That's not to say that a lot of recruiting action isn't going on, and won't continue to go on throughout the remainder of the summer months. Over the next few weeks what will be most important will be developing relationships with recruits; getting recruits interested enough to the point where they want to schedule an official visit and attend a home game during the season. Securing these relationships now will reap benefits come January and early February 2015.
Here's news for this week.
DJ Beavers, LB, Encino (Ca.)
Promising recruit. Good size--roughly 6'3, 200 lbs--but still manages to run around a 4.7 40, which is solid for an OLB that size. Could potentially bulk up and move inside to the Mike linebacker position. Height and ranginess however make him best suited for OLB, where he can use his length and long stride to track down ball carriers from sideline to sidelines; if you watch his tape, you'll see him doing this a lot.
Quick update on 4-star Crespi LB @beavers_dj, who talks about his #Cal visit and much, much more ($) https://t.co/HzqCHpHoyj
— Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) May 27, 2014
With Khairi Fortt, Nick Forbes, and Chris McCain no longer on the team, we'll need to replace a lot of key players at linebacker. Beavers possess the same ranginess that a lot of these guys did, and would probably make the case to earn a starting role in his first or second year. Crespi alumni Chris Harper will hopefully help persuade DJ to make an official to Cal in the coming weeks.
Zach Baker, OL, Clay (Fl.)
Baker plays center and some tackle, and is a bit undersized for both positions at only 6'3, 260. However, Baker could likely add significantly more weight to his frame in the coming years. Additionally, the center position, especially at the high school and college level, is much of a technique and intelligence driven position. You can get away with an undersized center outside of the pro game as long as he's sufficient in these other categories. What's more, what Baker lacks in size he makes up for in aggression and technique; seems to be a player with a real "motor." Currently, Baker only has offers from a handful of small conference schools such as Cincinnati and East Carolina.
Clay (Fla.) OL Zach Baker RT @7BigZach4: Got offerd by Cal today!! @CalRivals
— Kelly Quinlan (@Kelly_Quinlan) May 23, 2014
Frank Buncom, DB, San Diego (Ca.)
Highly coveted 4 star safety recruit with an NFL pedigree. Buncom recently was in town and visited both us and the Furd. Currently we appear to be in the lead along with Furd, UCLA, Notre Dame, and USC. This is good news.
4-star DB @BeastNamedFrank recaps recent trips to both #Stanford and #Cal ($) https://t.co/t6RjfQkyYO
— Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) May 26, 2014
The rangy 6'2 safety would make a great addition to any defensive backfield, but especially to ours and our much maligned pass coverage. Excellent tackler, as well as a good coverage guy. He's the total package at safety, the kind of player who once they commit you don't have to worry about recruiting at that position for 3 more years.
Traveon Samuel, RB, Phenix City, (Al.)
We've mentioned Samuel on this site before. An absolute beast of a running back that reminds me of some of Cal's greatest--particularly Justin Forsett. Although a little on the smaller size, Samuel possesses incredible burst and overall top speed. He's gotten offers from almost every single SEC schools, so it's clear that these coaches don't think he's too small to play in the biggest conference in the country.
Despite the fact that he boasts such promising offers, Samuel is still inclined to visit Berkeley, which is excellent news.
How is Cal in the mix for @TraDay_DoThis, an all-purpose back with offers from basically the entire SEC? Well... ($) https://t.co/RzAwJ0Pj7E
— Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) May 26, 2014
Despite this good news, I'd still be surprised if Samuel eventually committed to Cal with such enticing offers on the table. I hope that I'm wrong, however, and that Samuel will carry on the tradition of explosive Cal running backs.
Lastly, if you remember, we offered Upland, California quarterback Tyler Hilinksi. Hilinski was already committed to Wazzu, a commitment that most people thought was soft.
Unfortunately, looks like Hilinksi is sticking with what he said originally and will not renege on his commitment to Wazzu.
Hilinski breaks down final decision #Wazzu #Cal http://t.co/PJ3A5eG0Tp
— Adam Gorney (@adamgorney) May 26, 2014