Former Illinois WR Brian Hightower Commits to Cal

Bears pick up is an experienced player as a transfer who has one year of college eligibility remaining

Brian Hightower, a wide receiver who played at Illinois in 2022, has committed to Cal for 2023, according to a Cal football instagram announcement.

Hightower, who is from Los Angeles, has played in parts of five college seasons at Illinois and Miami but still has one year of eligibility remaining as a grad transfer because he redshirted one of those seasons and the shortened 2020 season did not count against eligibility.

"Brian is a talented veteran wide receiver who came into his own last season and we are excited that he has decided to finish his collegiate career in our football program," Cal head coach Justin Wilcox said in a statement provided by the school. "The transfer portal is a tremendous vehicle to add talented players like Brian to our roster."

Cal lost a key wide receiver when J.Michael Sturdivant entered the transfer portal last week.

This past season as a junior, Hightower had 37 receptions, which was second on the team, for 452 yards and two touchdowns.  His best game came late in the season against Purdue, when he had five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Hightower played in four games in 2021, including one start, and ended up redshirting the season.

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he played in all eight games and started seven of them.  He finished with 11 catches for 209 yards and three touchdowns.

Hightower started his college career at Miami in 2018, and played in 11 games, with three starts, and made four catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.  He played in seven games for the Hurricanes in 2019 and had eight receptions for 88 yards before transferring to Illinois.

Hightower will try to fit into the offensive scheme to be installed by new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital.  The Bears are still looking for a starting quarterback. They lost 2022 starting quarterback Jack Plummer and his 2022 backup Kai Millner, both of whom entered the transfer portal.  Plummer has moved on to Louisville, and Millner committed to Northern Arizona.

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Cover photo of Brian Hightower by Ron Johnson, USA TODAY Sports

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