Cal Football: Quarterback Fernando Mendoza Makes it Official, Signs With Bears
Cal football has added its first quarterback and a kicker with a name familiar to Golden Bears fans to its 2022 incoming freshman recruiting class.
The Bears got a commitment on Tuesday from Fernando Mendoza, a two-star pro-style quarterback from Columbus High in Miami. He is the only quarterback in their incoming group, and told John Garcia of SI.com he will formalize his decision on Wednesday’s national signing day.
Update: As expected, Mendoza officially signed with the Bears on Wednesday morning.
Live recruiting blog: SI.com provides this source of fresh signing day information, updated as news surfaces. Click here.
Cal also got a signature from 6-foot-6, 280-pound offensive tackle Jackson Brown of San Ramon Valley High in Danville. Brown, who committed to the Bears back in August but did not sign a letter-of-intent in December. He made it official on Wednesday.
Jackson Brown
Brown, a 3-star prospect who had 31 scholarship offers, according to Rivals, gives Cal four incoming freshman offensive linemen.
Also headed to Cal is placekicker Michael Luckhurst, the son of former Golden Bears star Mick Luckhurst.
Mendoza, at 6-foot-4, 207 pounds, previously planned to sign with Yale after also considering its Ivy League rival, Penn. Both Rivals and 247Sports rate Mendoza as a two-star prospect. Mendoza said he also was in conversation to possibly join Alabama as a preferred walk-on.
Instead, he chose Cal and coach Justin Wilcox.
“Cal really believed in me and it’s going to pay off for them,” Mendoza told SI.com. “I told coach Wilcox this is the best decision he’s going to make.”
His relationship with Cal is barely a month old, but blossomed quickly.
Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave talked on the phone with Mendoza then made a home visit earlier this month, after which Mendoza flew to the Bay Area to check out the campus. He said Musgrave, Wilcox and Cal’s players convinced him this was the place he wanted to be.
“They made it really easy, made it really comfortable,” Mendoza told Garcia. “They answered all my questions and it met all my criteria: high academics, high-level football. I asked a ton of questions and the Cal football staff really made me feel at home. I knew it was the place.
“I look forward to winning. Me and coach Wilcox are very competitive and like-minded people. We’ve established that the goal here is to win Rose Bowl championships, get it back to the Aaron Rodgers glory days.”
Mendoza said he met Cal players who are “super-motivated” to win, adding, “I can’t wait to join the brotherhood.”
Fernando Mendoza
“I knew (Cal) was somewhere I could succeed, get a get degree and also win many games,” he said. “I know I’m going to develop into an NFL caliber quarterback. That’s the goal.”
Cal did not bring in a quarterback during the early signing period after four-star prospect Justyn Martin flipped to UCLA.
The Bears added a veteran at the position in Purdue transfer Jack Plummer, who is on campus already and is expected to lead the competition for the vacancy left by Chase Garbers, who departed after more than three seasons as the Bears’ starter.
The Bears also have two young scholarship quarterbacks on the roster in Kai Millner and Zach Johnson, along with veteran walk-on Robby Rowell and grad transfer Ryan Glover, who played in the Arizona game last fall when Garbers was in COVID protocols.
Mendoza won’t join the team until the summer.
Luckhurst, a 6-3, 180-pounder, was accomplished as both a placekicker and punter at Bishop Diego High in Santa Barbara.
He made 7 of 9 field goal attempts this season, including two from 50 yards. He also had 53 of 58 kickoffs go for touchbacks. As punter, he averaged a whopping 54.2 yards.
Luckhurst’s dad, Mick, was one of the first British kickers to create a niche playing American football. He was 24 for 34 on field goals in 1979 and ’80 for Cal, then played seven seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, kicking 115 field goals, including a career-high 24 in 1985.
Cover photo of Fernando Mendoza by Mike Lang, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
