Cal Sports Report

Cal Gets First Commitment for 2027 -- DL Giovanni Hodge

Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi gets his first commitment from a high school prospect, and Hodge is from Northern California
Jake Curtis|
Giovanni Hodge
Giovanni Hodge | Giovanni Hodge Twitter

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California Golden Bears

Cal received its first commitment for the class of 2027 when three-star defensive end/edge Giovanni Hodge announced on social media this weekend that he has committed to Cal.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Hodge is from Sacramento, California, and attends Grant Union High School.

He received offers from Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Boston College, Kansas and San Diego State, among others, before choosing Cal.

As a junior in 2025, Hodge recorded 41 tackles, including seven tackles for loss and four sacks, in 11 games.  Last spring, 247Sports named him the best edge in the Under Armour Next Camp in Salt Lake City. Earlier this month Hodge  visited Cal for Elite Day, allowing some of the best prospects to meet Cal’s new coaching staff, including head coach Tosh Lupoi.

Carl Reed is listed as the head coach at Grant Union, but former standout Cal defensive back Syd’Quan Thompson is Grant Union’s co-head coach. Thompson has held that position since 2022 and has helped the Pacers to two CIF state championships. Thompson was a four-year starter for Cal from 2006 to 2009, and he was a first-team all-Pac-10 selection in 2008.

Cal went 7-6 this past season, which was its first winning season in six years. The Bears recorded 21 sacks in 2025, which ranked 13th in the ACC.

Lupoi was a defensive end during his college playing days at Cal, so he knows the importance of a p-ass rush.

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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