Cal Early Signings

The first Wednesday of  February used to be the first day that college football recruits could sign a Letter of Intent with the school of their choice. Now, they can do so in December. This is the second year of the NCAA's Early Signing Period for football recruits. It started Wednesday and ends tonight. Most of the signing action took place on Wednesday. Head coach Justin Wilcox announced on Wednesday the first 25 members of Cal's 2019 recruiting class.


Cal's 2019 Recruiting Class

Blake Antzoulatos, Chaminade (West Hills, CA), ILB, 6-2 225
Spencer Brasch, Higley (Gilbert, AZ), QB, 6'4" 190
DeCarlos Brooks, Chandler (Chandler, AZ), RB, 5'9" 190
Trevon Clark, El Camino College/Silverado, (Torrance, CA), WR, 6'4" 180
Ben Coleman, Linfield Christian School (Temecula, CA), DT, 6'3" 300
DeShawn Collins, CCSF/Grant (Sacramento, CA), RB, 5'10" 200
Kekoa Crawford, Michigan/Santa Margarita Catholic (Altadena, CA) WR 6'1" 190
Braxten Croteau, Liberty (Peoria, AZ), DE, 6-5 240
Kuony Deng, Independence CC/John Champe (Aldie, VA), OLB, 6'6" 235
Brian Driscoll, Torrey Pines (Encinitas, CA), OT, 6'4" 278
Myles Jernigan, South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie,TX), OLB, 6'3" 209
Brett Johnson, Desert Vista (Phoenix, AZ), DT, 6-4.5 273
Jawaun Johnson, Fullerton Colllege/Hutchinson CC/Norwich Free Academy (Harlem, NY), WR, 6'5" 200
Jaylen Martin, Roosevelt (Corona, CA), DB, 6'2" 170
McCade Mettauer, St. Pius X (Houston, TX), OG, 6'4" 287

Devon Modster, Palomar College/UCLA/Tesoro (Mission Viejo, CA), QB, 6'1" 216

Elijah Mojarro, Orange Lutheran (Santa Ana, CA), TE, 6'4" 225

Orin Patu, Rainier Beach (Rainier Beach, WA), OLB, 6'4" 200

Makai Polk, El Cerrito (Richmond, CA), WR, 6'3" 174

Ryan Puskas, Liberty (Peoria, AZ), ILB, 6-3 210
Brayden Rhome, Perry (Gilbert, AZ), OT, 6'6" 270
Kyle Smith, Los Gatos (Los Gatos, CA) ILB, 6'3" 215
Miles Williams, Mansfield (Mansfield, TX), CB, 6'0" 170
Craig Woodson, South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie,TX), CB 6' 190
Curley Young, Hendrickson (Pflugerville, TX), OLB, 6'1" 210

The 25 signings are currently the most in the Pac-12.

It's a fairly even offense/defense split of 12/13.

By position:

Quarterbacks:

Spencer Brasch

Devon Modster

Running backs:

DeCarlos Brooks

DeShawn Collins

Receivers:

Trevon Clark

Kekoa Crawford

Jawaun Johnson

Makai Polk

Tight end:

Elijah Mojarro

Offensive linemen:

Brian Driscoll

McCade Mettauer

Brayden Rhome

Defensive linemen:

Ben Coleman

Braxten Croteau

Brett Johnson

Linebackers:

Blake Antzoulatos

Kuony Deng

Myles Jernigan

Orin Patu

Ryan Puskas

Kyle Smith
Curley Young

-that's a lot of linebackers

Defensive backs:
Jaylen Martin
Miles Williams
Craig Woodson

Six of the 25 are transfers and enter Cal as juniors.

Trevon Clark
DeShawn Collins
Kekoa Crawford
Kuony Deng
Jawaun Johnson
Devon Modster

Kekoa Crawford and Devon Modster are perhaps the most intriguing of the class as they were somewhat high profile, 4-star recruits for UCLA (Modster) and Michigan (Crawford). Modster was recruited to be the heir to Josh Rosen. The firing of Jim Mora and hiring of Chip Kelly apparently threw a wrench in those plans. I hope that it hurt UCLA deeply.

Seeing as Cal's 2018 offense was modest, at best, the influx of talent with some college experience on that side of the ball has to be a good thing.

Stars. Everybody loves the stars that preface a football recruits name. Cal has one four-star recruit among the 25 member class. LB Kuony Deng. The other 24 are rated as three-star players by 247Sports. Despite coming out of high school as four-star recruits, Modster and Crawford have dropped to the three-star level. I thought that it was only automobiles that depreciated like that.

DeShawn Collins, Braxten Croteau, Kuony Deng, Devon Modster, Orin Patu, and Makai Polk will arrive in Berkeley in January as mid-year enrollees. The remainder of the class are scheduled to arrive on campus in the summer. 

Unless something else happens before tonight's close of the Early Signing Period that's it until the first Wednesday of February. With 25 signed there's room for only a handful more.

Congratulations and good luck to the new Golden Bears. Go Bears!