– Packing up now to drive to Berkeley for Sonny Dykes’ press conference.
– Cal’s lone commit holdout is DB Trek Cheek of Archer-Lawrenceville, Ga., who has tweeted he intends to sign with the Bears next week. OK then.
– WR Jack Austin, a 3-star prospect from Chino Hills, has delivered his signed letter. The 6-3, 205-pounder originally planned to attend Boise State, but flipped to Cal last month. Could have been catching balls from ex-San Ramon Valley HS QB Joe Southwick; now could be target of passes from ex-San Ramon Valley HS QB Zach Kline. Check out the big wideout in action.
– CB Darius Allensworth is confirmed a Bear, reports Cal. The 5-11, 175-pounder from Heritage HS in Riverside County is a 4-star by Rivals, 3-star by Scout. Allensworth looked at WSU, but never decommitted from Bears.
– A nice local signee for the Bears: DE Takkarist McKinley of Kennedy-Richmond. The young man is 6-3, 240 and runs sprints for his high school T&F team. Who does that? Watch as McKinley chases down running backs and QBs.
– No Cameron Hunt, but the Bears landed their other recruiting target from SoCal powerhouse Centennial-Corona: DE Garrett Hughes. It’s official. Check out the 6-2, 230-pound Hughes on the field. Scout and Rivals both say he’s a three-star prospect.
– More letters arriving in football offices at Cal: O-linemen Vince Johnson of Christian Brothers-Sacrament0 and Erik Bunte of Rancho Santa Margarita-Mission Viejo are both done. Check out the 6-7, 310-pound Bunte in action. And here’s video of Johnson.
– No surprise here: 4-star OG Cameron Hunt of Centennial-Corona signs with Oregon.
– DT Tony Mekari of Westlake and OL Chris Borrayo of Paramont both signed and delivered. Borrayo, at 6-5, 295, brings great size. A consensus 3-star pick. Switching to a 4-3 alignment, Bears needed more depth along D-line. Mekari, at 6-3, 260, can provide that.
– New signed letters at Cal FB office: OT J.D. Hinnant, a 6-3, 267-pounder from Fountain Valley, and LB Edward Tandy, a 6-foot, 220-pounder from Tustin. Hinnant another big piece in O-line rebuilding job. Here’s some video on Tandy. Both are consensus 3-star pickups. Scuttlebutt now is that DB L.J. Moore of Fresno to choose between Oklahoma and ASU.
– Cal reports that DE Ray Davison, a 6-3, 215-pounder from Crespi-Encino, has signed. Older Old Blues will remember that’s Russell White’s alma mater. Davison a 3-star according to Scout and Rivals.
– Now also on board officially: RB Khalfani Muhammad of Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks, OT Aaron Cochran of Buhach Colony-Atwater. And DT Macrus Manley of Santa Monica CC. Muhammad, rated four stars by Rivals, is the Bears’ only RB signee. Here’s some video on Manley. At 6-6, 320, Cochran joins his older brother Matt, who will compete for the starting center spot this spring.
– Cal’s current official count at 7:45 a.m.: 9 signees. Many more to come.
– Starting to come in fast and furious now for the Bears. Walker is official. So is OLB Johnny Ragin III, a 6-3, 215-pounder from Wilsonville, Ore. Cal got Ragin to flip from BYU commit in late January, then closed the deal after in-state Oregon made a strong late push. Ragin is a three-star prospect whom at least one recruiting expert suggested is underrated. A good win for Dykes and his staff.
– DB Cameron Walker of Loyola-Los Angeles, is just a little excited this morning. From his Twitter account: “like actually, ive been waiting on this day since i was 13. too blessed. very grateful for it” And this: “im literally so happy right now tho you all have no idea. im forreal sitting here watching my dream come true :’)” I think we can assume he signed.
– WR Caleb Coleman, a 6-foot, 178-pounder from St. Mary’s-Berkeley, now officially on board with Cal. Coleman is a 2-star prospect, according to Scout and Rivals. But a hometown guy who must be salivating at the prospect of playing in Sonny Dykes’ wide-open offense. Watch Coleman beat triple coverage for a long TD reception.
– Cal website officially listing Hunter and Whitener as signees, along with 5 signed and enrolled at midyear: QB Jared Goff, PK Matt Anderson, DE Kyle Kragen, DE Sione Sina and WR Drake Whitehurst. So, officially, that’s 7. So far.
– A Sonny Dykes sighting on Twitter: He welcomes DT Jacobi Hunter, a 6-foot, 285-pound, 2-star prospect from Cypress Falls, Houston. And Dykes also a Twitter S/O to MLB Chad Whitener of Mansfield, Texas.
– It’s nearly 7:20 a.m. and still no official word from Berkeley. However, TE Ray Hudson of Foothill-Pleasanton tweets: ”Fax has been sent. It’s official. I am a Golden Bear! Dream come true.” Hudson, an early commit, is 6-4, 235, a 3-star according to both Rivals and Scout.
– It’s almost 7 a.m. Cal will shortly begin official release of its signed NLIs that have been vetted by its compliance dept.
– OT Erik Bunte of Mission Viejo: “My papers have been faxed. I am now… OFFICIALLY.. a Cal Bear!!!”
– On the national front, Ole Miss scored big this morning when Robert Nkemdiche, the nation’s top-ranked overall prospect, picked the Rebels over LSU and Florida. A 6-4, 270-pound defensive end.
– DT Jacobi Hunter of Cypress Falls-Houston on Twitter: “Just signed my life away for a happy meal and 250,000 dollars!!!” Hunter a late get by the Dykes coaching staff. He’s a 6-foot, 285-pound two-star prospect.
– TE Ray Hudson of Foothill-Pleasanton tweets: “Wake up to California fight song blasting through the house….”
– MLB Chad Whitener of Mansfield, Texas, tweets: “Coach just called they got my papers it’s official.” Whitener, 6-1, 235, was an early commit under Jeff Tedford who stayed with the Bears when Sonny Dykes came on board. A three-star prospect.
GOOD MORNING. The day all college football fans — and coaches — await. The fax machines are humming. We’ll keep you posted as the signed letters of intent arrive at Cal’s football office.
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