With help needed at the cornerback position, McGovern could also see time on the defensive side of the ball.
"They asked me, actually, which side I could see myself on, and it was a real tough question to answer, because this last season, I had a great time on the defensive side of the ball," McGovern said. "They noticed that, and wanted to ask where I felt I might end up. I still kind of have an offensive mind, but if I can contribute to the team best on the defensive side of the ball, I'm all for it."
This past season, McGovern made returned four interceptions for 30 yards in the defensive backfield. He also would seem to possess the necessary speed to play corner, with a 4.6-second 40-yard dash time.
"I was just all over," he said. "I played corner for the first five games, then I moved to safety for the sixth game, and from week seven to week 12, I played outside linebacker. I just kept getting closer to the line of scrimmage, and with each little move, I got more excited about defense."
Before McGovern made the call on Wednesday, another UC school -- UC Davis -- had been making inroads to get McGovern to come in as a preferred walk-on, as well. The Aggies -- who fell 52-3 to the Bears this season -- already had the allegiance of fellow Monte Vista wide out Dane Turner, but McGovern was looking more to the Ivy League before Cal came calling.