Although we already did a stellar write up on newly committed Centennial recruit, RB Tre Watson, I thought that I would provides some of my own insight on this new Bear.
What doesn't stand out about Watson are some of his measurables, he measures in at a fairly average 5'10 185, and doesn't appear to possess blazing speed around the end. However, Watson does display great quickness, and definitely has the ability to make defenders miss, while also is a legitimate pass catching threat out of the backfield. Most of all, Watsons has amazing vision. Check out some of his highlights below, he reminds me a bit of Vereen, the way he reads and picks holes. That is very encouraging, since great vision is something a lot of running backs don't develop until they are older. Additionally, he is also playing in a shotgun offense, so it'll be a really easy transition for him to play in the Bear Raid where he will either be receiving shotgun or pistol formation handoffs.
Although it appears that Watson has gone relatively under the radar up until this point (his offer list is limited, and there isn't much info on him on Scout or 247), Watson does have the pedigree to make an impact at the next level. A product of a football powerhouse in Centennial, I would expect Watson's recruiting interests to pick up dramatically during and after his senior year, especially when looking at his junior year stats. In 2013, was able to amass over 1400 yards, while averaging a staggering 9.5 ypc. These stats are astounding, especially since Centennial plays in one of the toughest leagues in California. This kid is definitely a playmaker.
From a depth perspective, I really like this pickup. I'm interested to see what Watson does his senior year though before I go out on a limb and call him the next Marshawn, I'm excited to see what kind of player he will develop into. Overall, very happy with this. Welcome to the blue and gold family Tre!
Dewayne Hendrix, DE, O'Fallon, IL.
Big time prospect with the size and athleticism to get all the usual suspects involved in his recruiting process. His favorites are headlined by the likes of Tennessee, Florida, USC, K-State, and surprisingly us... Weird, I know.
Tagged as a legitimate 4 star by ESPN, Hendrix also has a ton of offers very early on in the game. However, several reports claim that Hendrix has ties to California (the state). Although this may not bode well in the end, in that it may indicate that USC is what he's after, it also is relatively hopeful for any Cal Bear fan.
O'Fallon Ill. junior DE Dewayne Hendrix has West Coast ties ($) bit.ly/Xxkd20
— EDGYTIM.com (@EDGYTIM) April 7, 2013
Scouting report for @ofallonfootball DE Dewayne Hendrix: "explosive player w/ the upper-body strength, hand quickness insider.espn.go.com/college-sports…
— Jared Shanker (@JShankerESPN) April 16, 2013
@chrispswanson: Dewayne Hendrix talks about a potential visit to L.A. usc.247sports.com/Article/USC-is… via @247sports
— Scott Schrader (@Scott_Schrader) May 14, 2013
Looks like no plan to visit Berkeley has been formulated yet. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed though.
Isadore Outing, DE, Houston, TX.
A promising recruit that is apparently very, very high on Cal right now. Although a bit undersized at 6'3, 215, Outing has the the athleticism to play either linebacker or defensive line at the next level. He apparently runs around a 4.70 right now, and can definitely stand to add more weight on his frame. Many Texas scouts are expecting Outing to have a strong senior season, so I would expect his value to rise dramatically between now and then.
Dekaney will be loaded next year. DE Isadore Outing will be big-time in 2014 #txhsfb @perroni247 @ahverdejo @skhanjr twitter.com/VYPEHouston/st…
— VYPE Houston (@VYPEHouston) January 22, 2013
We just recently offered him, and as of now 247 has put us as his top choice. I'm guessing Dykes' Texas connections may be figuring into this situation; he may want to secure a commitment from this kid before the big schools really start going after him.
Joe Mixon, RB, Oakley, CA
Consensus ESPN top 150 recruit, Mixon is likely the Bears top target at running back for 2014. Although we've discussed him before on GRW, it's important to relay how immediate of an impact this kid could be.
A bigger back at 6'2, 205, Mixon reminds me a lot of a more athletic version of Dasarte Yarnway when he was in high school at Sacred Heart Prep. Mixon possesses a stellar combination of speed and size, and is clearly already a physical specimen, albeit he is only 17-18.
Everybody and their brother has offered Mixon, but he appears to be holding Cal amongst his top picks. He did come to our junior day on March 23rd. Our proximity to him and his family is also an encouraging fact. I'm optimistic on this situation, but I also don't think we have a fantastic chance at landing him. He is apparently very high on USC, and is now starting to pull in offers from Notre Dame and the other powerhouses.
Joe Mixon adds 48th offer from North Carolina. Nearing 50 for RB
— Lorenzo J. Reyna (@LJ_Reyna) May 11, 2013
Erik Brown, WR, Fontana, CA
Excellent speed and lateral agility for a player that is on the taller end- 6'1.
His recruitment is picking up interest in the PAC-12 schools. We offered him early and he has us in his front runners as of now.
Cal has offered Fontana (Calif.) Summit four-star receiver Erik Brown...
— Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) April 23, 2013
Erik Brown has established himself as arguably the top wide receiver in the West after dominant performances at... fb.me/2iIRv9mUI
— Ron Allen (@B2GSports) April 17, 2013
He apparently was originally committed to the Bruins, but now that his stock has risen, he has opened his recruitment back up fully. Expect this one to go down to the wire.
Adarius Pickett, CB, El Cerrito, CA
Another local recruit who is starting to make big waves nationally. Great athleticism and ball skills, watch the tape and you can see why he is starting to get offers from schools across the country.
Cal is high on his last as of now, and I'm guessing the proximity factor is helping in this situation. Looks like he can also get it done in the classroom, as he has a Yale offer that he is apparently taking very seriously, same deal with Dartmouth.
Schools apparently really started to pick up on this kid after he won the Defensive MVP award at the Rivals Camp in LA.
Michael Lazarus, ILB, Berkeley, Ca
I'll be fairly disappointed if we don't land this homegrown beast. These are the guys, if Cal football is to become a serious football contender, that we HAVE to land. His highlight tape features him playing some d-end, ILB, as well as running back.
I expect his recruitment to pick up a lot in the coming year. Great size, fairly good speed, and a ferocious tackler.
CFB_RecruitingUpdate Lazarus seeing Pac-12 attention: Michael Lazarus has heard sporadic recruiting news early... tinyurl.com/am5qk6m
— Ken Robinson (@superscoutken) April 24, 2013
CFB_RecruitingUpdate Busy time for Lazarus: Michael Lazarus had an outstanding performance at the Rivals Camp ... tinyurl.com/c9cwm79
— IndoorFootballScouts (@IFSBFreeAgents) March 21, 2013
I would say that our chances of landing him are very high. We were his first offer. However, he has referred to a NW dream school at several points (the recruiting sites won't disclose what school that is). I'm assuming it's Oregon.
Cameron Seward, Athlete, Atlanta, GA.
Was the most athletic player on a very athletic high school team. His film features him playing running back, linebacker, and what looks like both safety positions. At 6'1, 200, I really like Seward playing strong safety. He looks like he has stellar instincts in terms of playing the ball and reading ball carriers. Also looks to be a very fundamentally sound tackler. Seward is getting a lot of SEC interest, and is very high on Boston College, but also has us in the mix as well.
Interestingly, Seward claims that he will be announcing this Friday. However, I would not read too far into that. Even if he does announce in May, there's still a large chance that his decision will change between now and then, mostly because he's likely to accrue more offers as the year carries on.
#CrystalBall for 3-star ATH Cameron Seward, who announces Friday ow.ly/lguCw
— Keith Niebuhr (@Niebuhr247) May 22, 2013
I recommend Golden Bears Offer: Hot News for OLB Cameron Seward adf.ly/MJE50
— Terry Hoover (@footballcoachUS) April 5, 2013
We offered him early in April, but apparently he is still hot on the Bears. Pretty promising article right here.
That's all for this week folks. Check back in the coming weeks for more developments on the Cal football recruiting front. We will also giving you updates on these recruits as they come in, so if we get lucky with Seward on Friday, you'll be the first to know about it.