Cal football recruiting: Defensive tackle Corey Bolds has Bears in top 12

Touted 2017 recruiting class DT Corey Bolds from powerhouse Paramus Catholic HS in Paramus, NJ has Cal ranked in his top 12 teams. Because defensive coordinator Art Kaufman and defensive line coach Fred Tate seek to rotate defensive linemen constantly, it is important to maintain a strong depth chart. Bolds would prove a welcome addition to our group of defensive linemen as Cal looks to maintain that depth (6 d-line recruits in 2015 and another 5 in 2016).

Top 12 ‼️... S/O to my bro @Hayesfawcett3 give him a follow, one of the best to do it✔️ pic.twitter.com/3Qluadl0r1

— Corey Bolds9k^TM (@Chief_Corey) June 10, 2016

Here are the rankings for Corey Bolds among various scouting services:

• Scout: 3-star DT, 41st ranked DT nationally
• ESPN: 4-star DT, 34th ranked DT nationally
• 247: 4-star DT, 18th ranked DT nationally, 236th ranked player nationally
• Rivals: 3-star DT, 31st ranked DT nationally

Let's take a look at some highlights:

In his film, Bolds shows great quickness off the line. He uses that quickness and an effective swim move to beat blockers on the pass rush. Bolds also demonstrates that he has the ability to consistently track down the ball carrier. He plays at a great pad level and shows the strength to keep separated from blockers, allowing him to take down the ball-carrier.

The other schools in Bolds's top 12, in alphabetical order, are Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. Of those schools, Penn State and Rutgers seem to be the big players in Bolds's mind. He has stated to Scout's Brian Dohn the high level of interest that Penn State has shown him, contacting him every day and demonstrating to him that they truly care. Furthermore, Bolds told Dohn that he loves the new coaching staff at Rutgers, and that is apparent as he has visited 6 times in the past 6 months. And of course, you can never count out Michigan with their Paramus Catholic connection in the form of Rashan Gary and former coach Chris Partridge.

Bolds also told Dohn that he is in no hurry to commit, citing September 28th (his birthday) as a potential date to declare if he has made up his mind. Otherwise, he will wait until he is comfortable. That's good for Cal because it will give our recruiters time to pitch Cal to Bonds, and hopefully convince him to come out and take a visit! Though it will be tough, it would be worth it in order to land a player that could prove to be a valuable piece in our defensive future.