Cal football recruiting commit Chinedu Odeogu pursued by Iowa State

Cal recruiting this time of year isn't just anxiously hoping for new commits. It's holding onto the prospects the Bears already have. If solid verbals feel like their current situation isn't good enough, they won't hesitate to keep looking around for a situation that suits them better.

One name to watch is Maryland defensive end Chinedu Odeogu. Odeogu decided on the Bears in the fall, but that hasn't stopped programs from taking a look. One such team is Iowa State, who has already landed the commitment of his brother Oge Udeogu. Ironically, Oge was much closer to Cal this fall than Chinedu, playing junior college ball at the City College of San Francisco.

Iowa State will battle until the end.

https://t.co/SM1hMNopIE

— Chinedu Udeogu (@TheChinedu) January 20, 2016

Cal commit Chinedu Udeogu, the brother of ISU OL Oge Udeogu, is listening to Iowa State ($): https://t.co/oPaVSUtKAY pic.twitter.com/9jl7YAREci

— Alex Halsted (@AlexHalsted) January 13, 2016

Berkeley is a bit of a distance from Odeogu's part of the world. It could make it a more pitched battle to land that letter of intent. The good news is Odeogu will be part of the big upcoming Cal visit weekend, so it feels like the Bears will get the last say.

You can see the potential the Cal coaching staff must like from Udeogu. He's a defensive menace, he's academically inclined, and the Bears do need to stack up on defensive line talent in a hurry. But the battle is far from over in the weeks leading up to Signing Day.