Avery Walls, Safety From Eagles Landing Christian, Picks Cal Over Oregon And Michigan
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 7:00 AM PST
in California Golden Bears Recruiting
Email
PrintAnother dreary December morning, another Cal commit to brighten it up. Christmas came early this year.
Avery Walls Big Hit (via cbarrett83)
At an announcement around 9:40 AM local time in McDonough, Georgia, Walls committed to the California Golden Bears, picking Cal over the Michigan Wolverines and the Oregon Ducks. Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweeted the news. Walls also received offers from schools like Michigan State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Stanford, and UCLA. His primary recruiter was Cal defensive backs coach Al Simmons, and Tosh Lupoi and Jeff Tedford also played a role.. Walls becomes the fifth Golden Bear to commit in as many days, joining tailback Brendon Bigelow, JuCo offensive tackle Matt Williams, defensive end Todd Barr, and outside linebacker/defensive end Jason Gibson.
Here's more courtesy of Towers.
“It’s a long way from home, but the coaches and teammates I’ve met there are going to be my family,” said Walls, after announcing his decision to a gathering of coaches, teammates, faculty and students Tuesday morning at ELCA. “In the end, it came down to academics. I wanted a degree that was going to last a lifetime. That was the case with all my finalists.”
Jim McGill at Bear Insider confirms that Walls will be an early enrollee, and will be signing his LOI tomorrow. Welcome to Cal Avery! GO BEARS!
After the jump, more details on Walls, including recruiting rankings, cursory analysis, and highlight videos.
Standing at 5'11", 184 pounds, Walls is currently a four-star recruit on Rivals, is ranked as the eighth best safety in the 2011 recruiting class, the 14th best player in the state of Georgia, and the 159th best football recruit in the nation. He's a four-star recruit and is part of the ESPNU 150, is considered the sixth best safety and the 63rd best football recruit in the nation in this class by ESPN's recruiting services. Scout also ranks him at four stars and has him the 25th best at his position.
Walls is a bit undersized (so he might not be quite ready to handle tackling FBS tailbacks next year, although a lot can happen between winter and fall) and he can also be super-aggressive in run support (leaving him prone to play-fakes), but he's very intelligent. He can recognize when a play is going to be run or pass in a short period of time, making it easier to play on the ball. More importantly, he's always in position to make a play on the ball. Down the line he can definitely be a leader in the backline and help the defense align properly for the offensive sets he's facing. Don't be surprised to see him vie for the starting strong safety spot, especially with Chris Conte leaving.
Senior highlights are available on Rivals (but paid-only) here and here. For now, if you're cheap, you'll have to settle for his freshman, sophomore, and junior tape, which is still impressive.
(Thanks to Laura McKeeman from Scout for the heads up on Walls's commitment!)
Avery Walls 2009 Junior Season Highlights 1 (via JSTUNNA56)
Avery Walls 2009 Jr Season Full Highlights 3 (via JSTUNNA56)
Avery Walls Highlight Tape (Full Highlights) (via bjtrimble0992)
240 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Get ready....
for Moala later today. Better start your write up Avi.
Link?
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 7:08 AM PST up reply actions
Brandon Humman, Scout moderator implies it.
http://twitter.com/BrandonHuffman/status/14696263710670851
“What a 24-hour span for Jeff Tedford & Clancy Pendergast. Todd Barr, Jason Gibson and Avery Walls all commit to Cal. And they aren’t done”
That could mean anything though
A commit today, a commit a week from now. It just implies that someone might be coming to us soon.
Let’s err on the side of caution with predicting who will verbal to us in the future, because the athletes who’ve already verballed…I mean, this is everything you could’ve hoped for.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 7:17 AM PST up reply actions
Let's not get too demanding...
I mean, remember the Desean Jackson recruiting fiasco…
California Golden Blogs! "Woeojuwejhdjwe!!!"... But what does it MEAN?!
by Maisbikkja on Dec 14, 2010 7:20 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Disagree.
We should all get our hopes up only to see them crushed in a convincing fashion.
by ShajBear13 on Dec 14, 2010 7:23 AM PST up reply actions 9 recs
I agree with your disagree, sir
The Washington last play debacle is old news. My Old Blue heart is ready to get stomped on again. I say Moala is in the bag!
for what its worth
i have not heard this but would love for it to happen. Huffman’s tweet doesnt necessarily mean an announcement happens today.
Cain is Able ...
Welcome to Cal, Avery! Maybe we won’t need KA to go both ways if the defense keeps recruiting at this level. On the other hand…imagine an Allen/Walls backfield!
Also, via Rivals.com
Walls appears to be a December grad… Any chance of early enrollment?
California Golden Blogs! "Woeojuwejhdjwe!!!"... But what does it MEAN?!
by Maisbikkja on Dec 14, 2010 7:37 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Ooh!!! That would be really great to help balance the numbers!
Recruiting updates on Twitter
by CaliforniaEternal on Dec 14, 2010 7:39 AM PST up reply actions
Given the recruiting spots post from yesterday, I was thinking we’d need some of these guys to enroll early…very happy to see it’s happening. In the bag (well, as of tomorrow)!!!
WHY?
Because of the max of 25 recruits per class? Is that why?
Does Wall then count on the 2010 class (where we presumably have slots available) instead of the 2011 class?
Sorry for the confusion
That was a mistake on my part. Walls enrolling early doesn’t help our scholarship limit issues. Walls will count toward the 2010 class but we’re not bumping up against the 25 recruits per class limit in 2011. We are constrained by the total scholarships limit of 85 due to the number of scholarship players on our roster in total. CaliforniaEternal has a bit of an explanation below too.
Nice. I was so excited at first, I forgot that the hard cap of 85 spots is the issue, so actually early enrollment won’t help the number crunch. But it will allow Walls to compete for playing time!
Recruiting updates on Twitter
by CaliforniaEternal on Dec 14, 2010 8:24 AM PST up reply actions
Yes, he's enrolling early
MoragaBear confirms.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 7:41 AM PST up reply actions
Welcome Avery!!! Great choice on coming out west!!! We are all excited to have a great hard-hitting safety on board!!!
Recruiting updates on Twitter
by CaliforniaEternal on Dec 14, 2010 7:38 AM PST reply actions
Speakes to the level of our national recruiting
landing kids on the east coast on a yearly basis. awesome.
Cain is Able ...
We are THE University of California. Everybody’s heard of California, right?
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 10:11 AM PST up reply actions
Your point warrants a bit more discussion IMO. My conversations w/ a small sample of Bay Area preps parents & coaches indicate a growing dissatisfaction w/ Tedford & Co.’s national recruiting strategy. Many of the great local recruits (Dylan Wynn, Blake Renaud come to mind) who want to play for Cal end up in other programs such as Oregon/Boise State. Seeing that NorCal football is on an upswing and becoming increasely competitive, do you think Tedford & Co should pay more attention on securing recruits in our own backyard in the manner of Texas, USC & Miami (Broward/Dade County)?
http://twitter.com/solariseCGB
by solarise on Dec 14, 2010 10:20 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Throughout our history, many of our best players have come from all over the state. In fact, we’ve probably had more top players come from NorCal outside of the Bay Area and SoCal.
The Bay Area is just too limited a talent pool to set quotas for scholarships. And when the elite talent like Jahvid Best and Marshawn Lynch came along, JT secured them.
What’s most exciting to me is our inroads into the South Bay areas like Long Beach, Lakewood, and Gardena. This is a goldmine of football talent and hopefully we will continue to get our share of recruits from the area.
Recruiting updates on Twitter
by CaliforniaEternal on Dec 14, 2010 10:36 AM PST up reply actions
Solarise, that’s a good point; though it’s worth noting that Norcal talent is not on par with Div 5A Texas or Broward and Dade counties.
For the reason that you’ve stated above (dissatisfaction among the locals), we should be heavily recruiting California prospects each year. If you take the top three to five any given year, it helps to foster the local pride and passion and to help increase the fan base. These guys would sell out for Cal.
my initial response is to say tough stuff
its great that northern california is on an upswing next year, but you have to look at it from the prospective of the program. recruiting nationally ensures that we will be competitive with the top talent on a year in and year out basis instead of HOPING that the talent level in norcal is not going to be subpar.
Wynn and Renaud were solid players and will undoubtedly have good careers at their respective schools, but tedford is handling this the right way. Perspective: its not even the difference between wynn and boussard for instance. its the difference between keenan allen and wynn. without this nationwide direction, we arent landing allen, king, Walls, etc. Parents and Coaches need to deal with it.
Cain is Able ...
Coach P's All I want for Christmas letter reads as follows:
Dear Santa Claus Tedford,
All I want for Christmas is monster defensive tackles, monster defensive ends, monster linebackers, and a monster secondary, coupled with infinite depth.
Love,
Clancy
P.S. I also want to dismantle Oregon at Autzen Stadium next year
by Redonkulous Bear on Dec 14, 2010 8:05 AM PST reply actions
Congrats on the great pickups
We should have some great battles ahead of us in the Pac-12 North.
--AddictedToQuack, SBNation's Oregon Ducks blog
Thanks for the gracious words
P12 North is going to be brutal for the foreseeable future: Oregon in the NC game, Stanford in a BCS game, Cal (hopefully) and UDub on the rise, OSU always tough. Uhm, yeah, and Wazzu appears to be getting a bit better too.
heh…Cal was 1-5 vs the North this year…
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
I don’t know what you were watching but I saw us beat ourselves constantly.
It’s a nice place for people to go watch your stupid [2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants].
by Spazzy Mcgee on Dec 14, 2010 2:35 PM PST up reply actions
Sometimes yes
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Exciting thing for me, in addition to talent:
Barr : 3.8 GPA
Gibson: 3.4
Walls: 3.5
I like real student athletes who can play.
Just looked over his junior highlight tape. Walls seems more like a hitter than a sure tackler (may be addressed in senior tape). But goddamn can he hit.
by dchu on Dec 14, 2010 8:18 AM PST reply actions 4 recs
Solarise
you’re going to have much to write about in your weekly recruiting wire. Nice problem to have, no?
Cain is Able ...
Thought it is clear by now that I’m never at a loss of words on a weekly basis when it comes to recruiting :)
http://twitter.com/solariseCGB
by solarise on Dec 14, 2010 9:17 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Thought it should be clear by now that I’m never at a loss of words on a weekly basis when it comes to recruiting :)
http://twitter.com/solariseCGB
by solarise on Dec 14, 2010 9:17 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
I think he was a Cal lean most of the way
California Golden Blogs! "Woeojuwejhdjwe!!!"... But what does it MEAN?!
I am well aware of that but felt the need to mock people that read too far into homerific Oregon recruiting articles.
That’s cause there are some five star guys that Oregon needed to make room for. They let us have him. THANKS OREGON!
Say it like Ron Burgandy signing off: "Stay Classy, Bears!"
by PlayClassyBears on Dec 14, 2010 9:18 AM PST up reply actions
There’s no need to laugh out loud at Cali49A’s typographic error. You are making Cali49A feel bad.
The author, who has 35 years’ consulting experience, has taught at University of California Berkeley, where he was able to observe the culture and the way the senior management operates.
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Actually that might not be a typo. I thought all was supposed to be at. Maybe I am wrong. Could that be????
The author, who has 35 years’ consulting experience, has taught at University of California Berkeley, where he was able to observe the culture and the way the senior management operates.
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
You’ve been spending far too much time with Takimoto.
California Golden Blogs! "Woeojuwejhdjwe!!!"... But what does it MEAN?!
he said he wanted a good degree...
so oregon fell out of favor i guess!
by stevvy89 on Dec 14, 2010 10:13 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Walls
Hands down my favorite defensive recruit in this class so far. Walls was high on Cal since he visited back in April. He is solid in the classroom and can hit with the best of them. The one thing that jumped out at me when I originally saw his film is how quick he can diagnose plays. With his athleticism to boot, this is the type of player in the secondary that Cal needs to become a truly elite defense.
by Cali49a on Dec 14, 2010 8:38 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
I thought that he'd need a year to adjust
But after reviewing some of the tape, I think he could very well play this season.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 8:40 AM PST up reply actions
With his speed and hard hitting, you better believe Clancy P is gonna unleash him. With the predator position filled and with a hard hitting safety coming down on blitzes…all we need now is a MONSTER NT. ::crossing fingers on Moala::
If Sample commits, would he be a good compliment to Walls? (i.e. coverage)
Say it like Ron Burgandy signing off: "Stay Classy, Bears!"
by PlayClassyBears on Dec 14, 2010 9:21 AM PST up reply actions
"When he hits you, it feels like running into a brick WALL"
To clear up any confusion, that was my reference to Walls the other day.
However, THE real brick wall in this year’s defensive class has not announced yet.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
by calbeers05753 on Dec 14, 2010 8:44 AM PST up reply actions
“And in their final signing of the 2010 recruiting class, the California Golden Bears sign an actual brick wall! It’ll take offenses hours to crack through that defense now!”
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 8:47 AM PST up reply actions
“Sadly, running around it is much easier to accomplish…
by abaddon on Dec 14, 2010 9:02 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Not if the wall is 50 yards wide and sets up as a safety on our 30 yard line (rally comm can move him it between quarters)
i would prefer a prospect who is 10 yards tall
and every time he falls to the ground with the ball is a first down
Cal's signing the Maginot Line?!?!
no cal bear? no care
by EchoOfSilence on Dec 14, 2010 2:09 PM PST up reply actions
man i hope Moala finds his way here
im only really worried bout Oregon St. at this point.
Cain is Able ...
Why we are recruiting a real brick wall? Its an immobile object. This makes little sense.
The author, who has 35 years’ consulting experience, has taught at University of California Berkeley, where he was able to observe the culture and the way the senior management operates.
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Depends. Did Coach P demo Furd bldgs for bricks to build our wall?
http://twitter.com/solariseCGB
by solarise on Dec 14, 2010 10:57 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
For Avery, et al recruits:
“What a bonanza” is one a trademark expression of Cal’s radio play by play man, Joe Starkey (who also does the 49ers on Sundays). You may recognize his voice from this play, although he didn’t use it back then:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awT897plZN8
Starkey will be calling YOUR names and it’ll be one hell of a NorCal Cal Bear Bonanza when we root for you on Jan 1 in the Rose Bowl in 3 years! This defense is going to be tops in the nation! One of the 7 QB’s stands up, a few OL’s to go and we are in there, baby!
Starkey calls out names?
I thought it was just “He’s at the 40, the 30, the 20, the 10, TOUCHDOWN BEARS!”
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 9:09 AM PST up reply actions
I think he used the term “Finding Names” in the tape.
Meaning, as a play is happening, he calls the players name.
In THE PLAY, he just said, “they do another one”. He didn’t mention laterals or enough players names and he felt bad about that. He said he always has been able to “find names” as a play happens, but not so much on that play call.
I’m getting the kids envisioning their name being called on such a wonderful, historical, PLAY.
I was really wondering how Starkey feels about all this. He is not prepared to handle this rush of good news.
Recruiting updates on Twitter
by CaliforniaEternal on Dec 14, 2010 9:40 AM PST up reply actions
Welcome to Cal Mr. Walls!!!!
Another great young man coming to Cal! I need to pinch myself, is this a dream?
Bring back the Pac-10!!!
This is getting amazing....
…..looking forward to many 6-3 and 3-0 wins over the next few seasons!
2-0!
The author, who has 35 years’ consulting experience, has taught at University of California Berkeley, where he was able to observe the culture and the way the senior management operates.
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
…why is that the ultimate?
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 3:36 PM PST up reply actions
Question of the Day
Who are the 20-something twins with black wavy hair I always see in the high dollars sections at Cal football and basketball games? One was sitting on the floor with Sean Lampley at the Southern Miss game (the other by me in the stands across the court). A fellow who must be their dad is always down on the floor, too. They must shell out major bucks for Sandy Barbour. They ran out onto the floor when we won the Pac10 last season as if they were part of the team. I suppose they are. But then, so was the entire BENCH. But these guys rushed first!
pure curiosity.
usually the old folks (like mine) in the stands have interesting stories of how they got to be in that section.
I understand people appreciate privacy. However, when you are a twin, you kinda get noticed (unfortunately) and when you sit on the floor with Lampley, you get noticed. Lampley is a public figure and so these guys become public figures. Others who could be noticed and become public figures sit far enough back and are non-descript in their appearance and such. These guys got noticed by me, and I’ll find out eventually. They aren’t unknown.
Welcome to Cal Avery!!!
No need to worry cuz we gonna be your family now. Have fun making more friends In St Antonio and invite them to visit Berkeley!!!
http://twitter.com/solariseCGB
by solarise on Dec 14, 2010 9:24 AM PST via mobile reply actions
So this is what continuous good news feels like.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
by carp on Dec 14, 2010 9:28 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
The funny thing about all this good recruting (and a definite product of the law of unintended consequences) is how these last four days has the folks at AtQ collectively gnashing their teeth and wondering why anyone would choose Cal over OMG!!!! Oregon!!!!
There’s loads of “well I hope those kids enjoy playing in the Vegas Bowl every year” comments. Makes me chuckle. I guess they’ve kinda forgotten how three years ago they were just another also-ran in the conference.
Calmer than you are.
Well, yes....
…..and the Vegas Bowl can be enjoyable when you bother to show up and win it.
by ososdeoro on Dec 14, 2010 9:51 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Perhaps my immense reputation on DBD/Twitter might have something to do w/ why recruits prefer to play in the Vegas Bowl w/ Cal over all else? :) You can tell AtQ that.
http://twitter.com/solariseCGB
by solarise on Dec 14, 2010 10:30 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
The commentary from the Oregon fanbase this season has seriously turned me off. I used to really support Oregon football, but now I just want them to go down in a miserable fiery ball of suck. Just to shut up those homers. I am not one to wish ill on student athletes typically, but the obnoxiousness has reached such great heights that in my mind (at least for this season) they have easily surpassed USC, Ohio State, ASU, and Notre Dame in Douche-factor. They must be trying to get into the SEC or something.
Sheesh.
Say it like Ron Burgandy signing off: "Stay Classy, Bears!"
by PlayClassyBears on Dec 14, 2010 9:52 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs
Don’t worry, Eugene is an unimportant outpost of civilization. It doesn’t matter how many gold-plated diamond-studded toilets they build, they will always face an uphill battle recruiting there. Even in the Northwest, Washington should easily outrecruit Oregon with their base in Seattle.
Recruiting updates on Twitter
by CaliforniaEternal on Dec 14, 2010 10:01 AM PST up reply actions
Maybe Steve Jobs will decide Cal needs a bunch of new stuff.
Say, I wonder what conversations Sandy has had with him?
Old Stevie briefly went to Reed College (and nowhere else). Not likely to become much of a Cal donor…
Any time we use this line:
“Christmas came early this year”
we should post the Denise Richards in a lab coat photo as well. Only fair.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
Oregon boards are trying to say at least 1 of Cal’s recruits will end up at Oregon , gotta love them fans
Have you seen which one they’re claiming?
Recruiting updates on Twitter
by CaliforniaEternal on Dec 14, 2010 10:43 AM PST up reply actions
probably speculation and sour grapes, but they could be right.
you never know until the loi is signed.
Just keep your hands off our defensive commits!
Recruiting updates on Twitter
by CaliforniaEternal on Dec 14, 2010 10:47 AM PST up reply actions
what if schools could actually trade recruits…
by ucsdgoldenbear on Dec 14, 2010 1:18 PM PST up reply actions
Ignore it. The only possibility is probably Gibson because his teammate Marqise Lee is interested in Oregon, but it’s very very remote.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 2:39 PM PST up reply actions
Feels good man.
^— I’m gonna keep posting that. It seems to be on a roll.
Welcome to Berkeley, Mister Walls!
"Today's weather, excessively violent with a chance of dismemberment. Tune in later for our 5-day forecast!"
~ Three Dog - Fallout 3
Do we have room for Shaq and Tiny?
It seems to be getting crowded.
Ohhhh, I forgot that he was only a junior.
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 11:28 AM PST up reply actions
Per MoragaBear on Bearinsider.com, it looks like we're down to
1 more DB …
Brandon Wright,
Stefan McClure,
Kameron Jackson (Washington),
Joel Willis(Washington)
James Sample (Safety… we’re looking for CB now, I believe, since we don’t have one)
1 more DT…
Viliami Moala (may go to Oregon State with 3 of his other high school buddies.)
1 more WR…
Devon Blackmon (outside chance)
Marqise Lee (Gibson working on him, but prob down to Oregon and USC)
1 more “Other”
Colt Lyerla (“Athlete”, but probably Linebacker)
Brennan Scarlett (Defensive End)
Patrick Flavin (Offensive Line)
I thought Lyerla wanted to be a RB?
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 11:27 AM PST up reply actions
Brandon Wright wants to be a RB. Lyerla is interested in the hybrid DE/OLB position @ Cal.
http://twitter.com/solariseCGB
by solarise on Dec 14, 2010 11:36 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Lyerla could also be a dominant TE, but he is interested in the rush backer position.
Then, I’ll make a big ruckus, because I am a hypocritical asshole.
-TwistNHook
Will he fill the hole left by Martin?
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 1:00 PM PST up reply actions
Not sure there’s a hole right now. Gibson/Whiteside/McCain are all coming to town.
Then, I’ll make a big ruckus, because I am a hypocritical asshole.
-TwistNHook
Who are our prospective ILBs, then?
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 1:04 PM PST up reply actions
Wilkerson/Forbes/Fanua/Mullins/Broussard/Jefferson
Then, I’ll make a big ruckus, because I am a hypocritical asshole.
-TwistNHook
Wilkerson and Forbes, right. I don’t think I’ve even heard of Broussard or Jefferson, though. atoms fail.
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 1:07 PM PST up reply actions
Also
What about Shaq???
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 11:28 AM PST up reply actions
WE WANT SHAQ!
Walls & Thompson look good together.
http://twitter.com/solariseCGB
by solarise on Dec 14, 2010 11:38 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
So… just to clear up the Grant recruits… Shaq’s a junior, we’ve definitely offered Moala and Sample, and what about Paulo(LB) and Lopa(DE)? Any room for either of them?
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 11:46 AM PST up reply actions
we didn't offer Paulo and Lopa. which is why the talk is those 2 Grant guys will end up in OSU. The hypothesis is that Sample may follow, and Moala may be the final domino piece to go with them.
But if you know anything about recruiting, it’s that anything can happen…
They’re 3-star recruits in their own right, aren’t they? …And we couldn’t find room for even one of them? Is our recruiting class really that strong??
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 11:54 AM PST up reply actions
If you take a look at the numbers in CaliforniaEternal’s roster post from yesterday, there’s no room to take on 2 other guys. Would you be willing to replace one of Cal’s DL and LB to take on Lopa and Paulo because a bunch of high school football players want to play in college together? Probably not.
Looking at our commit list, the person whose role I understand least is Jordan Morgan. I thought we were recruiting him as a safety, but with Walls, do you think the coaches still envision Morgan as a S?
What if one of our benchwarming redshirt seniors graduates and leaves? I dunno.
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 12:10 PM PST up reply actions
You push them out for 4-5 stars, not 3 stars :)
Then, I’ll make a big ruckus, because I am a hypocritical asshole.
-TwistNHook
Moala’s a 4-star, right?
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 1:01 PM PST up reply actions
Yup, borderline 5 star. More importantly ideal NT in the 3-4.
Then, I’ll make a big ruckus, because I am a hypocritical asshole.
-TwistNHook
Do ASU or OSU run a 3-4 scheme?
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 1:05 PM PST up reply actions
Do not believe so. I think Furd is the only other 3-4 in the Pac.
Then, I’ll make a big ruckus, because I am a hypocritical asshole.
-TwistNHook
That makes me feel a little better, maybe. Those guys are our only real competition for Moala at this point in time, right? Because they offered his buddies?
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 1:08 PM PST up reply actions
Who else in the country even uses a 3-4? I know ND does. Can’t think of anyone else off the top of my head.
by Missing Barry on Dec 14, 2010 1:20 PM PST up reply actions
Al Groh, former head coach of Virginia & current D Coordinator @ Georgia Tech, is a 3-4 fanatic. Not sure who his disciples are but at least the Yellow Jackets run the 3-4.
Rivals has a better list: http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1089931
http://twitter.com/solariseCGB
The Furd.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 2:43 PM PST up reply actions
They do? I remember distinctly four down linemen when they played us and three linebackers. I though it was some 4-3/4-2-5 hybrid they ran.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 2:47 PM PST up reply actions
Oregon runs a lot lot of stuff on defense. They have a smallish D-line that allows them to have 3-down, or 4-down with the same personnel. They typically have 4 DEs on the field at one time, but they have very versatile DEs that can play like a linebacker if need be.
--AddictedToQuack, SBNation's Oregon Ducks blog
McClure and Moala are the two guys we’re probably targeting the hardest. Walls filled an area of need, but one more cover corner couldn’t hurt. And of course the NT is paramount in the 3-4.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 2:41 PM PST up reply actions
Is Ervin being recruited as a CB?
Recruiting updates on Twitter
by CaliforniaEternal on Dec 14, 2010 3:28 PM PST up reply actions
Yep. Still would be nice to get another corner though, since I believe he’s the only one.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 3:36 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah, I'd figure cornerbacker would be his natural fit
Because that’s one of the two positions he played in college.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 3:46 PM PST up reply actions
Another possible DB?
Mercy Maston to visit Cal (insider article)
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 4:53 PM PST up reply actions
Biggins had a chat on WEARESC today
and had Maston as one of the most underrated players on the west coast. said the kid was very good.
Cain is Able ...
I heard Moala wants to play with Moose and Barr if he can’t play with his buddies ,Sample is still in the mix for Cal he loved his visit ,Lee is also still in the mix ,also Wall will count towards last years class since he is enrolling in January as well as Matt Williams ,Steve Dillion is also considering even though he is a USc commit as well Kent Turene and Sheldon Richardson will be visiting Cal
Sheldon Richardson still wavering between Cal/$C?
http://twitter.com/solariseCGB
by solarise on Dec 14, 2010 11:54 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
85 is the number that matters
Max 25 scholarships per year X 4 years = 100. But you can have only 85 players total on scholarship. 85 is the number that matters. Right now, we have room for 3 more.. (4 if Vereen leaves).
You mean you don’t expect Mansion to test the NFL waters?!
by Missing Barry on Dec 14, 2010 12:12 PM PST up reply actions
i’m thinking that unless OSU can convince Sample to join Lopa and Paulo, that we will be okay with Tiny. he really wants to play close to home so his family can come watch him play, and if OSU doesn’t get Sample, that means that UW or Cal does. since it sounds like Barr and Moose have made pretty good relationships with Tiny too; we should be fine. Sample has been Cal/UW all year so i can’t imagine what OSU could offer other than playing with Lopa and Paulo, but i guess if you’ve learned anything the past few years it should be to not underestimate Riley – he is pretty much the only other Pac-10 coach i actually like and have respect for.
man i wish we had more scholarships to work with. i want all of Tiny, Lyerla, Lee, McClure, Sample, Scarlett (not necessarily in that order). Turene and Richardson could have been nice icing on the cake, or being able to make a run at Shuler or Sumler or some of those other speedy WR would’ve been nice too.
WR with a Cal offer:
http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=8&c=1&nid=5204157
http://rivals.yahoo.com/cal/football/recruiting/player-Marvin-Hall-118681
Marvin Hall, looks kinda Desean sized
Offers from UDUB, OSU, Fresno st.
by Redonkulous Bear on Dec 14, 2010 12:43 PM PST reply actions
This just reminded me that we got Maurice Harris. Harris and Allen across from each other… I just got a boner. OH WAIT WE STILL HAVE JONES.
Harris is a cousin of Maynard and Allen as well.
by Redonkulous Bear on Dec 14, 2010 1:01 PM PST up reply actions
If only we had someone that could throw footballs to those guys!
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 1:01 PM PST up reply actions
Maynard. He’s a cousin, can’t you read?
by Missing Barry on Dec 14, 2010 1:03 PM PST up reply actions
or Hinder, or Maynard, or Boehm, or Brigford, or…
Honestly, I don’t think our plight’s as bad as people make it out to be. We know Sweeney and Mansion aren’t gonna do it. We have SO many recruits, they can’t ALL be misses.
Oh son.
You underestimate the power of Cal football.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 2:44 PM PST up reply actions
Odds on Westerman Switching?
With Texas’ terrible season and Cal’s recruiting heating up is there ANY shot we have with Christian Westerman? His dad said they are staying put for now…but isn’t his dad a Cal alum? Is this a possible upset on LOI day????
TOSH GET ON IT!!!
Say it like Ron Burgandy signing off: "Stay Classy, Bears!"
by PlayClassyBears on Dec 14, 2010 1:21 PM PST reply actions
If we dont get a huge recruit tomorrow and for every day after, I willl be sad! LETS KEEP THE PARTY GOING!
The author, who has 35 years’ consulting experience, has taught at University of California Berkeley, where he was able to observe the culture and the way the senior management operates.
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Dec 14, 2010 1:48 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
Cal's class has moved up to #16 nationally, per "Rivals"
PAC12 SCHOOLS IN TOP 50
USC is ranked #5
Stanford i#11
Cal #16
Oregon #17
Washington #28
Utah #32
Arizona #48
…not rated (OSU, UCLA, ASU, CO, WSU)
Moreover, only THREE schools have a higher AVG STARS rating than Cal’s 3.53 (Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama — #4 Florida St and #7 LSU have the same 3.53 as Cal, fyi.). The reason why Cal is not rated #4, then, is because we only have 15 recruits on the board so far, whereas these other programs have between 17-23 signed. I’d rather have quality than quantity. And the longer we wait, the more quality we seem to be getting.
Finally, I find it interesting that 12 of the 16 “Rivals 5-stars” recruits who have committed to a school so far have all clustered on the Top 7 teams, except for one fellow who committed to #29 Michigan St., (which has a bunch of 3-star guys but zero 4-stars).
Re:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/teamrank/2011/all/all
Stanfurd #11 :( :( Well, I guess they have a bigger class. Still, it’s shocking that they’re pretty much on par with us. Goddamn Harbaugh.
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 3:39 PM PST up reply actions
They were ahead of us for most of last year too. They offer early, then play a lot of the same dirty recruiting tricks that you’d see in other schools.
But we pulled ahead in the end, and the Furd had so many decommits. Don’t be surprised if something similar happens this year and they drop out of the top 20.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 3:52 PM PST up reply actions
Wait, so why do the kids end up de-committing? Do they not end up meeting academic requirements or something? Why would they commit early to Stanfurd and then go somewhere else?
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 4:06 PM PST up reply actions
Furd gets early commits who fit the academic metrics, finds other guys that look better on the field but don’t necessarily fit the metrics, than refuses to give early commits scholarships so they can get those other highly promised guys and forces them to greyshirt.
Some of the more talented kids decommit b/c they wisen up to the process and don’t want to be involved with this crap. Tony Jefferson and Blake Barker are two such examples from last year, and Jordan Zumwalt went from Furd to UCLA as well (curious that I’m using Neuheisel as a paragon for ethical recruiting).
The Furd had FORTY-ONE different players commit in 2010 for a 25 person class. I’m not sure if it’ll be that bad this year, but look out for it.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 4:22 PM PST up reply actions
In short
When Tedford recruits a guy and he commits, they take him and keep him.
When Harbaugh recruits a guy and he commits, he is still expendable if he finds someone better.
It’s why I think he’ll eventually leave the Furd in flames.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 4:24 PM PST up reply actions
the flipside, of course, is that Cal’s high ethical standards can leave them with a ‘meh’ player committing. For example, the QBs commit pre-senior year, right? That’s early.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Most top QBs commit early
B/c they’ll all end up going elsewhere if they’re not committed early. Luck was an early commit to the Furd.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 5:12 PM PST up reply actions
You have to offer QBs early
Otherwise you could get stuck with real “mehs”. Kline looks like the real deal, as do most of our current QBs.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 5:14 PM PST up reply actions
But that just seems crazy when you think about it!
It’s based on how well a kid does his Jr year of high school, plus a couple camps? So, like, kids need to have decided NO LATER their sophomore year that they want to be a QB, so they can be ready to go by their Jr year – so all the college and pro QB’s have to have had that path laid out in front of them at age 15? That’s how old I was as a Soph, and I hadn’t barely finished puberty by then.
That’s nuts.
Yeah, it's tough
Tedford hates committing to QBs that early. But the risk of ending up getting NO ONE far outweighs the risk of a top 15 prospect not panning out.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 5:53 PM PST up reply actions
says the team with the fantastic record of developing “Elite 11” talent.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
I think we've debunked this myth for you before
So I’m not going to do it again.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 8:46 PM PST up reply actions
Wait, what myth? The myth that Elite 11 QBs does not mean said players can actually throw a football accurately in the close presence of 10 or so big ass linemen? That Elite 11 QB’s, despite their propensity for mediocrity, are better than signing non-Elite 11 QB’s? Or the myth that Cal hasn’t developed sharp QB’s?
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Dude every QB is an Elite 11 QB. It’s really not that special of a distinction.
by Missing Barry on Dec 15, 2010 7:36 AM PST up reply actions
except that only 11/year get picked. And that some participants go to such powerful programs like Louisanna-Lafayette, Idaho St, East Carolina Liberty, and Arkansas Pine Bluff. However, this program has helped produce 22 draft picks in 7 years.
Longshore, Riley, Mansion, Bridgford, and Hinder were all Elite 11 QB’s. It looks linke Boehm participated in several Elite 11 camps, but was not selected.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESPN_RISE_Elite_11
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Ah yes, I was referring to participating in the Elite 11 camp. As for the actual 11 players selected, who knows how they come to that conclusion? I’d put more weight into the star system than that.
by Missing Barry on Dec 15, 2010 11:25 AM PST up reply actions
I don’t see what’s so crazy. I mean, that’s how a lot of high school sports generally work out – if you don’t start playing the sport as a freshman, unless you’re some super athletic freak (like you’re 6’10 and decide to start playing basketball partway through HS or something), you pretty much have no chance to compete if you try to pick it up later in your HS career. So yeah, that applies to QB, especially since it’s not something like basketball where you can have some physical trait (like being 6’10) that automatically makes you good…
by Missing Barry on Dec 15, 2010 7:35 AM PST up reply actions
Hmm. In your first paragraph though, it sounds like the guys they eventually favor are actually the higher-rated guys? That should mean that their recruiting rankings should finish higher, not lower, right? And why would the talented kids decommit, when it’s the less talented kids that are refused scholarships later on in favor of talented guys like them?
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 4:31 PM PST up reply actions
I mean, I’m sure what you’re saying is true, but I’m not making sense of it for some reason.
sanity thief
by atomsareenough on Dec 14, 2010 4:41 PM PST up reply actions
Because they know their schollie could get pulled at any minute if Harbaugh finds someone they like better, and then they’re stuck on an island. Jefferson, Zumalt, Barker, and a decommit to Notre Dame (I forget his name) are four such examples.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Dec 14, 2010 5:15 PM PST up reply actions
with their national (as opposed to west coast- or california-centric) recruiting efforts, I think they’re subject to starflation more than others. There’s only one program out here (USC) that causes a bump in star rankings.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
GoldenBlogs' FAQ and Community Guidelines
Related FanPosts on California Golden Blogs
Related FanShots on California Golden Blogs
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
I recorded the entire last out as Cal clinches the first ever PAC12 Softball Title! It was also a...
Pac-12 On SBN
Pacific Takes (Pac-12) NORTH AddictedToQuack: (Oregon)
UW Dawg Pound: (Washington)
CougCenter: (Washington State)
BuildingTheDam: (Oregon State)
Rule Of Tree: (Stanford)
CaliforniaGoldenBlogs: (Cal)
SOUTH
BruinsNation: (UCLA)
ConquestChronicles: (USC)
HouseOfSparky: (ASU)
Arizona Desert Swarm: (Arizona)
TheRalphieReport: (Colorado)
Block U: (Utah)
Golden Bears Football Schedule
| Fresno St. | Sat 09/03 | W 36 - 21 |
@
Colorado
|
Sat 09/10 | W 36 - 33 |
| Presbyterian | Sat 09/17 | W 63 - 12 |
|
@
Washington
|
Sat 09/24 | L 23 - 31 |
|
@
Oregon
|
Thu 10/06 | L 15 - 43 |
|
USC
|
Thu 10/13 | L 9 - 30 |
|
Utah
|
Sat 10/22 | W 34 - 10 |
|
@
UCLA
|
Sat 10/29 | L 14 - 31 |
|
Washington St.
|
Sat 11/05 | W 30 - 7 |
|
Oregon St.
|
Sat 11/12 | W 23 - 6 |
|
@
Stanford
|
Sat 11/19 | L 28 - 31 |
|
@
Arizona St.
|
Fri 11/25 | W 47 - 38 |
|
@
Texas
|
Wed 12/28 | L 10 - 21 |
