Cal can be an intimidating place, especially for HS football players used to being treated as something special in their HS: Public high schools are usually far less rigorous regarding course difficulty, every student in classes (some exceptions) were at the top of their HS class, are talented in areas other than academics (music, band, choir, science club, student government, art, athletics, etc.), professors do not cut scholarship athletes any slack, on and on. It is not uncommon for incoming football players to need special tutoring just to pass Cal’s basic required courses.
That's what makes Cal the highest ranked public university in the world.
I can guarantee anyone who did well enough at Del Norte to get into Cal without the boost of being a scholarship football player can pass classes without much difficulty.
Walk-on (minimal athlete bump, if any, to clear admissions) from an academically competitive public high school. I doubt it's his grades.
Cal can be an intimidating place, especially for HS football players used to being treated as something special in their HS: Public high schools are usually far less rigorous regarding course difficulty, every student in classes (some exceptions) were at the top of their HS class, are talented in areas other than academics (music, band, choir, science club, student government, art, athletics, etc.), professors do not cut scholarship athletes any slack, on and on. It is not uncommon for incoming football players to need special tutoring just to pass Cal’s basic required courses.
That's what makes Cal the highest ranked public university in the world.
I can guarantee anyone who did well enough at Del Norte to get into Cal without the boost of being a scholarship football player can pass classes without much difficulty.