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Cal Football: After a Crazy 24 Hours, Bears Announce 8 Signings, Then 3 More

Coach Justin Wilcox on Signing Day: 'This won't be the end of recruiting for us.'
Jeff Faraudo|
Cal Football: After a Crazy 24 Hours, Bears Announce 8 Signings, Then 3 More
Cal Football: After a Crazy 24 Hours, Bears Announce 8 Signings, Then 3 More

After a most unusual lead-up to Signing Day, Cal announced just eight new players on Wednesday.

“This won’t be the end of recruiting for us,” coach Justin Wilcox assured.

The Bears had added two more before dinner, including four-star running back Jaydn Ott, then another in the evening, boosting Cal’s class to officially 11 players.

Recruiting websites still were listing as many as 13 players that would eventually sign with Cal.

But this was a year like no other, with new factors complicating the process, including the ever-fluid transfer portal and the additional year of eligibility many current players still had at their disposal.

Because of all that, Wilcox said there was no way to even know how many scholarships he still might have available to offer.

“It’s a new era. The roster management has changed,” Wilcox said.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the need to have qualify at quarterback. Cal did not sign a QB on Wednesday. The Bears got a commitment last January from four-star prospect Justyn Martin of Inglewood, but he later de-committed and signed with UCLA.

Chase Garbers announced on Tuesday he will pursue the NFL rather than use his COVID to play a fifth season at Cal.

That leaves freshman Kai Millner and Zach Johnson and graduate transfer Ryan Glover as the Bears’ only scholarship quarterbacks. Glover was less than impressive in his start against Arizona, when the Bears lost 10-3 while playing without Garbers and 23 other players in COVID protocols.

Millner and Johnson have never played in a college game.

Wilcox said the Bears expect to add a quarterback, perhaps soon, perhaps a veteran from the transfer portal.

Cal added two running backs — Ott from Norco High in southern California and Ashton Hayes, a three-star prospect out of Reno who flipped from Nebraska on Monday.

Ott, rated as the nation’s No. 14 running back prospect by Rivals, had originally committed to Cal then opened up his recruiting and was also considering Oregon State and Colorado before settling on the Bears.

“Jaydn is a productive running back with a lot to be excited about. He is a smooth athlete with an impressive combination of burst, lateral quickness and long speed that will translate well at this level,” Wilcox said in a statement two hours after his mid-afternoon news conference.

"Jaydn is a home run hitter with the ball in his hands and has value as both a receiver and pass protector in the passing game. We anticipate he will enroll in the spring and begin competing right away.”

Likewise, Wilcox said Hayes fulfills a need at running back. “He brings speed to that position,” Wilcox said. “That was one of the things we really targeted for that running back position.”

The Bears also landed another four-star player Wednesday, when 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive lineman Trent Ramsey signed. Ramsey played in Florida this fall but was an Arizona high school teammate of Millner a year ago.

After picking Cal over Mississippi State, Ramsey told Adam Gorney of Rivals that Wilcox’s decision to stay in Berkeley was a key selling point. He also credited offensive line coach Angus McClure, saying, “I have a ton of faith in him. I definitely think he’s a dude that can take me to the next level, make me a better person and a better athlete.”

The Bears could not close the deal on 6-1, 314-pound defensive tackle Damonic Williams, who once was their first commitment to the class of 2022. He changed his mind in favor of TCU on Tuesday morning, flipped back to Cal on Tuesday evening, then signed with Sonny Dykes’ Horned Frogs on Wednesday afternoon.

Said Wilcox, not specifically about that situation, “Signing day has always been an exciting time and there’s always the potential of what you referred to as drama,” Wilcox said. “We are really enthused about the group of guys that have signed with us.”

Still unsigned but expected to join the Bears are offensive lineman Jackson Brown of Danville and cornerback Cameron Sidney of Santa Ana.

Here are the 11 who are officially signed:

-- DE Nate Burrell (6-2, 250 Bellflower, CA / St. John Bosco HS)

Note: A versatile player who could wind up anywhere along D-line

-- CB Jeremiah Earby (6-2, 170 Atherton, CA /Menlo Atherton HS)

Note: Versatile athlete also highly regarded as a wide receiver

-- RB Ashton Hayes (5-11, 180 Reno, NV / McQueen HS)

Note: Fast back flipped commitment on Monday from Nebraska; rushed for more than 3,700 yards, 62 touchdowns in 3 varsity seasons

-- OL Nick Morrow (6-8, 255 Flagstaff, AZ / Flagstaff HS)

Note: Played mostly tight end in high school but pegged to play O-line for Cal

-- RB: Jaydn Ott (6-0, 210 Norco, CA / Norco HS)

Note: Four-star prospect is rated by Rivals as the 14th-best RB in the country

-- WR Jaiven Plummer (6-3, 200 Alexandria, VA / Episcopal HS)

Note: Plummer, who also played DB in high school, adds length and physicality to WR group

-- OT Trent Ramsey (6-5, 290 Palm Harbor, FL / Carrollwood Day School

Note: Bears landed 4-star prospect on signing day in battle with Mississippi State

-- WR Mason Starling (6-5, 200 Tacoma, WA / College of San Mateo)

Note: In his final 3 games this season caught 33 passes for 336 yards, 6 TDs

-- OLB Curlee Thomas IV (6-4, 238 Fort Worth, TX / Nolan Catholic HS)

Note: Edge rusher had offers from 42 schools. including Oklahoma State & Penn State

-- OLB Nunie Tuitele (6-4, 230 Aurora, CO / Regis Jesuit HS)

Note: Had 18 tackles for loss, including 12 sacks, and 30 QB hurries as a senior

-- OL Sioape Vatikani (6-4, 285 Reno, NV / Manogue HS)

Note: Three-time all-state pick had offers from 7 Pac-12 schools, along with BYU, Nebraska & Tennessee

Cover photo of Cal coach Justin Wilcox

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

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Jalen Ramey:

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Ashton Hayes:

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Mason Starling: 

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Nate Burrell:

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Jeremiah Earby: 

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Sioape Vatikani: 

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Nick Morrow: 

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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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