner, all of whom are long on potential and short on experience.

More experience would be desirable against an offense as talented and diversified as Cal's.

Mistakes are inevitable. And Cal's going to make some plays.

By October there should be fewer mistakes, fewer plays being made. By October, both Chavis and 107,000 of his best friends will have a better idea if his optimism was justified.

But first there is September. First there is Cal and two weeks later Florida.

In short, experience won't come cheap.

"That's where we are,'' said Chavis. "That's the challenge we have.

"Quite honestly, it's exciting because we're talented.''

Talented and green as a gourd.