WR Jacob De Jesus in Limbo Between Return to Cal and NFL Draft

Wide receiver Jacob De Jesus participated in Cal’s Pro Day on Thursday, hoping to impress NFL scouts and improve his draft status even though he might return to Cal for another season with the Bears.

De Jesus finds himself in a state of limbo between a possible return to Cal, which is dependent on a court ruling expected any day, and preparing for the NFL if he is denied another season at Cal.

He did pretty well in front of the NFL scouts at Cal Pro Day, but if a court rules in his favor he said on Thursday he will be back at Cal for the 2026 season.

Oh, and there’s the third issue. As soon as he finished his Cal Pro Day De Jesus had to leave to coach the softball team of his 5-year-old daughter Mimi.

The court decision is difficult to predict. De Jesus is one of 27 players in the Pavia v. NCAA court case, in which players who played junior college football are requesting a restraining order to play another season because they have played only three seasons of Division I football.

De Jesus played two years at UNLV and one year at Cal, setting the school record for receptions in a season with 108 catches, which led the nation in 2025.

Before that he played two seasons at Modesto Junior College, which, in the past, would count against his years of Division I eligibility. The court case is fighting to have the JC years not count against Division I college eligibility and there has been success in that claim with others.

The hearing on that case was February 10, but the judge has yet to issue a ruling.

“It was supposed to be mid-March, that’s what I heard the last time I talked to the lawyer,” De Jesus said regarding when a ruling was expected. “It’s mid-March right now, so I think maybe within the next week or so maybe a decision might come out.

“If I do get the year of eligibility I do believe I would come back for sure to Cal.”

So he waits, hoping the judge grants temporary restraining order, which presumably would give him the go-ahead to play for the Golden Bears in 2026.

But there’s more to it. The court has set a trial date for that case for March 2027, and the NCAA has threatened to punish teams that use a player in 2026 that would be deemed ineligible by a 2027 verdict that favors the NCAA, which claims those junior college years should count against Division I eligibility.

Vacating wins and fines are the punishment the NCAA is using as threats, but it’s questionable whether the NCAA would levy penalties against players who were granted a restraining order to play in 2026.

Anyway that is the uncertain situation De Jesus finds himself in, which is why he did his best to impress NFL scouts at Cal Pro Day.

“I think I did OK,” he said of his work before NFL scouts at Memorial Stadium on Thursday. “I think I did well on some of the agility things, the L drill, things like that. I think I had a decent 40, and I think I showed what I could do as a receiver, running back apparently, and also as a punt returner.”

Although no official times for 40-yard dashes were available from Cal Pro Day, one amateur timer on the sidelines clocked De Jesus in 4.41 seconds in the 40. That would put De Jesus in the middle of 40 times put up by wide receivers at the NFL Combine.

Cal cornerback Paco Austin is the first player to run the 40-yard dash in the video below, and Jacob De Jesus is the third to run.

He also had a broad jump of 9 feet, 6 inches, and said he had a 32.5-inch vertical leap. De Jesus’ vertical would be on the lower side among wide receivers, but his broad jump would be on the upper end.

There is one measurement he can’t work his way out of. De Jesus is 5-foot-7, and the NFL seldom drafts wide receivers on that stature.

Now that Boston Scott retired from professional football this week, there is one 5-foot-7 player in the NFL: running back Devin Singletary, who recently completed his seventh NFL season.