Signing day: Instant analysis

Now that the recruiting season is mostly done, UC Davis' coaches are free to plan their spring trips. The defensive coaches are going check out Cal and Boise State for linebacker techniques and hit TCU to for some intensive defensive line discussions. Head coach Bob Biggs, well, he's got a cabinet full of New Orleans Saints film to break down.

A few months ago, we pondered the immediate future of UCD's running game, and came down pretty negatively on the whole thing. But now, maybe, there a more optimistic spin on this. The Aggies loaded up on running backs two years ago, and, potentially added three more today. The Saints did more out of the backfield than almost anyone in the NFL, including putting two tailbacks out there together (Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister). Maybe this is a sign of just how highly the Aggie coaches think of their young backs. They're looking for ways to get more of them on the field at once. Everyone on the roster can catch passes and run between the tackles. They have a couple of guys with honest-to-goodness blazing speed.

“You can get the match-ups you want by motioning out of the backfield,” Biggs said. “We’re a lot like New Orleans. We like to use play-action to go deep. We’ve got a lot of the ball control. We’re similar. We’ve got the multiple groups and multiple formations.”

Now all they need to do figure out is who is going to trigger the offense.

Here are a couple of notes on today's signing class that didn't make the story you'll find in Thursday's gold-top:

--Two players, QB Sean Maraz and K Sean Kelley, were sort of accidental signings. Biggs said neither position really was a need, but recommendations from people he trusts sort of put them on those two trails. Biggs said he really enjoyed what he saw of Maraz on film, and made a partial scholarship offer. Kelley, meanwhile, has an extremely lively leg. He already has two 50-yarders to his credit as a high schooler. He'll compete with Emmanuel Benjamin for the kicking job. If he doesn't get it, he'll redshirt.

--UCD will sign a transfer offensive lineman and punter this summer, although I don't currently have names.

--Winters High's Nick Hedrick did not sign with the team, as previously reported.

--I've never heard Biggs gush about a player the way he did about fullback Ishman Anderson. Biggs said he could tell that Anderson was a special player because every time Anderson scored a touchdown, the entire team ran down the field to congratulate him. Apparently, it doesn't usually work like that.