Cal Football Signing Day: Bears Land Oregon Transfer RB Byron Cardwell
UPDATED
Cal’s football recruiting class got a boost Wednesday with the signing of running back Byron Cardwell, a former four-star prospect out of San Diego who played the past two seasons at Oregon.
Cardwell, a 6-foot, 206-pounder, rushed for 417 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2021 and entered this season as the Ducks’ projected starter who was included the Doak Walker Award watch list.
But he played just the first two games this season before being sidelined by a lower-body injury. Cardwell reportedly practiced much of the season but never got back on the field on game days, then entered the transfer portal after the season.
“Byron is a guy that has worked extremely hard,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning told reporters during the season while providing an injury update. “It’s about him feeling comfortable with himself to step back out there on the field. We support him in every way from a medical standpoint, our coaching staff. He’s a great kid. He does everything the right way.”
Cardwell and fellow running back signee Jaivian Thomas of McClymonds High in Oakland should provide a solid complement to returnee Jaydn Ott, who rushed for 897 yards and scored 10 touchdowns as a freshman.
Three other Cal running backs — Damien Moore, DeCarlos Brooks and Chris Street — entered the transfer portal after the season, creating a need at the position.
Cal has or expects to sign at least 14 players today, many of whom previously announced their intentions to come to Berkeley. Coach Justin Wilcox will formally introduce the Bears' recruiting class during a 2 p.m. news conference today.
Sergio Allen
One other surprise signee is inside linebacker Sergio Allen, a transfer from Clemson. Allen, a 6-foot-1, 225-pounder, was a consensus four-star prospect out of high school and Georgia’s 3A state player of the year. He played 16 games over three seasons, all off the bench, for Clemson, totaling eight career tackles.
Cardwell rushed for 493 yards on 6.8 yards per attempt in 14 games over his two seasons with Oregon. He had 19 yards on two carries vs. Cal as a freshman in 2021.
He showed signs of great potential in a couple games in ’21, rushing for 127 yards and a touchdown against Colorado and 98 yards and two TDs vs. Washington State.
He was rated by 247 composite as the No. 8 running back prospect out of Morse High In San Diego. ESPN had him at No. 10 and Rivals rated him the 13th-best back in the class.
He earned CIF San Diego Section Division II all-league honors as both a sophomore and a junior, totaling 1,968 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns those two seasons. He played just two games during his senior season, moved to the spring of 2021 due to the pandemic.
As of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Cal had signed all 12 prospects who previously committed, plus the two surprises. That includes four-star wide receiver Nyziah Hunter of Salinas and a pair of Division I transfer defensive backs, Nohl Williams of UNLV and Kaylin Moore of Colorado.
2022 CAL FOOTBALL SIGNEES
Transfers
RB Byron Cardwell Jr., Oregon, San Diego, CA 6-0, 206
ILB Sergio Allen, Clemson, Fort Valley, GA 6-1, 225
DB Kaylin Moore, Colorado, Westlake Village, 5-10, 185
DB Nohl Williams, UNLV, Oxnard, CA 6-1, 185
DB Matthew Littlejohn, Citrus College, San Antonio, TX 5-11, 180
High school prospects
RB Jaivian Thomas, McClymonds HS, Oakland, CA 5-10, 175
Ath Frederick Williams III, Junipero Serra HS, Gardena, CA 6-5, 250
TE Ben Marshall, Blackman HS, Murfreesboro, TN 6-4, 220
OLB Ryan McCulloch, Rio Honda Prep, Duarte, CA 6-2, 224
DE Zurich Ashford, Arbor View HS, Las Vegas, NV 6-3, 255
DL Tiumala Afalava, Bishop Amat HS, Baldwin Park, CA 6-2, 275
WR Nyziah Hunter, Salinas HS, Salinas, CA 6-2, 200
DB Sai Vadrawale, Rancho Cotate HS, Concord, CA 5-11, 170
ILB Cade Uluave, Mountain Ridge HS, Jordan, UT 6-1, 230
Cover photo of former Oregon running back and Cal signee Byron Cardwell by Chris Pietsch, Eugene Register-Guard
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
