Agreed... position of need and local. Weird enough that Cincy would be a heavyweight in a recruiting conversation but when was the last time CAL and Kentucky slugged it out for a good recruit in any sport?
I watched the CAL Football Signing Day Zoom call tonight and I have to say my favorite player of the bunch is Jackson Brown. He's big and he has nasty, maybe more than even McCade Mettauer. He's a pile driver and road grader and he has GREAT technique. He is the first truly big man I have seen as a recruit that doesn't get out over his feet and stays low. He may be competing for a spot pretty quickly if he has decent muscle as part of his tonnage.
I felt he was a "must get" for Cal. So, I'm happy and relieved it worked out. Seems like he is a great kid, loves his Dad, Mom and family. And he is passionate about football. A good class for the OL if 2 perhaps 3 can contribute during their career.
Most excellent that Cal closed the deal on these players. Perhaps I'm reading too much in Jackson's tweet but it appears that his Dad signed his NLI exactly 40 years ago to-the-day. That is pretty cool and may be the reason for waiting until Feb rather than the early signing day. (for those that don't know, Jackson's Dad has passed away.)
^ This. I watched the intro Zoom call tonight for all of our new players. Saffell interviewed Jaden Ott and Rutchena. I got fired up when Jaden Ott said one of the things he loves about CAL is sitting in class next to some of the smartest people in the world. Both of these guys said a big part of their decision to come to CAL was because of the education, although Ott said he has known he was coming to CAL since he was 12. Love these kids!
Was sweating out the Jackson Brown thing. Good for guys to explore their options, but that looked iffier and iffier by the day. In the end, Brown became Golden. Go Bears!
I've learned to take the rankings with a grain of salt. Projecting which 3 star recruits (the bulk of most classes in the Pac-12) are going to pan out is difficult. Heck, even the four and five star guys don't always work out either. I think given positional needs and true evaluation of what good coaching can do I'd say Wilcox would consider it a successful class. If you can coach 'em up like Whittingham does you can still win titles and championships. Of course for Cal the first step is to have a winning record in conference.
I got torn away from the Zoom when a good friend called and am hoping they post the recorded Zoom to see, it is far more interesting than Wilcox alone since the position coaches and Saffel talk to and about people.
Here's a really useful site for the latest updates on who's in the Transfer Portal, who has signed out of it etc. You can check by date, status (whether they've committed to a new schoolo) or by school (shows both those outgoing and incoming). As of today, with SC's recent additions they rank top 5 in transfers coming in as USC (with 13 incoming includiing one 5* and 4 4*'s), Ole Miss, LSU, Oklahoma and Florida State. https://247sports.com/Season/2022-Football/TransferPortal/
Having a good ranking is great for bragging rights, but what really matters is when will these kids see the field and how good will they be. In a 'program' it takes a while to get things cranked up, but one you do then it becomes a machine, bringing guys up and preparing them year after year. I like what Wilcox is doing.
Sure, but eventually he needs to start attracting marquee kids, especially on the offensive side, to take the next step? Tedford made the leap with Rodgers, Marshawn, Craig Stevens, Arrington, Lyman, MacArthur (AllP10), etc.
Gonna need some guys that play on Sundays at the skill positions....
Thanks. I just saw the social post above but still not on CAL's website... of course sites like 247 just are not bothering to update status in a timely fashion on regular signing day any more...
speaking of fax machines, I recently read an interview of a popular actor in Japan. He doesn't have a smartphone and says all he needs is a fax machine to receive info and all the news he gets on TV. He's in 50's.
Look at Furd's incoming list... truly national recruiting. Also IMO stability at coaching. Roster issues appeared to be less on the Farm so they could sign a bigger class. CAL was very hesitant to get too many bodies committed given questions about how many returnees... but I expect would have been happier with a few more... It's unclear how much trickle down there has been this year in particular with many other schools having roster management issues due to extra COVID eligibility and unknown transfer numbers.
Hopefully reading oso's post correctly... "it does not include" transfers. Does it matter? Given roster management during COVID, the relatively high amount of talent available in the portal (and the low percentage of portal entries who will actually land with a new schollie), the obvious success some programs are having as a result of bringing in temp talent (and the barbs tossed at like Clemson for not doing so), etc... IMO it does matter. I just don't know what it means. Integrating outside talent is a new thing for many coaches. I have no idea how to judge if it will work well for specific programs or not...
The rankings do not include TP players. If it did USC would be the runaway winner. Old Miss scored huge with the TP as well. But I worry about bringing in too many TP guys that can really upset the chemistry of a team and create a lot of animosity from players who have paid their dues and put their time in. Will be interesting to see, although at USC, because Riley is new and they lost a bunch of players to the TP, it may not matter as much.
Plummer last year had a good completion percentage and 7 touchdowns vs 0 interceptions, which is probably more important than where he placed in any beauty contest.
Ranking really doesn't mean much for TP guys. If the player has talent and experience then he needs to be evaluated for how he can contribute to the team, if he can contribute now or later. I might argue that Plummer is more suited to play now than even Jackson Dart, a five star freshman who went from USC ti Old Miss. The good news? We have a room full of QB's and from the competition a good one will rise. And we'll probably have a better situation than this last season with respect to our back up as well.
They list both Dart and Williams. They just entered the portal earlier so you need to click on the 'more' link at the bottom of the list which takes you back further in time. I find clicking on the committed or uncommitted link and then the position link at the top really helps me see who is still looking and where those who have committed are going to play. But you can't sort by stars, it goes chronologically from present to past. Btw, JT Daniels originally was listed as a 5 star and then downgraded to a 3 star.
The rankings in the links provided are out of date or incomplete bc they do not include a number of QB transfers which includes Williams, Ward, and Dart among others
Class seems to be locked up no complaints and according to the scouting I did for rob and the guys I’m quite alright with what we got here.
Spring schedule released and who is the poster boy on the image? Non other than Daniel Scott, our defense is going to be tough!!! https://calbears.com/news/2022/2/2/several-spring-football-dates-set.aspx
Getting Scott back is huge. A total clear out of experienced safeties would have hurt for sure.
Glad to get Brown in, position of need, and had to fight off both Cincy and Kentucky for him.
especially with some of his recent comments I thought he was gone
Agreed... position of need and local. Weird enough that Cincy would be a heavyweight in a recruiting conversation but when was the last time CAL and Kentucky slugged it out for a good recruit in any sport?
Jaylen Brown chose Cal over Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, and others.
Ah, yes. He was good enough to be coveted by the basketball bluebloods... good get. Thanks! ... and coincidentally named Brown
I watched the CAL Football Signing Day Zoom call tonight and I have to say my favorite player of the bunch is Jackson Brown. He's big and he has nasty, maybe more than even McCade Mettauer. He's a pile driver and road grader and he has GREAT technique. He is the first truly big man I have seen as a recruit that doesn't get out over his feet and stays low. He may be competing for a spot pretty quickly if he has decent muscle as part of his tonnage.
Better than Mettauer is high praise. Plus he's 6' 6", so he should be able to pack on a few more pounds and really become a super beast.
Check out his HUDL film: https://www.hudl.com/profile/11311487/Jackson-Brown
I felt he was a "must get" for Cal. So, I'm happy and relieved it worked out. Seems like he is a great kid, loves his Dad, Mom and family. And he is passionate about football. A good class for the OL if 2 perhaps 3 can contribute during their career.
Most excellent that Cal closed the deal on these players. Perhaps I'm reading too much in Jackson's tweet but it appears that his Dad signed his NLI exactly 40 years ago to-the-day. That is pretty cool and may be the reason for waiting until Feb rather than the early signing day. (for those that don't know, Jackson's Dad has passed away.)
Any young man choosing Cal is making a great choice. Go Bears!
^ This. I watched the intro Zoom call tonight for all of our new players. Saffell interviewed Jaden Ott and Rutchena. I got fired up when Jaden Ott said one of the things he loves about CAL is sitting in class next to some of the smartest people in the world. Both of these guys said a big part of their decision to come to CAL was because of the education, although Ott said he has known he was coming to CAL since he was 12. Love these kids!
Was sweating out the Jackson Brown thing. Good for guys to explore their options, but that looked iffier and iffier by the day. In the end, Brown became Golden. Go Bears!
I've learned to take the rankings with a grain of salt. Projecting which 3 star recruits (the bulk of most classes in the Pac-12) are going to pan out is difficult. Heck, even the four and five star guys don't always work out either. I think given positional needs and true evaluation of what good coaching can do I'd say Wilcox would consider it a successful class. If you can coach 'em up like Whittingham does you can still win titles and championships. Of course for Cal the first step is to have a winning record in conference.
I got torn away from the Zoom when a good friend called and am hoping they post the recorded Zoom to see, it is far more interesting than Wilcox alone since the position coaches and Saffel talk to and about people.
Friends can wait. We're talking CAL Football here!! ;-)
https://youtu.be/Evvlwwb_hjM
Here's a really useful site for the latest updates on who's in the Transfer Portal, who has signed out of it etc. You can check by date, status (whether they've committed to a new schoolo) or by school (shows both those outgoing and incoming). As of today, with SC's recent additions they rank top 5 in transfers coming in as USC (with 13 incoming includiing one 5* and 4 4*'s), Ole Miss, LSU, Oklahoma and Florida State. https://247sports.com/Season/2022-Football/TransferPortal/
Recruiting is the lifeblood of every program and a class ranked in the 50s or 60s isn’t going to get it done. Disappointing for Wilcox and co.
100% accurate. Number of recruits is weighted way too heavily in rankings.
CFB has a ton of attrition and even more so now with the portal, so class size does matter.
Having a good ranking is great for bragging rights, but what really matters is when will these kids see the field and how good will they be. In a 'program' it takes a while to get things cranked up, but one you do then it becomes a machine, bringing guys up and preparing them year after year. I like what Wilcox is doing.
Sure, but eventually he needs to start attracting marquee kids, especially on the offensive side, to take the next step? Tedford made the leap with Rodgers, Marshawn, Craig Stevens, Arrington, Lyman, MacArthur (AllP10), etc.
Gonna need some guys that play on Sundays at the skill positions....
Any news on Sidney? Hopefully just slow finding an old fashioned fax machine. I'd like a few more Cameron's on the roster...
He’s in.
Thanks. I just saw the social post above but still not on CAL's website... of course sites like 247 just are not bothering to update status in a timely fashion on regular signing day any more...
speaking of fax machines, I recently read an interview of a popular actor in Japan. He doesn't have a smartphone and says all he needs is a fax machine to receive info and all the news he gets on TV. He's in 50's.
Hey...slacker that I am I've given up my ESPN Insider subscription...does anyone know were we are ranking this year in recruiting?
PAC 12 rankings (conference/national)
1/12 furd
2/24 Arizona
3/34 Ucla
4/40 Utah
5/45 Oregon
6/50 Colorado
7/52 USC
8/56 OSU
9/64 Cal
10/66 WSU
11/75 ASU
12/unranked UW
not last, let's goooo!
How did furd get up there with the year they had? And funnily enough apparently ASU will have a historically bad class (https://247sports.com/college/arizona-state/Article/ASU-recruiting-class-football-national-signing-day-Herm-Edwards-2022-class-rankings-247Sports-182062787/) and yet they are above UW. LOL
Look at Furd's incoming list... truly national recruiting. Also IMO stability at coaching. Roster issues appeared to be less on the Farm so they could sign a bigger class. CAL was very hesitant to get too many bodies committed given questions about how many returnees... but I expect would have been happier with a few more... It's unclear how much trickle down there has been this year in particular with many other schools having roster management issues due to extra COVID eligibility and unknown transfer numbers.
Yes, I'm sure the uncertainty about whether Wilcox was going to be extended before the Oregon interview did not help our recruiting cause.
247 Rankings which are probably a little more reliable than ESPN
16 furd
23 Zona
37 Utah
38 Oregon (just flipped 4* RB from Georgia this morning)
46 Colorado
51 Ucla
57 OSU
59 Cal
64 WSU
65 USC
91 UW
103 ASU
Does that include transfers or just high school? (Does it matter?)
it does not
Hopefully reading oso's post correctly... "it does not include" transfers. Does it matter? Given roster management during COVID, the relatively high amount of talent available in the portal (and the low percentage of portal entries who will actually land with a new schollie), the obvious success some programs are having as a result of bringing in temp talent (and the barbs tossed at like Clemson for not doing so), etc... IMO it does matter. I just don't know what it means. Integrating outside talent is a new thing for many coaches. I have no idea how to judge if it will work well for specific programs or not...
The rankings do not include TP players. If it did USC would be the runaway winner. Old Miss scored huge with the TP as well. But I worry about bringing in too many TP guys that can really upset the chemistry of a team and create a lot of animosity from players who have paid their dues and put their time in. Will be interesting to see, although at USC, because Riley is new and they lost a bunch of players to the TP, it may not matter as much.
Plummer last year had a good completion percentage and 7 touchdowns vs 0 interceptions, which is probably more important than where he placed in any beauty contest.
Ranking really doesn't mean much for TP guys. If the player has talent and experience then he needs to be evaluated for how he can contribute to the team, if he can contribute now or later. I might argue that Plummer is more suited to play now than even Jackson Dart, a five star freshman who went from USC ti Old Miss. The good news? We have a room full of QB's and from the competition a good one will rise. And we'll probably have a better situation than this last season with respect to our back up as well.
62 of all transfers per pff https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-2022-college-football-transfer-portal-tracker-rankings-grades-landing-spots
8 among qb's per sn https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/college-football-transfer-qbs-ranked/1l8dkm73rrali1lwa9xiqfc2yh
etc, generally around 10th+ among qb's from my anecdotal review but I see him 25th?? on the 247 filtered list of qb's
both of those lists don't list Caleb Williams or Jaxon Dart or a number of QBs who've transferred since.
They list both Dart and Williams. They just entered the portal earlier so you need to click on the 'more' link at the bottom of the list which takes you back further in time. I find clicking on the committed or uncommitted link and then the position link at the top really helps me see who is still looking and where those who have committed are going to play. But you can't sort by stars, it goes chronologically from present to past. Btw, JT Daniels originally was listed as a 5 star and then downgraded to a 3 star.
Yes they do; look under USC. Shows Dart transferring to Ole Miss on 1/10 and Williams to USC under 1/3 (which is when they each entered portal)
The rankings in the links provided are out of date or incomplete bc they do not include a number of QB transfers which includes Williams, Ward, and Dart among others
you'll have to check for yourself. I stopped scrolling at #100
https://247sports.com/Season/2022-Football/TransferPortalTop/