Cal picking up steam

There is a lot of recruiting news at Cal these days and it's all good for the Golden Bears, who are looking to build on last year's stellar recruiting class.

One rumor that continues to gain traction is that four-star running back Brendon Bigelow of Fresno (Calif.) Central East will end up in Berkeley even though he remains committed to Washington. A switch could be kept private just so numerous schools don't hound Bigelow, a source said, and it could happen months before it becomes public. Bigelow would be a top-five national prospect had he not injured his knee last year.

There also is talk that four-star defensive end Jason Gibson of Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra continues to like Cal more than others; Oregon and UCLA also are in his top group.

As with the last recruiting cycle, Cal's recruiting reach is stretching across the country. A source says four-star safety Avery Walls of McDonough (Ga.) Union Grove has been in close contact with Cal's coaching staff in recent weeks, and Cal now is in the top group for Matthews (N.C.) Butler athlete Kris Frost. California signed North Carolina natives Keenan Allen, Gabe King and Chris McCain in February.

Four-star cornerback Charles Jackson of Klein (Texas) Collins has been reaching out to Cal defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast, and there is a rumor that recent USC commitment Kent Turene wants to take an official visit to Berkeley. Turene, a linebacker from Lauderdale Lakes (Fla.) Boyd Anderson, is a four-star recruit.