When Justin Wilcox first became the California Golden Bears head coach, he made it clear one of his primary focuses was to rebuild critical Bay Area recruiting pipelines in California. Cal has hemorrhaged Bay Area talent for the longest time, and securing the region will be critical.
To his credit, his first two commits of the 2018 class (under his watch) have both come locally. And they both shore up a critical position of need.
San Jose (Ca.) Archbishop Mitty defensive end Nick Alftin committed to Cal! At 6-5, 240 pounds with an astonishing 36” vertical leap, Alftin is an optimal fit for the incoming Cal 3-4 defense that Wilcox is trying to install. Alftin got the Cal offer early, and he pounced on it and made the call early on to be a Bear.
I would like to announce my commitment to the University of California, Berkeley #GoBears #DoItB18 #CalGang18 pic.twitter.com/QtJovUHo4Y
— Nick Alftin (@NickAlftin) March 30, 2017
Alftin is the brother of current Cal volleyballer Christine Alftin as well! The connections run deep.
Great Spring Ball practice yesterday at Berkeley #GoBears #DOITB18 pic.twitter.com/M2G1mn1fag
— Nick Alftin (@NickAlftin) March 18, 2017
"Walking through the tunnel," Aftin reminisced,"I think it was against the Texas Longhorns, I went to that game, I took the visit, and I went on the field and walked through the tunnel when the whole band was playing. It gave me the chills and something I’ve never felt before. It was something that, not inspried me, but walking onto the field, I love the stadium, when the fans are there, it’s something else because all the students get it. I could really picture myself playing at the school."
Alftin wouldn't be alone at Cal, as his sister Christine is an outside hitter and captain on Cal's volleyball team. He's familiar with the campus because of it, taking monthly trips up to the campus to visit her, but he hadn't had the opportunity to meet the new coaches. That part's been checked off the list.
Meeting the coaches was a big thing for me," Alftin said,"obviously because it’s a new coaching staff, people that I’ve never really met before, but I knew they had lots of experience. Most coaches 20 years plus of different places, Wilcox had all these different schools, from DC to linebackers, so it really gave me something to look forward to."
Check out his Hudl highlights below.
Alftin joins JH Tevis from the Menlo School as two local Bay Area defensive linemen who could shore up a position that hasn’t been the strongest as of late. Both of these defensive ends figure to bolster a pass rush that has been slightly lacking over the years. Can Wilcox develop these local talents into studs?
Welcome to Cal Nick! Go Bears!