Cal Sports Report

Cal Football Recruiting:Justin Wilcox Talks About 3 Signing Day Newcomers

Bears' class is now 17 players, not counting 3 veteran transfers and preferred walk-ons.
Jeff Faraudo|
Cal Football Recruiting:Justin Wilcox Talks About 3 Signing Day Newcomers
Cal Football Recruiting:Justin Wilcox Talks About 3 Signing Day Newcomers

Cal boosted its 2022 football recruiting class to 17 players on Wednesday with the formal announcement of three more high school prospects on national signing day.

The Bears also had previously added three veterans out of the transfer portal -- quarterback Jack Plummer of Purdue, inside linebacker Jackson Sirmon of Washington and defensive end Xavier Carlton of Utah.

Coach Justin Wilcox talks in the video above about the recruiting class.

Below we focus on the three high school newcomers: quarterback Fernando Mendoza of Miami, offensive tackle Jackson Brown of Danville and defensive back Cameron Sidney of Riverside. 

QB Fernando Mendoza

Hometown: Miami, Florida

High School: Columbus

Height & weight: 6-foot-5, 215 pounds

Ranking: Rated a 2-star prospect by Rivals and 247Sports

The lowdown: Mendoza completed 107-of-169 passes (63.3%) for 1,109 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions in 12 games, and rushed 30 times for 140 yards and one TD. He led Columbus to a 9-4 record before losing in the semifinals of the 8A Florida state playoffs. Was named first-team All-Dade County as a junior for a team that ascended to No. 14 in the national rankings before opting out of the postseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is Wilcox talking about Mendoza, who chose Cal over offers from a pair of Ivy League schools, Yale and Penn: 

More from Wilcox about what the Bears see in Mendoza that did not convince other Power 5 programs:

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OT Jackson Brown

Hometown: Danville, CA

High School: San Ramon Valley

Height & weight: 6-foot-6, 295 pounds

Ranking: Rated a consensus 3-star prospect

The lowdown: A two-time All-State and All-North Coast Section selection for San Ramon Valley teams that were 19-10 and twice advanced to the NCS playoffs over that span.

Here is Wilcox's evaluation of Brown: 

Wilcox talks in the video below about Jackson's position flexibility on the offensive line, where he's most likely to play right or left tackle but could even play an interior line position:

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DB Cam Sidney

Hometown: Riverside, CA

High School: Mater Dei

Height & weight: 5-foot-11, 175 pounds

Ranking: Rated a consensus 3-star prospect

The lowdown: Played three seasons for Mater Dei squads that went 29-1, won two state championships and were twice ranked No. 1 nationally. He totaled 70 tackles, 3 interceptions and 18 passes defended during his varsity career.

In the video below, Wilcox talks about the Bears' signing Sidney from Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei:

Wilcox responds when asked if Sidney's aggressive style of play reminds him at all of Lu Hearns, who earned a starting cornerback job as a freshman this past season:

Because of NCAA rules that, frankly, seem fairly silly, Wilcox is not permitted to discuss players who were recruited as preferred walk-ons, even if those prospects have publicly announced the intentions.

We know that tight end Jack Endries of Monte Vista High in Danville has committed to Cal, along with kicker Michael Luckhurst, the son of ex-Cal placekicker Mick Luckhurst. Michael Luckhurst made his announcement on Tuesday, and Wilcox was only able to confirm the Bears are recruiting a kicker.

Meanwhile, Malcolm McClure, the son of Cal offensive line coach Angus McClure, announced his plans on social media Wednesday: 

Cover photo of Cal coach Justin Wilcox

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo

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Jeff Faraudo
JEFF FARAUDO

Jeff Faraudo was a sports writer for Bay Area daily newspapers since he was 17 years old, and was the Oakland Tribune's Cal beat writer for 24 years. He covered eight Final Fours, four NBA Finals and four Summer Olympics. 

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