/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66850085/1029525540.jpg.0.jpg)
The California Golden Bears recruiting class for 2021 may get a bit stronger if all goes to plan. One of those things that needs to go to plan seemingly is off to the right foot as 4-star wide receiver prospect J.Michael Sturdivant released his top four schools, with your Cal Bears making the final cut.
Final four .... pic.twitter.com/Ed0rw01zsh
— jmike (@jmike_04) May 24, 2020
It’s apparent he’s headed out of state as the Marcus High School star from Texas listed Cal, LSU, Oklahoma and UCLA as his top four schools.
He’s a big target for a lot of schools, apparently, and has at least 34 scholarship offers in his pocket already. Trimming his list to just four is a big win for the Bears as of right now.
No predictions are being made but it’s clear that something from Cal is triggering him to stay at least hot on their trail. His long relationship with Coach Burl Toler as well as Justin Wilcox must be paying dividends for the Bears.
Sturdivant even had kind words for Cal when talking to 247Sports this week.
“Cal is definitely up there. I’ve had my relationship with them for almost a year now and it’s a great campus and football program on the rise.”
He was able to visit campus before the coronavirus pandemic shut down officials and unofficial visits, and it’s nice to know the long game is paying off here.
247Sports has him ranked as their 92nd-best overall prospect and the 11th-best wide receiver in the class. This would vault the Bears up, not only in the conference rankings, but in the national rankings as well.
Here’s what the evaluation is on Sturdivant:
Big-framed wideout with good height and frame length. Lean build but frame potential to eclipse 200-pound plateau. Produces big numbers against Texas 6A competition. Adequate tester with strong track profile. Competes in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and triple jump. Knows how to run to find open space. Height and frame help with encouraging high-pointing ability. Dangerous run-after-catch playmaker. Tracks the deep ball well. Long stride that builds speed downfield, but can improve initial burst off the line. Can also leverage DB’s better into breaks. High-major wideout with all-conference potential and an NFL Draft ceiling.
We’ll see what happens when he finally does make a decision, but if it were up to me, I’d say he’s more than just a 25% chance of heading to Cal, I like this dual-sport athlete as a Golden Bear moving forward.