Cal Sports Recruiting Thread: December 2009
by Avinash on Dec 30, 2009 8:24 AM PST
296 comments
Solarise has been doing fine yeoman's work on this front. Highly commendable, big ups to him!
TrojanNYC blog reported that $C is leading in the recruitment of George Uko, DT (Chino, CA) followed by UCLA.
The departure of LSU running back coach Larry Porter to Memphis is having a negative impact on the recruiting of Lache Seastrunk, RB (Temple, TX). Perhaps coach Gould should sweep in and work his magic…
Chris Fetters of Scout reported that Micah Hatchie, OT (Waialua, HI) had an incredible visit to UW. He was seen hanging out with another Hawaiian and Huskies commit Taz Stevenson. Hatchie still wants to officially visit Oregon, Cal and Hawai’i before making his final decision.
Washington, Oregon and Hawai’i were mentioned by Hatchie as being high risers on his recruiting list. Those are the schools that are going to the top right now.
Greg Biggins reported on Paul Richardson, WR (Gardena, CA) and his visit to ASU over the weekend.
"ASU was a great visit, there wasn’t a single negative about it," Richardson said. "I got to spend a lot of time with Coach (Dennis) Erickson and that was really a highlight for me. He’s a solid guy and very genuine.""I want to take a few more trips with Shaq so I’m looking at Arizona and UCLA," Richardson said. "I also like Cal and Nebraska and would like to visit both of those as well."
Kenny Stills, WR (Carlsbad, CA) is down to his final six schools: Cal, UCLA, Oklahoma, Florida, Miami and Michigan. Stills is targeting Dec 11 or Dec 18 to announce his decision on local TV in San Diego.
Three-star wide receiver Tevin Carter (Los Angeles/Santee) made an unofficial visit to check out the hometown USC Trojans but is still a solid commitment to Cal, ESPN affiliate Web site BearInsider.com reports.
Finally, a Moraga Bear update!
Regarding King, I know he’s still talking about Cal like they’re his top choice. Whether or not his fb status means anything, I’m not sure at this point. But, as I mentioned earlier, a similar fb status about Cal last June didn’t mean anything so I wouldn’t put to much stock in this one.Personally, I wouldn’t want to be in Oregon’s position. No single recruit is worth the potential of a major recruiting violation and when an Oregon alum/former player/booster provides housing for a player in his school’s backyard, that’s crying out for trouble. I’m aware of at least one or two schools that will strongly pursue major sanctions against Oregon if he commits there and one’s not Cal. They say they "cleared it" with the NCAA, but I wouldn’t sleep easy on that one.
Contrary to what some are saying, Cal’s recruiting is going strong right now. They lost Ward and James to UCLA and a few others that were offered but not Plan A guys, but they’re in strong with a lot of top recruits and will host a ton of them Dec. 11, including Kouandjio, his teammates Johnson and Coley, Gayden, Ferguson, Whitaker, Martin, Gore, Werner, possibly Stills and Briggs and a few others, plus current commits Crosthwaite, Hinder, Harper and another one or two.
I’ve indicated for months that commits weren’t likely until late in the recruiting process because almost all their top remaining targets had no intention of committing early and wanted to take bunch of visits.
This is a different type of recruiting cycle than Cal usually is involved in but, just as all the early strong commits didn’t mean the class would be stocked with top players and be wrapped up early, so does the lull during the season not mean things are going poorly.
By design, there was to be one big recruiting game during the season, which, despite the loss was actually a pretty strong visit with a lot of the recruits. There then was to be one big recruiting weekend during bowl prep and that’s what’s happening in a couple weeks. Things will almost definitely pick up then.
The opinions expressed in a FanPost are, in every way, reflective of the opinions of every California Golden Blogs Marshawnthusiast. Moreover, they are reflective of every employee of SBNation, including Tyler "Blez" Bleszinski.
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According to an interview with DuckTerritory, Gabe King’s top 5 (in order) is “Oregon, Cal, USC, Miami, and Ohio State.”
--AddictedToQuack, SBNation's Oregon Ducks blog
After multiple transfers, including one cross-country move from North Carolina to Oregon, and questions surrounding his eligibility, a surprising change in his top five is the latest twist for defensive end Gabe King (Eugene, Ore./South), ESPN affiliate Web site DuckTerritory.com reports.
“My top five schools right now are Oregon, Cal, USC, Miami, and Ohio State,” he said. “Those are my top five, and that is my order. Oregon is my top school right now. I’m still looking into taking a trip to Miami on December 12th.”
While the Trojans did come in and recently offer the four-star prospect, ESPN affiliate Web site Bucknuts.com reports that Ohio State has not offered.
King, who has made official visits to Cal and USC and multiple unofficial trips to Oregon, hopes to make his decision in early January.
Chris Martin
Incidentally, I was just reading about Chris Martin, the 5-star DE who decommitted from ND since Weis was fired.
It seems that he’ll most likely end up a Gator, but according to this note (via this ND blog), Cal is also in it for him. His short list is Cal, Florida, Oklahoma, and USC. He is supposed to be visiting Cal on 12/11.
Not yet
Things appeared to be going south (get it? going South) for Notre Dame when a source informed me Martin was "all Gator" following Florida’s 37-10 win over rival Florida State last Saturday. I asked Martin if he had in fact decommitted and then recommitted to the Gators and he said "No." Word was that his parents were still very high on Notre Dame and wanted him to go home and talk with them about his future. Looks like the Irish don’t mean much at all anymore.
Martin is a five-star prospect by Rivals.com and is the No. 2 strongside defensive end in the country. He’s already taken an official to Florida and Oklahoma and is set to visit Cal. on Dec. 11. Nothing is official on a trip to USC.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
Rivals also has Chris Martin highly interested at Cal. Aschoff continues to project Martin going to FL on signing day though.
Personally, I’d be very happy to welcome Owa in as a Golden Bear on signing day. He seems to be an exact fit of what Tedford is looking for as a student athlete. Athletic prowess aside, Owa’s character is completely off the charts according published info.
Golden Prospects 2011
Greg Townsend, DE (Beverley Hills, CA) and Antwaun Woods, DT (Woodland Hills, CA) both attended the $C-UCLA game last weekend. While Townsend remained open regarding his top choice, Woods named $C.
Both Townsend and Woods hold Cal scholarship offers for 2011.
WAY WAY WAY too early to tell
Arie Kouandjio, OT (Hyattsville, MD) eliminated Wake Forest and is now only considering ’Bama, Cal, MD, Miami-FL, New Mexico, ND and Tenn.
Offensive guard Arie Kouandjio (Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha) is now only considering Alabama, Cal, Maryland, Miami-FL, New Mexico, Notre Dame and Tennessee, InsideMDSports.com reports. He was previously considering Wake Forest.
The three-star talent put recruiting on hold during his season but is now back in the game, “I’m starting to focus on it again. I’m starting to talk to coaches a lot more and really look at my options and everything and try to find the best place for me. It’s going to be [based on] how my visits go and what my parents think about the schools.”
The in-state Terps have early playing opportunity working in their favor, “That’s definitely kept my interest because I know I’ll have the chance come in early and start or play right away if that’s the place I decide to go. That’s actually one of the bigger upsides to Maryland for me.”
Cal offers a TE
Cal has just offered Jacob Wark of Jesuit HS in Oregon. ESPN has him ranked as the 39th best TE prospect in the country. He supposedly had a great senior season. Hopefully between him and Aaron Dunn we can get a TE in this class. Christian Thomas is clearly out of the picture.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
Tedford offered the scholarship to Wark himself:
Wark was offered by Cal head man Jeff Tedford on Monday.
“He told me they saw my film and they liked it a lot,” said Wark. "And then Pete Alomar, the tight ends coach, he came out and watched me play and he said they were really excited by what they saw, that I played with passion and with heart and that I really got down the field.
“Coach Tedford told me I was the perfect tight end they were looking for — and that he was excited to offer me a scholarship.”
The full ride from Cal may have just been proffered this week but the Golden Bears have had their eye on Wark for some time. Coach Ron Gould is the area recruiter for Cal on Wark.
Wark said he did not have a timetable on when he would make his decision.
Wark now holds offers from Cal, Vanderbilt and Air Force. The UW and Oregon State are also keeping close tabs.
Josh Shirley, LB (Fontana, CA)
Shirley loved his visit to Seattle back in September and still talks about it. Rumors persist that fUCLA may be moving in a different direction and $C is always tough to beat for any player, but especially a local one but the Huskies have a real shot here.
Four-star outside linebacker Josh Shirley (Fontana, Calif./Kaiser) currently has a top six of $C, fUCLA, Washington, Arizona, Tennessee and Miami-FL, ESPN affiliate Web site InsideTheU.com reports. Notre Dame and Cal were previously included in Shirley’s top eight.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound talent shared what he’s seeking, “I will just look at my relationship with all the coaches and who I get along with and who I would like to spend the next four or five years with. I want coaches that will take care of me and coach me and I want a good environment.”
Other programs including Arizona State and Stanford have also offered Shirley, who doesn’t have a timetable for his decision.
He registered 88 tackles and 17 sacks this fall.
Anthony Jefferson, ATH (Los Angeles, CA)
The feeling on Jefferson is $C is the school closest to his heart but the Trojans have basically stopped recruiting the two-way standout over the last few months. They could jump back in the picture in January if they lose out on a few other players but it might be too late at that point.
If $C is out, the general feeling at Cathedral is fUCLA would jump to the top of his board but there is also talk that some in Jefferson’s family wouldn’t mind seeing him leave the area and play for Cal or Oregon.
Austin Hinder, QB (Steamboat Springs, CO) has been named 2009-10 Gatorade Colorado Football Player of the Year.
- Luke Graham, Steamboat Today
Here's a question for you
Does anyone know what the statistics are on landing a recruit if you are his 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. place to visit?
Like, do recruits tend to visit the place they think they really want to attend first, or last? Or, is it that recruits end up getting all blurry eyed and SOLD by the first university they see, or the last? In other words, is it the first impression that sells them, or the most recent memory that they hold onto?
Anyone with an inside/recruiters opinion please chime in!
It would take a long time to compile that data, but usually, the choice as to which weekend they decide to visit the school is more dependent on the school having that week be a ‘recruiting week’
just monitoring rivals football recruiting for awhile, i haven’t seen correlations, but i haven’t paid attention too closely to that.
Like cocaine straight from Bolivia.
Jeffrey Whitaker, DT (Warner Robins, GA) enjoyed his visit to Auburn.
From Whitaker’s coach, Bryan Way:
“We talked about it the other day, and he told me he had a really good time over there for the game,” Way told AuburnUndercover.com. “He said nothing really stuck out to him, but he loved the atmosphere. He said it was really loud and definitely exciting for him.”
Whitaker will be visiting Cal officially next week during Bowl prep.
German DE playing in CT if I’m not mistaken…Looking at Cal, Oregon and some others on the East Coast. He may not be our top choice, but it would be cool to get him on our team and have Ze Germans on our side for a change
Like cocaine straight from Bolivia.
I don’t think Roy was advocating such an approach, but merely noting that such an approach existed.
"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.
It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0
Of course it exists, but it’ll never ever happen. Has it even happened to Dirk in ten years in the league?
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
I’m not saying we do it. I’m saying that there are despicable people that WILL do it.
In other words, Go Bears!
People Can Suck
The ASU/Steve Kerr Incidient…
A big chunk of Kerr’s identity was built on the pain of losing his father to murderous ideologues in Beirut on January 18, 1984.
Islamic terrorists assassinated Malcolm Kerr, then president of the American University of Beirut, as he stepped off an elevator on his way to his office.
Dr. Kerr, who was 53, was a highly regarded specialist on the Arab world, and had spent much of his life in the Middle East.
Two nights after his dad’s murder, Kerr played in Tucson against Arizona State University. What happened that evening would become sports legend in Arizona and beyond.
The baby-faced young man, who then looked as if he’d walked off the set of Hoosiers, wept openly (as did many others at McKale Center) during a moment of silence before the game.
During pre-game warm-ups, a handful of ASU students hurled insults at Kerr, including “PLO! PLO!” about his father’s murder, though that organization never was linked to the assassination.
He’s still a junior and according to scout the only offer he has at this point is from New Mexico State. Also, don’t know how much of a priority QB is going to be, with Mansion and Sweeney having two and three more years left of eligibility respectively, Alan Bridgford currently RS-ing, and Austin Hinder coming in with the Class of 2010.
haven’t actually been impressed with the QBs based on film….none really seem too special, but the more guys we get in their competing, the better chance we have at getting a star-level complete QB. seen very little of Cody Kessler, but his body type and throwing motion look very, very promising. and you’ll know a guy is good if he can beat out a few players way ahead of him on the depth chart.
Like cocaine straight from Bolivia.
by Thoroughbred on Dec 6, 2009 12:37 PM PST up reply actions
Any thoughts on Bridgford? I am simply not sold on Riley as the answer next year, I think we’ve seen his ceiling (which is maddenly inconsistent). And it’s telling that neither Mansion nor Sweeney has been able to overtake him.
My dad watched him a lot during highschool. He says that he gets happy feet when the opponent applies pressure.
High school player is undisciplined! Quelle surprise!
"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.
It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0
well, we’re just going to have to disagree on whether we’ve seen Riley’s ceiling. I can pretty much guarantee you he’s going to be the starting QB, and I think we can win any game when he’s on.. I would say his inconsistency is a product of the OL, as I think he was consistent in every game he got protection (excepting the USC game, which I saw as by far his worst of the year).
I think what’s more telling is that Sweeney passed up Mansion as the 2nd string
Like cocaine straight from Bolivia.
whoops
Er I meant Hinder….I was talking with a former Mic Man yesterday about him and he told me that Hinder was the No.2 QB in the nation….nice coup if we stick with that comittment
He’s the #8 quarterback according to Rivals, the #14 quarterback according to Scout, and the number #15 QB according to ESPN.
"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.
It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0
Lucky Radley
We are trying to get him to visit, and we made an in-home visit to him. Anybody know anything about him? He is a three-star rivals prospect, and rated a 74 by ESPN.
“I’ve also had in-home visits with Cal and Utah and Cal has mentioned they would like me to visit as well. So recruiting is going good right now. I’m enjoying it and just want ti play things out a little bit and see what happens.”
Rivals doesn’t show Radley receiving a Cal scholarship offer. Hopefully there’ll be an update.
I find it more interesting that Sean Parker had his best visit to Michigan.
“It was a good visit, I would call it my best visit so far,” Parker said. "All the visits are similar in a lot of ways with the campus tours and meeting the academic people. This was my visit where I didn’t see a football game since the season is over but we did see a basketball game for a half and that was cool.
“Overall, I loved the facilities and they have great academics at Michigan as well. It can get cold but it’s not a big deal for me, it’s nothing I can’t overcome. I like Coach (Rich) Rodriguez and I like the opportunity to play early as well so Michigan definitely has a lot of pluses for me.”
From MoragaBear:
[Brandon] Willis [DE, Duncan, SC] told me this week he plans to take an official to Cal this month [December].
Willis has a verbal commit to Tenn.
From MoragaBear:
We’ve been talking about Willis potentially coming for the last couple weeks on the board but his dad’s moving out of state this week so it doesn’t look like he’ll be able to visit Cal.
The move could mean Willis going back to Florida State, but we’ll see.
Bummer
LSU ESPNU 150 wide receiver commitment Mike Davis (Dallas/Skyline) made an official visit to Texas A&M in October is expected to take some more, ESPN’s Gerry Hamilton reports.
He has confirmed an official visit to Texas for Dec. 11th and is considering additional visits to Florida, Cal and North Carolina.
Davis visited the Tigers for their Oct. 10th loss to Florida.
Four-star wide receiver Mike Davis (Dallas/Skyline) has decommitted from LSU and is now set to play for Texas, ESPN’s Gerry Hamilton reports. The ESPNU 150 prospect was in Austin, Texas for an official visit this weekend.
Davis has also made an official visit to Texas A&M and considered Cal, Florida and North Carolina.
ESPN’s Tom Luginbill said of the switch, “The Texas Longhorns continue to prove why an early signing period might not always be a good idea even for them. Mike Davis is now the second consecutive wide receiver to defect from another program and catch on with the Longhorns. Davis now joins Demarco Cobbs (Tulsa, Okla./Central) to form quite a future out wide for Texas at a position that is in need of playmakers.”
“Davis has good size and very good speed along with playmaking ability in the redzone. He has proven to be able to take the quick hitter and turn it into a homerun as well as stretch the field vertically.”
“Mack Brown and his staff have done a great job staying on kids and proven recruiting is a marathon, not a sprint.”
He amassed 1,300 receiving yards and scored 21 touchdowns as a senior.
Texas now has 21 Class of 2010 commitments including 12 ESPNU 150 prospects and six Under Armour All-Americans.
JR (Ego) Ferguson, DE
Chatham, VA
From an interview w/ Tom Lemming RE: ND’s program after Charlie Weis:
The day after Ferguson visited, his father called Lemming and said how much he loved Notre Dame. Notre Dame may not have been leading at the time but there was no one ahead. Lemming believes the Irish still have a good shot.
Dietrich Riley, S
La Canada, CA
“I’m not sure but I might take an official visit to Cal this weekend,” Riley said. "My mom really wants me to check out Cal so I may get down there and give them a look. I went to the $C game last Saturday with Arizona and that was a rough one for them but I still like $C and will visit there later in the year.
“I also took an unofficial visit to fUCLA on Sunday. It was cool, I got to go to the basketball game and my mom came with me as well. Coach Neuheisael wanted my mom to come down to basically introduce her to the program because she’s not too familiar with fUCLA right now and she loved it there. So I have a lot of interest in the Bruins right now as well.”
Larry Porter leaving for Memphis may not have affected Jakhari Gore, RB (Miami, FL):
Things actually may be getting better for LSU on the recruiting trail. Three-star running back Jakhari Gore, cousin of former Miami and current San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore, has said LSU is still his top choice. A commitment from Gore could come as early as next week.
Three-star prospect Jakhari Gore (Miami/Columbus) has committed to sign as part of LSU’s Class of 2010, ESPN affiliate Web site EyeOnTheTigers.com reports.
He was also considering programs including Cal and Tennessee.
Gore, the cousin of San Francisco 49ers’ running back Frank Gore, rushed for over 1,000 yards in his sophomore and junior seasons.
Shaquille Richardson, CB (Los Alamitos, CA) has given fUCLA his verbal commitment. Not sure how it will affect his cousin Paul Richardson, WR (Gardena, CA). They have been taking some recruiting trips together.
“Honestly, that always bothered me when people tried to recruit me to their school,” Shaquille Richardson said. "I’m friends with a lot of top players, but I feel like recruiting is a different part of our lives and should almost be kept separate. Now if they ask me about why I chose UCLA, of course I’ll tell them and make sure they know it’s a great place but I don’t want any of my friends to feel like I’m pushing them a certain place because it might hurt the friendship.
Josh Harper, WR (Stockton, CA) has been named MVP of the Tri-City Athletic League league by the coaches.
Some indications of Cal recruits’ speed:
8. Ricky Seale (11.19a, Senior) Escondido
With big time D-1 football in his future, Ricky could choose to focus on one sport. Hopefully, Ricky will realize track has helped him become San Diego’s all-time rusher, and compete this spring. As a sophomore, Seale ran 11.13 and definitely looks strong enough to improve on that time. [10.98]
5. Davon Dunn (11.01a, Senior) Lincoln
Dunn will be the top returner in the Central League this season. As a three-sport athlete Davon has limited time to rest or have a preseason. After suffering an injury during football season, Davon might get some much-needed rest. If he is able to get in some quality training Double D could be a big factor come May. [10.90]
3. * Kenny Stills (10.90a, Senior) La Costa Canyon
Arguably the county’s best wide receiver, Kenny could choose to focus on Football. Stills could have visions of catching touchdowns in the Swamp rather than leaning at the tape. Kenny finished 2nd in the Avocado League finals last year behind Joe Cooks. This young man has great form and a smooth stride. If not for a hamstring injury last year, he could have been a state qualifier in the 200m. [10.78]
* 2010 State Qualifier
[Predicted time for 2010]
College of the Canyons (Los Angeles, Calif.) prospect Mychal Rivera, TE is currently holding scholarship offers from Kansas State, South Carolina, Syracuse and Utah State, ESPN affiliate Web site TheBigSpur.com reports.
Rivera, who originally signed with Oregon in 2008, is also receiving interest from Cal and fUCLA.
“I am going to be setting up my official visits in the coming weeks,” he said. “Most schools are waiting on film and my transcripts.”
Potential bad news? :(
LB Cecil Whiteside of Newport Beach (Calif.) Newport Harbor: Is Whiteside going to flip because of the strict academic standards at Cal? He has shown interest in Arizona State and USC as a backup plan in case he doesn’t get admitted. This one could come down to the wire academically, and he could be the second big-time linebacker recruit to flip to Arizona State because of academic issues (Vontaze Burfict in the 2009 class).
From http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1027189
Looks like Cal is second or third on a lot of recruit’s minds. Which is probalby not a great thing but its a thing.
what shadwhand posted is what’s there, nothing further.. just have to wait and see, i guess
Like cocaine straight from Bolivia.
by Thoroughbred on Dec 11, 2009 9:56 PM PST up reply actions
I’m at the Galen Center watching USC vs. Idaho State – free tickets – and just saw Carroll walk around with a ton recruits. Like 8 – 10 and then they even had – what appeared to be Owa on the big screen, but then I read here that he is having in an in-home.
Biggins Claims Seastrunk to USC is all but Finalized
From the comments:
I felt Seastrunk was a done deal to USC for some time and I heard a few more things this week to indicate that is still very much the case.
I wonder how much his handlers got paid.
Goin' balls deep with Cal since 1972!
by Fire Starkey on Dec 12, 2009 9:00 AM PST up reply actions
I hope the visits went well
From all indications, it sounds like they did though. Maybe we’ll hear something in the coming days.
early indications are that
this weekend has gone VERY well. Thought you all would like hearing that.
Expect some big news tommorrow
atleast that is the word on the street. ;)
His father was a mudder?
The Lack of Mack's Imposition Attacks My Disposition.
by Spazzy Mcgee on Dec 13, 2009 11:56 PM PST up reply actions
From MoragaBear:
As for the visits this weekend, they went great. [Roszell] Gayden really loved his trip, [Chris] Martin did, too, and has plans to make an announcement tomorrow about his school choice. Gayden and [Adrian] Lee may decide this week, too.
Anthony Jefferson, ATH (Los Angeles, CA)
Jefferson has officially visited Cal and Oregon and will take an unofficial visit to fUCLA this Saturday.
“The home visits were good,” Jefferson said. "I like both schools a lot and they both have good coaching staffs. fUCLA is probably recruiting me the hardest right now and will be coming in for a home visit next week.
Dexter Ransom, WR (Brenham, TX)
Blinn College (Brenham, Texas) product Dexter Ransom has committed to Arizona, according to ESPN affiliate Web site WildcatSportsReport.com.
He selected the Wildcats over scholarship offers from Auburn, Baylor, Cal, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Houston, Tulsa and Utah.
“Yea I committed last night to coach Seth (Littrell),” said Ransom. “I am happy with my decision. I knew it was the right time for me to make the decision to commit to Arizona. I just really like how I fit in with the offense at Arizona.”
Originally from Seguin, Texas, Ransom is the 17th Class of 2010 commitment for Arizona and fifth junior college pledge.
Ego Ferguson, DE (Chatham, VA)
Ego Ferguson Jr. of Hargrave Prep met with many coaches last week as Hargrave Prep had a combine allowing for college coaches to meet with their players. South Carolina coaches Jay Graham and Brad Lawing will make an in-home visit with the Fergusons. Ferguson was scheduled for an official visit to Cal over the weekend. He will visit Oklahoma in January. South Carolina also is in the mix for an official visit. Ferguson also has visited LSU and Notre Dame.
[2011] De'Anthony Thomas, RB (Los Angeles, CA)
Black Mamba is one of the most feared and dangerous snakes in Africa, and it’s what people in the stands start screaming when Thomas gets the ball. I was sitting in the press box at the Coliseum on Saturday afternoon, and when Thomas broke off a dazzling 39-yard run against Harbor City Narbonne, a young boy sitting next to me started shouting, “Go Mamba.”
Same nickname as Kobe!
A little bit of a deviation
But here’s a good history of what a good recruiter Mark Stoops (now FSU’s DC, formerly Arizona’s DC) has been. Big loss for Arizona.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
Like most things, I'm guessing it came down to money
The contract for Stoops, currently the defensive coordinator at the University of Arizona and a Youngstown native, could be worth between $250,000 and $280,000 per year, at least double the value of former coach Jon Heacock’s deal.
Stoops, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, is also negotiating for a pool of $850,000 for his coaching staff.
The YSU counter-offer is reportedly for $750,000.
Over the length of a standard five-year contract, Stoops’ contract increase from Heacock’s, coupled with the difference in the assistants’ salaries, could mean an increase of between $1.125 million and $1.5 million for YSU.
Strollo would not confirm the offer on Monday. Through a university spokesman he said only that the process is ongoing.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
Supposedly this:
According to a reliable source, USC offensive line coach Eric Wolford, one of the key recruiters on the staff, is leaving to become the head coach at Youngstown State. According to the source, Wolford’s offensive line recruits were contacted Sunday night and told of his departure. One of the players most affected by this will be OL Eric Mack of Calhoun County, who had made it clear a major reason he committed to USC was Wolford’s presence on the staff.
I don’t have a source though because I read that off somewhere else.
Chris Martin, DE (Aurora, CO)
ESPNU 150 defensive end Chris Martin (Aurora, Colo.,/Grandview) has decided to come back home, verbally committing to Cal, choosing the Bears over Florida, $C, and Oklahoma, ESPN affiliate Web site IrishSportsDaily.com reports.
Back in February, Martin, who is an Oakland native, verbally committed to Notre Dame, but dropped the Irish from consideration December 1st.
“One of the things, when Chris committed to Notre Dame, the quote I said to him was Chris, if you do not go to Notre Dame, you need to come back home,” Martin’s mother Cheryl said. “Well, he’s coming back home and this is solid. We’re not going to do anymore visits or entertain anyone coming by.”
ESPN’s Craig Haubert added, “Cal scored big this weekend and it looks like they have coaching changes at two other schools to partially thank for it. Florida seemed to be a strong contender, but it appears the staff turnover there clouded the picture and made the hometown Golden Bears look like right fit. Regardless of the path that led Martin to Cal, the Golden Bears now add to their top-25 caliber class with their highest rated prospect.”
“Martin is a kid who possesses good natural size and certainly looks the part. He has played several positions and while we feel overall he will fit best as a defensive end, in Cal’s scheme they could get more from him. With his size he could fit well at end, but he could also be a good fit for them at outside linebacker in their 3-4 look as more of that hybrid end / backer. With his size and straight line speed he could be tough to handle.”
“Overall we think Martin needs to keep working on and improving areas of his game, but he is a kid with the tools to be a heck of defender and in the end may have found the ideal fit.”
Martin is the second ESPNU 150 and 11th overall commitment for the Bears’ Class of 2010.
Repost from Chris Martin Thread
Cheryl, Chris Martin’s mother:
"Well, he’s coming back home and this is solid. We’re not going to do anymore visits or entertain anyone coming by."
Seems like a solid verbal to me. Can’t wait to hear more news from Roszell Gayden and/or Adrian Lee.
Welcome home Chris Martin!
“I’m a Bear,” Martin said. "It’s going to be good to go back home and I’ve always liked Cal a lot. I had a soft spot for them and being back in the Bay Area this past weekend and being around the players and coaches at Cal really sealed it for me.
“I really connected with their defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi and I love how they plan to use me there. They run a 3-4 defense and feel I’ll be perfect as one of the outside ‘backers who can rush the passer but will be strong enough to play the run. I’ve always liked the idea of playing linebacker and I’m in real good shape right now and I’m very comfortable with what my role will be.
“This is also an opportunity for my family and friends to see me play and I know my mom is real happy. Cal has great academics and is one of the top public universities in the country. It has been kind of a crazy ride for me but looking back at everything, I really feel like I picked the best school for me and I couldn’t be happier.”
Confirmed
After Chris Martin (Aurora, Colo./Grandview) committed to Cal, one of the first things he said was he planned to do some serious recruiting for the Bears and added there were a lot of players on the weekend visit who are on the verge of joining him.
Two players mentioned specifically were USC commit Trajuan Briggs (Van Nuys, Calif./Birmingham) and J.R. (Ego) Ferguson (Chatham, Va./Hargrave Military Academy). Briggs chose the Trojans over the Bears in a tight battle back in the summer, but Cal never let up and the back reportedly loved his visit last weekend.
Ferguson has already visited LSU and Notre Dame, but reportedly told several recruits on the visit that the Cal trip was his best so far. He and Martin are close and complement each other well with Ferguson being a natural fit at defensive end in the Bears 3-4 scheme.
Brandon Willis, DE (Duncan, SC)
BYRNES DEFENSIVE END Brandon Willis has voiced a commitment to Tennessee since mid-season after de-committing from Florida State. Last week, during a break from practice at the North-South game, Willis said he is taking a look at other options.
Willis plans to take official visits to Miami and Cal in January. He called his commitment to Tennessee “medium.”
Owa Odighizuwa, DE (Portland, OR)
RE: Owa’s official visit to $C:
“My overall impression was it was a good trip,” said Odighizuwa. “It was finally great seeing the place and meeting the coaches in person. I got to talk to Pete Carroll, and I hadn’t met him in person. I just talked to him on the phone.”
The Trojans not only played host over the weekend, but paid a visit to Oregon last Thursday for an in-home visit with “Owa” and the family.
“They came in on Thursday for the in-home visit,” he said. “It went good. I got to talk to the coaches before I went on my visit and got a better understanding for how they are.”
“At first I thought I was going to announce at the Army game,” he said, “but I don’t think I’m going to do that. I want to make my decision maturely, and not just do it to be on TV and put on a hat. I feel like I might commit before signing day, but I don’t know.”
Trajuan Briggs decommitted from USC
Looks good for Cal.
Bear Insider has the story (free)
“I know Cal’s a school where I’d really have to apply myself but I just I just have the impression that, not only am I going to be happier and more satisfied there, also I know I’d be able to concentrate more and be able to take care of my work more reliably there.”
"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.
It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0
I think top to bottom the class was already considered pretty solid (even with the loss of Marsh and Guy). It was more the low number of commits that concerned people (while there are other programs in the 20s) and the fact that no one had committed since Dunn and Carter a while back while other Pac-10 teams seemed to be picking them up left and right.
Three-star running back Trajuan Briggs (Van Nuys, Calif./Birmingham) has dropped his pledge to $C and is now committed to Cal, ESPN affiliate Web site BearInsider.com reports.
Briggs made an official visit to Cal this weekend. He also visited the Trojans. Pittsburgh, Washington and Washington State were Briggs’ other early scholarship offers.
“I know Cal‘s a school where I’d really have to apply myself but I just I just have the impression that, not only am I going to be happier and more satisfied there, also I know I’d be able to concentrate more and be able to take care of my work more reliably there,” he said. “It’s a great vibe for me up there. I love it.”
Briggs, who is expected to enroll early, missed most of his senior season with a fractured bone in his ankle. As a junior, he rushed for 1,513 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Owa Odighizuwa, DE (Portland, OR)
With Martin off the board, I expect Florida’s staff to make an even bigger run at Portland, Ore., David Douglas defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa. He officially visited for the FSU game and told me he had a great time and that Florida is one of his top schools, but even with Martin’s commitment I think Cal still holds the upper hand on Odighizuwa with Oregon creeping.
Cal is the favorite. That much seems to be known. Although a few of the other Pac-10 schools have impressed Odighizuwa, the Golden Bears may hold the edge. It seems likely that he’ll end up staying on the West coast, but Florida presents an interesting option to the defensive end. The Gators have produced their share of high draft picks from the position recently and recruits know that. It would take a lot to pull Odighizuwa that far from home, but if anyone can do it, Urban Meyer and Dan McCarney can.
Odighizuwa is one of those players that looks like a body builder. He doesn’t have a lot of bulk for a defensive lineman, but his upper body strength is what makes him so powerful. It doesn’t matter if offensive linemen have 100 pounds on him; Odighizuwa is typically able to get the upper hand in battles in the trenches. This may make him a little different than many of the recent Gator defensive end stars who used speed or agility to get into the backfield, but that’s not a problem at all. You never shy away from defensive linemen who can disrupt offensive plays no matter which method they take to do so.
He may seem like a long shot for Florida even if he has been impressed with everything he’s seen from the Gators so far. You never really know what any recruits are thinking until they make their final decision so there’s still a chance, it’s just a matter of how much of one really exists.
Adrian Lee
Lee is a versatile defensive back who is getting looks at both corner and safety. His recruitment has risen steadily over the season, and he’s now sitting on a handful of scholarship offers.
“I have offers from Cal, Kansas, Kentucky, Utah and a few others,” Lee said. "Miami and Minnesota are also talking to me and sound like they could offer. Right now, most schools like me as an athlete who can swing between corner and safety.
“Man I loved it there, I thought about committing a couple of times,” Lee said. "The only reason I didn’t was because I know my dad wants me to take at least one more trip just to have something to compare this visit to. If I don’t see another campus, I’ll never really know if this was the best place for me so I’m going to try and take another visit this weekend and then decide by Christmas.
From MoragaBear:
I expect two dbs in this class, likely coming from [Adrian] Lee, Michael] Coley, [Lorenzo] Waters, [Sean] Parker or [Anthony] Jefferson.
Slightly off-topic but related
Rivals lost AW Prince and Chris Nguon. The forums are now running around like a headless chicken.
Its kind of funny.
They decided to move on. AWP is moving to different projects and I guess Chris is going to be doing something else as well.
shrug I think when they lost a lot of access to Cal, it hurt their ability to really be effective.
Roszell Gayden, OT (Visalia, CA)
Rivals reports that Gayden has committed to Auburn. No further detail is available at this time.
College of the Sequoias offensive tackle Roszell Gayden has committed to the Tigers over Cal and Oklahoma.
Among his others offers were Arizona State, Arkansas, Iowa State, Memphis, Miami-Florida, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oregon, Southern Mississippi and Tenneesee.
He originally picked Minnesota’s Class of 2008 out of Robbinsdale Cooper (New Hope, Minn.), but did not qualify.
The Hot Sell: California
The Golden Bears set the tone early in this recruiting cycle and the pieces are falling into place for an outstanding class for Jeff Tedford’s bunch, who swiped away two previously-committed prospects during the past week. ESPNU150 defensive lineman Chris Martin (Aurora, Colo./Grandview) switched from Notre Dame to Cal, while running back Trajuan Briggs (Los Angeles, Calif./Birmingham) switched from Southern California to head north to the Bay Area and Cal.
Cal associate head coach/running backs coach Ron Gould, who has been in Berkeley for 11 years and coached players like Marshawn Lynch and Jhavid Best, recruits Briggs’ part of Los Angeles and should be credited with getting the switch. We have talked plenty (and deservedly so) about Bears defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi and his success on the recruiting trail this cycle, but Gould is one of the best in the business as well.
by solarise on Dec 16, 2009 3:26 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
I posted this question in the Golden Nugget, but...
Does anyone know if Briggs signed his LOI by today’s early deadline?
Based on the article about his verbal commitment:
At this stage, nothing’s official and it technically won’t be until Briggs signs his National Letter of Intent as an early entrant on December 16th, but he knows what his heart is telling him.
The compensation provided under [Jeff Tedford's] contract is funded exclusively from athletic department revenues and private fundraising and no State or general campus funds are used in this arrangement.
He has to finish his finals before he’s allowed to officially enroll or something like that. That should happen within the next week.
From Gene Chizik of Auburn: NCAA forbids any discussion of early high school commits before the Feb signing deadline. Therefore, we are not going to hear Tedford talk about Briggs.
D's future?
2009 commits + 2010 prospects = 
Kaufusi & Fanua on the depth chart. Still need to hit our 2010 DEs & DBs recruiting targets.
Paul Richardson, WR (Gardena, CA)
Richardson (front left) via LA Times
In the end, yes, it was family that brought Paul Richardson to fUCLA.
But not father, Paul Richardson, Sr., who played for the Bruins.
Not cousin, Shaquille, a defensive back from Los Alamitos who verbally committed to the team on Dec. 7.
But his 12-year old twin brothers.
“I remember (Shaquille) saying, ‘Just think about it, you can’t beat seeing your little brothers on the field before every home game,’” Richardson said.
So maybe in the end, Shaquille did have a little sway.
Paul Richardson committed to fUCLA on Wednesday night, after de-committing to the team – which he had originally committed to late last year – in the spring. Richardson, out of Gardena Serra, which recently defeated Oaks Christian, 42-41, in overtime to win the CIF Northwest Division championship, is the No. 28 wideout prospect in the country by Scout.com.
Gabe King, DE (Eugene, OR)
Gabe King is definitely leaning towards Oregon at the moment. However, if he ends up at Oregon, many believe he will never suit up as a Duck due to the circumstances of his recruitment. At least two schools have already planned to notify the NCAA of major recruiting violations against Oregon if he ends up there. It will be interesting to see how it all plays itself out.
King is currently being housed by an Oregon booster, which conflicts with the NCAA recruiting bylaws. Not only that, but he moved into the house of an Oregon booster during his senior year. If he commits to Oregon, there will be a lot of questions asked to say the least. It doesn’t help that the kid has been surrounded by controversy from the get-go and was banned from playing High school football in North Carolina.
Oregon still might be able to clear this with the NCAA. However, there is definitely enough going on for this to at least be worth speculating over.
Rivals Update on King and OO
What does this mean for Odighizuwa and King for Cal? It’s hard to say at this point. Odighizuwa was scheduled to announce at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, but it looks like he will now wait at least for a while. Odighizuwa doesn’t want to make a game of the decision on national TV and disrespect all the coaches who have been recruiting him.
So now that he has likely pushed things back, it looks as if this will be a big-time battle between Cal and Oregon, with Nebraska sitting there as a dark-horse candidate. I think Cal is in good position to land Odighizuwa. I still wouldn’t count out the Ducks, and this one could get very tight.
Then you have King, who moved to South Eugene High School in Oregon this fall to play his high school football. While many say Cal is the front-runner at this point, some sources close to King now say he could end up signing with the Ducks. Again, this could be a huge battle between Cal and Oregon with USC sitting there at No. 3.
http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1029790
I know the star rankings don't mean much in the long run but....
Despite have only 11 commits at this point (the least number of commits of any of the top 25 schools), our average star ranking is 3.82, second only to USC at 4.00.
I think that goes a long way to demonstrate the potential of these guys we’re bringing in. I’d rather have a higher average star ranking than more recruits with less starting potential.
The compensation provided under [Jeff Tedford's] contract is funded exclusively from athletic department revenues and private fundraising and no State or general campus funds are used in this arrangement.
link http://rivals100.rivals.com/teamrank.asp?SID=880
The compensation provided under [Jeff Tedford's] contract is funded exclusively from athletic department revenues and private fundraising and no State or general campus funds are used in this arrangement.
by dballisloose on Dec 17, 2009 12:26 PM PST up reply actions
Sean Parker, S (Harbor City, CA)
Cal is out of the picture.
“I’m done with visits, it’s $C, Michigan and Notre Dame right now,” Parker said. "My plan is still the same as it has been the whole year, wait until Signing Day and then announce. I loved my visits to Michigan and Notre Dame and I’ve been to USC a number of times so I don’t think I need to take another visit there.
Trajuan Briggs, RB (Van Nuys, CA)
“I love the coaches at Cal and I’m close with Ron Gould, the running back coach, but to be honest, this was not a football decision for me. It wasn’t based on depth charts or where I would have the best chance to play. I’ll go in and compete with anyone and both schools recruited me for tailback. I saw some people saying $C wanted me at fullback but I was always coming in at tailback. I truly felt Cal was the place I would be happiest at for the next four years of my life and that’s why I decided to make the switch.”
“It has been a few days now and I still don’t know if it has hit me yet. Like I said, I’ve been so busy with school and finals that I haven’t had a chance to really sit back and take this all in. It is a relief though and I’m excited to get to Cal and get going. The coaches told me they want me to be ready to play next year and that’s what I’m looking to do. I’m working out every day and after not playing this year, I can’t wait to get back on the field.”
Michael Coley, S (Hyattsville, MD)
DeMatha defensive back Michael Coley appears headed to Cal, with an announcement possible in the next few days.
On the clock
CalSportsDigest.com/Scout is leaking Coley’s intention to announce 2nite during the MD Crab Bowl.
Toney Hurd Jr., CB (Missouri City, TX)
Four-star cornerback Toney Hurd Jr. (Missouri City, Texas/Marshall) is no longer headed to South Bend, ESPN’s Billy Tucker reports.
The ESPNU 150 talent will now consider Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Auburn and Cal. He officially visited the Aggies last weekend.
Hurd also has offers from Florida State, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Baylor, Kansas, Tennessee, Arizona, Oklahoma and Oregon State amongst others.
Rumor has it that TX A&M is the team to beat. Chris Martin may be on top of things already.
Ego Ferguson, DE (Chatham, VA)
Ego Ferguson, a defensive end from Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy, will take an official visit to fUCLA in early January. Ferguson, who is 6 feet 3 and 272 pounds, is ranked third nationally at his position by Rivals.com. He also has visited Cal, Louisiana State and Notre Dame.
Ricky Seale, RB (Escondido, CA)
Ricky, a senior at Escondido High, ran for 404 yards and five touchdowns in a 48-20 win over San Pasqual. Two weeks earlier he broke the San Diego section career rushing record with 210 yards in a 44-24 loss to La Costa Canyon. Ricky has 6,636 career yards entering the playoffs. In ’08, he set a section single-season rushing mark (2,679 yards).
Chris Martin, DE (Aurora, CO)
Prob a better HL reel than Scout. You’ll see how Martin pursuits & demolishes QBs.
[2011] De'Anthony Thomas, RB (Los Angeles, CA)
Track speed:
5/28/09 De’Anthony ran a PR of 10.60 in the 100m at Los Angeles City Section Prelims & Finals, placing first.
6/6/09 De’Anthony ran a 10.67 in the 100m at CIF California State Track and Field Championships, placing third in the prelims.
6/6/09 De’Anthony ran a 10.76 in the 100m at CIF California State Track and Field Championships, placing 6th.
De’Anthony Thomas athlete info, CalRunners.com
Thomas’ 10.60/100m speed ranks 15th in the state of CA. Tevin Carter, 2010 Cal verbal commit, is 10th at 10.56. Randall Carroll of fUCLA is 1st at 10.30.
2009 California Outdoor TF 100m Rankings
Also, some videos featuring De’Anthony Thomas:
MaxPreps HL reel of Thomas’ sophomore action (center of page)
LiveShots via Fox News video clip on Snoop Dogg League & Crenshaw High w/ Thomas (top of page)
“The snoop dogg league was awfully fun, it was like, everytime i got the ball, i scored, but when i got to the high school level, the game speed changed up,” says Thomas.
Adrian Lee, CB (Dallas, TX)
Adrian Lee (Dallas/Skyline) will make his second official visit this weekend. A week after tripping to Cal, the 5-foot-11, 193-pounder will board a plane and head north to check Big 10 up-and-comer Minnesota.
Lee, one of a handful of fast rising seniors in the state, is considering North Carolina, Kansas, Arizona State, Utah, Wisconsin and Iowa State for his last three visits. He also has offers from Colorado State, SMU, UTEP and Louisiana Tech among others.
Kenny Stills, WR (Carlsbad, CA)
“I feel great about Oklahoma,” Stills said. "I had a great visit there and it really opened my eyes up a lot. I love the coaching staff, the tradition of the program and of course that offense is great for any receiver.
“They’re putting together a great recruiting class and it’s exciting to be a part of. I probably made my decision about week ago and then just sat on it all week to be sure it was what I wanted to do.
Four-star pass-catcher Kenny Stills (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) announced his commitment to the Sooners Friday night over Florida and Michigan, ESPN’s Greg Biggins reports.
“I feel great about Oklahoma,” Stills said. “I had a great visit there and it really opened my eyes up a lot. I love the coaching staff, the tradition of the program and of course that offense is great for any receiver.”
Cal, fUCLA, Miami-FL, Penn State, Tennessee, LSU, $C, Nebraska, Stanfurd, Arizona State, Washington, Colorado, Arizona and Oregon amongst several others also offered Stills.
ESPN’s Tom Luginbill added, “With depth being a concern for Oklahoma at the wide receiver position Stills is a welcome addition and is a prospect with the skill set to see the field early for the Sooners.”
“He possesses good size and “sneaky” speed. He is a guy that attacks the ball and has an NFL lineage with his dad having played in the league for several years. He is well groomed on the little nuances of the position and is a good overall athlete."
His father, Ken Sr., was an All-Big 10 defensive back at Wisconsin before moving onto NFL, where he played for Green Bay and Minnesota.
New Commit
Looks like TE Jacob Wark out of the state of Oregon has committed to the Bears.
Sweet.
Like cocaine straight from Bolivia.
by Thoroughbred on Dec 19, 2009 7:55 PM PST up reply actions
Three-star tight end Jacob Wark (Portland, Ore./Jesuit) has committed to Cal, ESPN affiliate Web site BearInsider.com reports.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound senior also had scholarship offers from Vanderbilt and Air Force.
“They have a real family atmosphere there and that means a lot to me since it will be my family for the next 4-5 years.” said Wark. "I just felt real comfortable with them and that helped me a lot with my decision.
“Cal‘s a great academic school. I’ve researched them a lot and I can’t wait to get down there. They’re one of the top schools in the nation.”
He caught 34 passes for 434 yards (12.8 average) and three touchdowns this fall.
There might not be hotter tam in the nation than the Cal Golden Bears — a 42-10 drubbing at the hands of the Washington Huskies aside. They are mentioned as finalist for some of the top Athlon Consensus 100 players left uncommitted: Ends Gabe King and Owamagbe Odighizuwa as well asathlete Anthony Barrandsafety Sean Parker. Still others like George Uko,Kenny Stillsand J.R. Ferguson have Cal listed as a potential suitor.
The Cal class may be small (12) but has incredible quality. They currently have three AC100 commits, more than any other class has ever had, and plenty more who received points — like Austin Hinder, Alex Crosthwaite and Tevin Carter. The Bears have done a phenomenal job this cycle and should easily claim a top-25 class.
Sean Parker, S (Harbor City, CA)
Four-star safety Sean Parker (Narbonne, Calif.) recently told ESPN’s Greg Biggins that USC, Michigan and Notre Dame were his final three.
However, Narbonne coach Byron Moore Sr. has informed ESPN’s Craig Haubert that Parker’s top three is USC, Michigan and Cal.
The ESPNU 150 talent is still scheduled to announce his decision on national signing day February 3rd at Narbonne High.
Apologies - LINK FAILED
We are somewhat benefiting from the destabilization of ND’s coaching staff. We’re in the hunt for some outstanding dbs. Just looked at tape for Toney Hurd Jr. recently – tough, active db despite being undersized.
Austin Hinder, QB (Steamboat Springs, CO)
Via Steamboat Today
Denver Post has named Austin Hinder its All-Colorado Offensive Player of the Year.
Michael Coley
Supposedly Michael Coley will be announcing tonight at the Crab Bowl for Cal.
From tnation of BI:
Coley Is A Bear – Today, 11:18 AM
Michael Coley is a Golden Bear!!!!!!!!! Welcome big fella.
Edit: That is the word on the rivals message board.
No official confirmation yet.
Repost from CalSportsDigest.com/Scout
Both Michael Coley & Lorenzo Waters?
From MoragaBear:
They both started together at safety and both seem to be able to play both free and strong safety with their size, speed and experience playing both in hs.
IMO, the only way Cal takes two safeties is either if they don’t land a cb in [Adrian] Lee, AJ [Anthony Jefferson] or [Toney] Hurd or they get a late commitment from a no-brainer like [Sean] Parker, who’s got Cal in his top three. By LOI day, you never know if $C’s filled up by then at db, even if they look like the leader now and he won’t commit till Feb.
Jacob Wark, TE (Portland, OR)
“There are a lot of athletes out there with great SPARQ numbers, who look good at the combines. Then you get them out on the field and a lot of them don’t make the plays. They run really well and jump really high, but do they make plays in the game? That’s kind of more important to me.
“This year, we threw to our tight end much more than we usually do, so Jacob saw a lot more passes. He’s a tremendous blocker but he also plays h-back for us, too, and he’s got very good hands. We put him in motion sometimes and we’ve also used him as a receiver.
“Right now he’s 6-4/240-245 and I can easily see him put on 20 pounds without much trouble and still keep that speed and agility up.
“He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve had at Jesuit. I think he’s a real gem and and he’ll be a tremendous tight end in college. He’s a great kid.”
- Ken Potter, Jacob Wark’s coach at Jesuit High
BearInsider.com
Ego Ferguson Sr
Is supposed to be ‘very, very impressed with Cal,’ according to the latest news. Ego Sr., being J.R.’s father of course.
Bjoern Werner
Good lord I hope he signs with Cal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMwJjOfB5GU
If Ego and Bjoern don’t end up on the same team I don’t know what I’ll do.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Seems like our Bears dodged a bit of a bullet last year with Hasiak, as he’s now apparently dismissed from the Uclans.
I feel bad for the kid because it really seems like he just never managed to fit in over there. And you have to wonder whether he may have had a better time at Cal with the strong, family-oriented Hawai’ian players. But then again, Ucla has a strong Hawai’ian contingent, so it has to be more than just that.
In any case, his behavior as a student/player does seem to be kind of an extension of his behavior as a recruit – a bit unpredictable.
Whose Axe?
OUR AXE!
My gut says RN sold him on starting as a true frosh, and he didn’t make it there. But that’s just my opinion…nothing more
Rivals National Guy says Michael Coley has committed to the Bears on the message boards… probably will show up later. GO BEARS!
Like cocaine straight from Bolivia.
by Thoroughbred on Dec 21, 2009 5:51 PM PST up reply actions
Clearly he should follow in the footsteps of a fellow highly-touted offensive player who committed to a warm weather football program only to find himself in off the field trouble and transfer to Cal.
"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.
It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0
This is the second time Hasiak has been dismissed from fUCLA. In November, Hasiak was sent home for anger management issues. Perhaps the two dismissals are related.
Michael Coley, S (Hyattsville, MD)
“I had a very nice visit,” said Coley. “The campus was nice. The players and the coaches get along well and the players themselves get along really well. They have great facilities, too. Overall, it was just a great visit.”
Coley visited with DeMatha teammates Arie Kouandjio and Lorenzo Waters, along with a host of other top recruits and committed Bears taking their official visits.
“Everybody seemed to get along well that were visiting,” said Coley. "Everyone talked about their background and where they’re from and stuff. Everybody was humble and got along great together.
“I knew J.R. (Ferguson) a bit from some other events. He’s a funny guy and fun to be around.”
Coley is California Dreamin’
"Cal stood out because when I went out there they showed me what kind of education I’d be getting," Coley said. "That really mattered to me and my mom. Cal is a good school and the opportunity for a great education. It’s one of those schools where I can come out of, be successful and set an example for my family."
"Being a Cal Bear means that every day you’re working for a national championship," Coley said. "You’re out there on the West Coast, a lot of people are looking at you and you’re expected to be one of the top schools every year. It’s exciting; it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to."
"I think if I work hard and do what I have to do I feel like I can do some damage right away out there," Coley said. "I’m ready for anything."
- Michael Coley
Dead Period
A “dead period” in college football recruiting started today. That means that coaches can’t have in-person contact with prospects anywhere. Prospects can’t take unofficial visits to campuses and coaches come off the road.
Recruiting basically shuts down until Jan. 4, at which time a week’s worth of a contact period happens. There is a quiet period, where only on-campus contact is allowed, on Jan. 2 and Jan. 3.
During a dead period, coaches can call prospects once per week.
JC Shurburtt, ESPN (12/21/2009)
Word from Scout is that Tedford had an in-home visit w/ Anthony Jefferson, ATH (Los Angeles, CA) right before the dead period. It’d be great to have another lock-down CB type alongside Steve Williams for the future.
De'Shawn Beck, ATH (Los Angeles, CA)
Big honor for Beck
This was a strong year for talent in the Los Angeles city section and Crenshaw (Los Angeles, Calif.) was easily the dominant program in the area. So it was a mild surprise when Jordan (Los Angeles, Calif.) athlete Deshawn Beck was named City Player of the Year.
Beck was a dual-threat quarterback and put up huge numbers this past season. He rushed for 2,031 yards and nine touchdowns, threw for 1,166 yards and six touchdowns and added 14 catches for 181 yards and two more scores at receiver.
“It was pretty much unanimous,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “Deshawn is just a phenomenal player and when you look at the numbers he has put over the last three years, it’s mind blowing. He was all-state the last two years and will likely be again this year and I can’t imagine the city producing too many three-time all-state selections.”
With his production on the field and reputation as arguably the fastest player in the city, you would think schools would be beating down Beck’s door. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
“All the schools are waiting on his grades to pick up,” Asante said. "Arizona and New Mexico State offered early and Washington, Cal and Idaho are all talking like they’ll offer as soon as his grades are in after this semester.
“He retook the SAT again as well and we’re waiting for those results. I really think he’ll make it. He’s working hard and is very focused. He’s in the same boat right now as James (Boyd) was last year and James was able to make it so I think Deshawn can make it as well.”
[2011] De'Anthony Thomas, RB (Los Angeles, CA)
HL reel of the Black Mamba in the 2009 Los Angeles City Championship vs Narbonne
Sick run 3:10-3:35
Nick Forbes, LB (Frederick, MD)
Junior HL reels available via Fanshots/Youtube
Gooooooooooo Bears!!! Beat the Utes!!!
Davonn Dunn
Decommits from Cal per BI and Rivals
http://rivals.yahoo.com/cal/football/recruiting/player-Davon-Dunn-97434
Interesting
I guess he wants to be the main guy, which he’d probably be at Fresno (his current target).
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
That’s a head-scratcher…. Could change again by February. I’ll keep my eye out
Taisetsu na mono protect my balls!
by Thoroughbred on Dec 23, 2009 1:32 PM PST up reply actions
Davon Dunn, WR (San Diego, CA)
Recruited as a receiver, Davon Dunn of Lincoln (San Diego, Calif.) has made a decision to reopen his recruitment after pledging to Cal in the Class of 2010.
The 6-foot-0, 175-pound prospect is now favoring Fresno State in a final list of UCLA, the Bears and Colorado.
Dunn was also sought by Oregon, Arizona, Washington, San Diego State, Utah and Boise State.
His father, David Dunn, played for Fresno State and in the NFL (Oakland, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati) for seven seasons as a receiver.
Ryan Murphy, ATH (Oakland, CA)
Murphy making name for himself
Athlete Ryan Murphy (Oakland, Calif./Oakland Tech) was a relative unknown prior to an explosive showing at the Nike combine in Oakland last May. Murphy clocked a 4.42 40 time, jumped 35 inches in the vertical and threw the power ball 38 feet.
His 113.04 SPARQ Rating was one of the best for any defensive back tested all spring and a big year on the field this past season has sent his recruitment flying through the roof.
“Things have been going great for me,” Murphy said. "We had a good year winning our league and made it to the Silver Bowl, but lost in the finals there. I was named first team all-city at running back, but most schools are recruiting me for safety than running back, although some are saying athlete.
“I’ve already taken official visits to Arizona State and Washington State and was supposed to visit Oregon State last weekend but had to re-schedule it. All of those schools have offered along with Fresno State and I think fUCLA and Cal are pretty close too.”
Murphy broke down his visits and talked about what trips he plans to take in January.
“ASU was the first weekend of December and I liked it a lot. The coaches showed me a lot of love and I was comfortable with the area and the campus. The next weekend I went to Washington State and that was my best visit so far.
“I was pretty overwhelmed by everything and loved the small college town feel there. Everyone I met was so down to earth and friendly and it just felt like a real family there. I’m going to Oregon State (Jan. 15) and I’m trying to choose between fUCLA and Fresno State for (Jan. 8).
“I like fUCLA a lot, but they haven’t offered yet. If they offered, I would probably visit there for sure, and I still might but I’m just trying to figure that out right now. I told the coaches I would let them know by (Thursday) what I’m doing so I have to figure it out pretty soon here.”
Deshawn Beck, ATH (Los Angeles, CA)
Nike Combine #s
Three Cone Drill 7.4
Vertical Jump 37.1"
Broad Jump 10’9’’
40-yd dash 4.38
20-yd shuttle 4.11
Power ball throw 37’
SPARQ Rating = 108.3
Uko to SC
Doubt heavily that Owa will be going to fucla now.
Davon Dunn has decommitted from Cal. Details forthcoming. You heard it here first.
All aboard the Jahvid Best rickshaw!
Looks like we've lost Owa
Just spoke to owa on the phone. Top 4 in no order are Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, and USC. Asked him about UCLA. He’s very unsure about them, saying they don’t have academically what hes looking for. He’s looking for Business and Proximity-Oregon has these. He had so many good things to say about Oregon. Guy’s, i think Owa is going to be a duck. Don’t get excited yet, though. There is still a lot of time left! He mentioned that hes not going to decide at the AAA game, like many of you know already.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
All aboard the Jahvid Best rickshaw!
by rollonubears on Dec 27, 2009 11:35 AM PST up reply actions
Very hard to read Owa
From Ducks Blog / OregonLive.com -
Probably Coming: Dior Mathis/Cornerback, Gabe King/End
May be coming: Bjoern Werner/DT, Dominique Easley/End, Lache Seastrunk/RB, Erik Dargan/Safety, Ricky Heimuli/DT
Still have some work to do if he’s coming: Owa/End, Christian Thomas/TE, Anthony Jefferson/WR, Marcus Lattimore/RB, Charles Garrett/Safety
Cross them off your list: Uko/DT, McCartney/WR
Hard to see how Oregon or Oregon State could beat out the Cal (Haas) if Owa is truly interested in business. The Phil Knight/Nike connection though certainly gives Oregon an advantage in recruiting battles.
Can we do something? Start a letter-writing campaign or something about how wonderful we think he is and how happy we would be and he would be if he chose Cal?
by atomsareenough on Dec 28, 2009 11:03 AM PST up reply actions
Davon Dunn, WR (San Diego, CA)
Todd Kaufmann / Bleacherreport.com is reporting that Davon Dunn has verbally committed to Fresno State. No confirmation yet.
Ego Ferguson, DE (Chatham, VA)
Defensive lineman Ego Ferguson Jr. of Hargrave (Va.) Prep may visit $C on Jan. 15, according to his father. Ego Ferguson Sr. has been in regular contact with Gamecock recruiter Jay Graham and said he and his son are planning to come in for the Gamecocks’ big recruiting weekend, either on an official or unofficial visit. Ferguson has taken official visits to LSU, Notre Dame and Cal. He will go to Oklahoma on Jan. 22, and his fifth official visit is going to be fUCLA unless he switches to $C. Ferguson has cut Maryland from his list, which includes North Carolina, Miami and Florida State.
Anthony Jefferson, ATH (Los Angeles, CA)
As a senior, Jefferson hasn’t given up a touchdown from his cornerback position and when you consider that he plays in the same league as five-star playmaker supreme, Robert Woods who was the catalyst for state champ Gardena (Calif.) Serra.
Jefferson was a playmaker on both sides of the ball for Cathedral. From his wide receiver position, he hauled in 63 receptions for 1,286 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 20.4 yards per catch. He added 222 yards on the ground rushing the football and scored an additional three touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, Jefferson racked up 42 tackles, 13 pass deflections, two interceptions (one that he returned 64 yards for a score), one sack and one forced fumble.
Jefferson also stood out on special teams. He had 148 punt return yards and scored two more touchdowns while averaging 24.7 yards per punt. He also averaged 26.7 yards on kick returns and he even blocked two field goals.
"Anthony has pretty much narrowed things down to four schools," Cathedral assistant coach and Jefferson’s dad, Anthony Jefferson Sr., said. "His top four schools are fUCLA, $C, Oregon and Cal. He will take his official trip to fUCLA on January 15th and then will make up his mind soon after."
Austin Hinder, QB (Steamboat Springs, CO)
Austin Hinder has been named a finalist for the Joe Montana High School QB of the Year Award.
Austin Hinder (Steamboat Springs High School – Steamboat Springs, CO)
The 6’5", 215 lbs QB finished the 2009 High School season with 2205 yards passing, and 25 TD’s (6 INT’s). He also rushed for an additional 700 yards and 15 rushing TD’s. He carries a 104 passer rating. A three year varsity starter, Hinder is rated the #5 QB by Scout.com, #5 QB by Max Preps, #7 QB by Rivals.com. At the 2008 Army National Combine, he was recognized as the top QB prospect in the country. He is the grandson of NFL Coaching legend Jim Hanifan. He will complete his high school career (13-1 as senior) by playing in the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, before starting his college football career at Cal.
Owa Odighizuwa, DE (Portland, OR)
ESPN On the trail is showing that that Oregon, Oregon State, $C, and fUCLA are his top four choices.
MoragaBear from BearInsider reports that top 4 for Owa could change.
"Oregon has a good business school," Odighizuwa said. "They have a great football program, a great coaching staff and it is close to home. That’s always nice.
"I love Oregon State’s coaching staff," Odighizuwa said. "I feel like there is a family atmosphere. Also like Oregon it is nice that it is close to home.
"With $C, I like Pete Carroll a lot," Odighizuwa said. "I also like Coach Seto (Rocky Seto), the defensive coordinator, as well as Coach Franklin (Jethro Franklin) their defensive line coach.
"I feel like $C has a great school," Odighizuwa said. "I like the fact that it is a private school, so it is smaller.
"I love Coach Neuheisel (fUCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel) and I love Coach Howard (fUCLA defensive line coach Todd Howard a lot," Odighizuwa said. "I feel like I trust those two and like the school. The academics are very prestigious and my mom likes fUCLA too."
Ricky Seale, RB (Escondido, CA)
Four-star running back Ricky Seale has been taking his time deciding between ‘Furd and Cal. But a recent development has the Bears in the backseat, with an unlikely school emerging as a front-runner. Escondido’s Seale says he has moved SDSU ahead of Cal, and that he will pick between ’Furd and the Aztecs.
Trajuan Briggs might be the lone RB in the 2010.
Toney Hurd Jr., (Missouri City, TX)
One the prospects announcing his college decision Saturday during the Under Armour All-American Game is defensive back Toney Hurd Jr. (Missouri City, Texas/Thurgood Marshall). The former Notre Dame commit reopened his recruitment after the firing of Charlie Weis, taking an official visit to Texas A&M on Dec. 11.
Despite having only taken a pair of official visits, Notre Dame along with Texas A&M, the 5-foot-9, 180-pound nickel back prospect is considering Oklahoma State, Oregon, Cal and Auburn along with the Aggies.
It appears the Fighting Irish are out of the picture.
“I’ve only talked to Notre Dame once and that was about a week and a half ago. We didn’t even talk much at all.” Hurd said.
Commitments on the way: Six players participating in the Under Armour game are expected to announce their commitments at the game Saturday, including two considering Alabama and another who is looking at Auburn.
Manning (S.C.) cornerback John Fulton, Pahokee (Fla.) receiver Chris Dunkley, Missouri City (Texas) cornerback Toney Hurd Jr., Fort Worth (Texas) receiver Darius White, Orlando receiver Kenny Shaw and Staten Island (N.Y.) defensive tackle Dominique Easley are set to announce their college choices sometime Saturday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
Fulton, rated the No. 4 cornerback in the country by ESPN, will choose between Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and LSU. Dunkley, the No. 2 receiver in the country according to ESPN, is down to Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Hurd, whom ESPN rates as the No. 10 cornerback in the nation, has narrowed his choices to Auburn, Oregon, Cal, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.
Jeffrey Whitaker, DT (Warner Robins, GA)
DL Jeffrey Whitaker (6-3 293) of Warner Robins, GA was down for an official visit to $C for January 15th. But in an interview with Scout.com, Whitaker named a final five that did not include the Gamecocks. Whitaker said he’s down to Cal, North Carolina, Georgia, Auburn and Miami. “I’m playing hard to get,” Whitaker said in the interview. “It’s a lifetime decision. I just want to make the right decision. Once you make it, you’ve got to live with it. I kind of know but I don’t want to say nothing. It’s one of those five.”
Whitaker took part in the big recruiting weekend (12/11) w/ Chris Martin, Michael Coley, Trajuan Briggs, Ego Ferguson, Adrian Lee, and Lorenzo Waters.
Davon Dunn, WR (San Diego, CA)
Recruited as a receiver, Davon Dunn of Lincoln (San Diego, Calif.), who recently decommitted from Cal, has made a decision to play for the Bulldogs in the Class of 2010.
The 6-foot-0, 175-pound prospect had a final list of fUCLA, Fresno State, Cal and Colorado. He was also sought by Oregon, Arizona, Washington, San Diego State, Utah and Boise State.
His father, David Dunn, played for Fresno State and in the NFL (Oakland, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati) for seven seasons as a receiver.
Toney Hurd Jr., CB (Missouri City, TX)
Four-star cornerback Toney Hurd, an ESPNU Top 150 prospect from Marshall (Missouri City, Texas), is scheduled to announce among Texas A&M, Auburn, Oregon and Cal during the Under Armour All-American Game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Saturday morning (Jan. 2).
Oklahoma State was eliminated.
And the Rich get Richer
Six Under-Armour All Americans commit, the six schools chosen are:
Texas
Florida
Alabama
Florida
Florida St
Texas A&M
Come on, JT!
Don`t let us fall behind…
One top 25 recruiting class in my lifetime would be nice.
Unofficial ambassador for the denizens of California Golden Blogs
And 2003, and 2004, and 2006, and 2007…
"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.
It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0
The people Avi mentioned will be there, I’m not sure if anyone will actually announce other than King.
King to Oregon unless either side gets cold feet on account of the recruitment violations shitstorm it might cause. King is living with an Oregon booster in Eugene? Something to that effect?
"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.
It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0
Yes, he is living with a “booster”, but I don’t know what the exact rules are about that kind of stuff. He also got into trouble with the NC state HS football organization for living out of district (don’t know the details), which is why he had to find another HS in the first place.
Assuming he is going to Oregon, I have to think that both parties have already carefully analyzed the situation and come to the conclusion that there would be no violation. Perhaps I am giving too much credit?
GOLD OUT MOZAMBIQUE!
List of Cal Commits and 'Considering' Players at the Army All-American Game
East:
Commit:
..Nick Forbes
..Chris Martin
Considering:
..JR Ferguson
..Gabe King
..Arie Koundjio
..Jeffrey Whitaker
West:
Commit:
..Austin Hinder
..Cecil Whiteside
Considering:
..Sean Parker
..Owa Odighizuwa (sure, he recently wrote Cal off, but maybe Martin, Whiteside, and Hinder can flip him)
We need to pull a couple of those guys on the East team. Forbes seems genuinely fired up to be a Bear, and hopefully Martin is too. Kouandjio plus JR and/or Whitaker would be awesome.
Don’t think we have much chance at this point with King, OO or Parker.
GOLD OUT MOZAMBIQUE!
I hope we pull at least one of the big name D-lineman, being in so many top 5’s for so long, then landing none of them would be particularly unsatisfying.
Chris Martin…? Granted he kind of fell out of the sky once Weis got fired, but assuming we get a LOI out of him (and he sounded pretty solid), it would significantly lessen the blow of potentially missing out on the likes of Owa, King, etc. Nowhere near as devastating as Kennard last year or Hasiak’s re-defection (although it sounds like that last one might have worked out for us).
That having been said, it would be awesome to get another elite D-line prospect.
News: upposedly, Hinder’s release is a bit elongated and as a result he struggles on short throws.
Views: :(
Did you expect him to come out of high school fully formed?
"Let me tell you a story. I was a political prisoner for two years. The instant I was released I ran to McDonald's. I had a Big Mac and a Coke.
It was fantastic."
-Toyama Koichi, US Presidential candidate from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZqOkeYbB0
Safety Anthony Jefferson down to 3
Oregon, Cal, and UCLA. Has yet to visit UCLA, and favours Oregon thusfar. Those facts lead me to believe he won’t be a bear.
“I’m going to UCLA [Jan. 15],” Jefferson said. "That will be my last visit and I should be ready to make my decision after that visit. Oregon and Cal were great trips and these are now the only three schools I’m looking at.
“Oregon and Cal have already come in for home visits and coach [Rick] Neuheisal and coach [Carnell] Lake will be coming over Tuesday night. Right now, I would say Oregon stands out most to me and I really like them a lot but I’m going in to this last visit open-minded and looking forward to making my decision at the end of the month.”
Biggins on King, Whitaker, Ferguson, and Werner
I think King looks like an Oregon lean right now and will announce at the Army game this weekend. I heard Ferguson actually was ready to commit to Cal following his official visit but decided to hold off to be sure he wasn’t making an emotional decision. I’m not sure what’s up with Whitaker and Werner, they’re tough to reach
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