In signing with Cal, former San Marin star proves he is ready for big stage

Dominic Ingrassia thrived in his only season of JUCO football and already moving onto Division I, Ingrassia has shown that betting on yourself can pay off big time

Aug 31, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; The Atlantic Coast Conference logo is painted on the field before the game between the California Golden Bears and the UC Davis Aggies at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Sometimes, patience is a virtue. Former San Marin High School standout Dominic Ingrassia proved that all year long, when he took a season to play at the junior college level in order to increase his college interest. Now, after only one season, he is headed to the Division I level after recently announcing that he had committed to play at Cal for the upcoming season.

Despite guiding his high school team to a state championship as a junior and finishing his senior season having thrown 40 touchdown passes to only two interceptions, Ingrassia only received one scholarship offer, receiving it from Utah Tech, and was offered the chance to walk-on for Cal. However, Ingrassia believed that he was capable of more and instead chose to start off at the College of San Mateo, a move that paid off mightily.

Originally earning a job as a backup to start off his freshman campaign, Ingrassia was then named CSM's starting quarterback four games into the season and quickly proved that he was the right man for the job. In the 10 games that he started, the team went 10-0 and won the state championship, with Ingrassia completing 59% of his passes with 13 touchdowns to only four interceptions. Eligible to transfer after only one year due to being an academic qualifier out of high school, Ingrassia garnered the attention from the Golden Bears after his strong season and earned himself a place on the team.

Ingrassia has always been a star, showing that when he dominated in his first year as San Marin's starter. In the state title winning campaign, he led the Mustangs to an 8-2 regular season and threw for over 2,500 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. However in the playoffs, Ingrassia went on a tear with the Mustangs offense scoring less than 30 points only once on their way to winning the championship and by the time it was time for his senior year, there were serious discussions of him being one of the best passers in Northern California.

Cal is the perfect fit for Ingrassia for multiple reasons. For one, he joins a program where he has a serious chance of starting from the jump, with last year's starter Fernando Mendoza transferring to Indiana and backup Chandler Rogers also entering the portal. That in itself created an attractive opportunity as he gets to play close to home while knowing he has a legitimate shot of playing. Also, with highly touted prospect Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele also committing to Cal which will force a fierce competition for the job to take place, Ingrassia will have to push himself extra hard. But with the career trajectory he has taken to get to where he is and overcoming all the doubters, he is more than equipped to take on any challenges that may come his way at Cal.