Hey gang. As promised, we'll be focusing on the game performances of our commits and key targets this week. Of Cal's 10 verbal commits, only 4 actually had a game last weekend. Good news? They all did well. We'll be looking forward to seeing how the remaining 6 do in their debuts this coming weekend. There's a couple actual recruiting nuggets sprinkled in below as well. I'm keeping things a tad brief because 1. There's not a ton to report aside from game stats and 2. I'm working on the Nevada Offensive preview for actual college football...WHICH IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING!
As always, feel free to give a lookie at the CGB Recruiting Board for updated rankings, highlights and offers if needed.
TO THE GRIDIRON WE GO!
COMMITS
Jared Goff, QB Marin Catholic (Kentfield, CA). Had a solid outing against a good Miramonte team, going 12-20 for 211 yards and a 72 yard touchdown pass in Orinda as MC won 31-14. The game was tight into the third quarter and MC was content to grind things out on the ground. Personally, I love seeing Goff beat the Mats too. Cougar Pride! Also of note, Jared was selected to participate in the Semper Fi All-American Bowl! A well-deserved honor and a nice recognition of the tremendous year he's had thus far on the camp and 7-on-7 circuits. Looking forward to the rest of Jared's senior season to see more of just what he can do.
Ray Hudson, TE Foothill (Pleasanton, CA). Caught touchdowns of 14 and 33 yards in Foothill's 52-9 beatdown of Novato. Although the two touchdowns were Hudson's only catches on the day, it's worth noting that Foothill's starting quarterback only threw the ball 10 times TOTAL, and that six of those passes went for TD's. Nice to see Ray making an impact and already showing himself to be a guy that the quarterback can lean on. I'm very excited about him.
Darius Allensworth, CB Heritage (Menifee, CA). After being bumped up to a 4-star prospect last week by Rivals, Allensworth did his part to justify his ranking. He caught a 24 yard touchdown pass and had a 95 yard kickoff return touchdown as Heritage cruised to a 32-6 win over San Jacinto. Despite a lack of defensive stats available, Heritage held San Jacinto to 9 total offensive yards on the day. There's a high likelihood that Darius had a lot to do with that staunch defensive effort.
Matt Anderson, K San Ramon Valley (Danville, CA). Booted a 40 yard field goal and three extra points in a losing effort for San Ramon Valley, as they fell 24-28 to Buhach Colony. Matt was also elevated to a 3-star prospect by Rivals last week, and ranked as the #5 kicker in the country.
TARGETS
Aaron Cochran OT, Buhach Colony (Atwater, CA). Cochran's Buhach Colony squad took out Matt Anderson's SRV team, 28-24, behind a big day on the ground for the Thunder. As a team, BC gained 336 yards on the ground, and you can bet that they were running behind big Arron for a large number of those yards. Aaron has planned official visits to Cal, UCLA, Nebraska and Oklahoma, with a final visit undetermined and possibly unnecessary at this point. He was at Cal's Fan Appreciation Day over the weekend. Still feeling very good here.
Terrell Newby, RB Chaminade (West Hills, CA). Ground out 123 yards and a touchdown in a tough game against Venice. Chaminade and Newby prevailed 37-20, but Venice came ready to play and actually outgained Newby's Eagles 301-251 on the day. Erratic QB play caused the Chaminade offense to really struggle and allowed Venice to load the box and focus on shutting down Newby. 123 yards is nothing to sneeze at, but considering Newby scored 5 touchdowns against Venice last year, it looks like he'll need some help from the QB position if Chaminade hopes to achieve some balance in the offense.
Khalfani Muhammad, RB Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, CA). Rushed for 128 yards on 23 carries as Notre Dame lost a tight one to Serra, 23-26. Interesting to note that Muhammad's numbers are pretty workman-like, which is encouraging considering he's viewed by many as a guy not capable of taking on a full load. Known more for his sprinter speed, seeing a guy who can also grind for tough yards is a good thing. As previously mentioned, Muhammad is putting recruiting on the back burner for now while he focuses on the season. Expect Notre Dame and Washington to be in good position for his services, with Cal also likely to get an official visit.
Berkley Edwards, RB Chelsea (Chelsea, MI). Edwards had a nice day, despite his Chelsea squad taking a loss at the hands of the Lumen Christi Titans. Edwards rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 24 attempts, and added 4 receptions for 48 yards. There's a high likelihood that Cal will be getting an official visit from Edwards...likely in the next month or so.
Edward Tandy, LB Tustin (Tustin, CA). Tandy plays both ways for Tustin, and really shined on the offensive side in a 48-13 drubbing of Roosevelt-Eastvale on Friday. Tandy rushed for 139 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 9 carries, and also was a key lead blocker on several other big runs. Tustin rushed for 449 yards as a team on the day. At 6'2/220, Tandy has the build and speed to shine as a linebacker...where stats are much less prevalent at the high school level. In other good news, he's planning to visit Cal this weekend for the Nevada game. Should be a fantastic environment. Worth mentioning, if only for my own selfish purposes, that Tandy is also a bad-ass high school rugby player. Best believe he's aware of the Cal Rugby team's success and legacy as well.
Dashon Hunt, CB Westlake (Westlake Village, CA). Rushed for 71 yards on 14 carries and blocked an extra point in Westlake's dominant victory over Granite Bay, 24-6. Again, defensive stats are hard to come by but Granite Bay's inability to establish any offensive continuity leads me to suspect that Hunt did his job well from his cornerback position. In other news, Hunt has scheduled his official visit to Nebraska (one of our main competitors for his services) for this weekend. Don't expect any hasty decisions though.
Riley Sorenson, OL Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA). Was solid in pass protection, allowing Santa Margarita QB Johny Stanton to pass for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns in Santa Margarita's win over host Brophy Prep, 27-14. At 6'5/320, Sorenson is a monster among monsters on the SM offensive line, but is one of the few uncommitted D1 prospects remaining on a stacked team. He's previously said that UW and Cal lead, with UCLA sitting in third.
Devon Allen, WR Brophy Prep (Phoenix, AZ). Was on the other side of Santa Margarita's dominant win and had a quiet day for Brophy...scoring one 3-yard rushing touchdown and totaling just three catches. Allen recently released a top 5...and Cal was not included on that list. Best to hope he doesn't end up at Stanford, because he won't have many quiet outings like this again.
Karris Johnson, RB California (San Ramon, CA). Johnson is a local guy whose pretty under the radar...for now at least. He rumbled for 172 yards on just 8 carries, including an 86-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, in a 40-7 blowout win for Cal High over Washington. Johnson added a 65 yard touchdown run and an 18 yard touchdown reception on the day. Don't be surprised if Cal gives the 5'11/200 pound speedster a serious look later in the recruiting cycle. Cal High's run-oriented offense will allow him an opportunity to put up some serious numbers, and Johnson has the size, speed, and strength to really shine.
Fun to have real football stats to look at instead of just measurables and crap, huh? I think so too. Any primary Cal targets I may have missed, please share in the comments.
GO BEARS!