In this edition of the 3-2-1, we're looking at the Bears grabbing a walk-on QB, the ceiling of the wide receiver group, and some draft future thoughts on some players who could go to the NFL draft in 2022.
1. The Walk-On Program
One of Justin Wilcox's goals when coming to Cal was to continue building on the walk-on room. The Bears have had success with walk-ons, with Stephen Anderson, Patrick Laird and Ashtyn Davis all making the jump to the NFL, with Laird and Davis doing it during Wilcox's time in Berkeley. The stated goal of the program is to bring in guys who might have had scholarship opportunities elsewhere, but want the Cal education/experience/et cetera.
This recruiting cycle, it's a bit different. There wasn't a normal evaluation period, multiple states played spring seasons after the early signing period or late signing period. Many of those states are in Cal's recruiting footpring, including the state of California. Beyond that, with the way that the recruiting cycles are going, teams filled up on their classes by the summer, and a fear of missing out on spots led to earlier commitments than ever for the class of 2021.
That's a long way of saying that if guys broke out in the fall or spring, there often wouldn't be enough space to add them as scholarship players, leading to some teams getting some very solid walk-ons. Cal landed a commitment from one of the standouts of spring football in the state of Oregon in Blake DeBisschop who could be one of those walk-on steals.
Without state playoffs in Oregon this spring, DeBisschop led a 6-0 West Linn squad (playing in Oregon's largest classification, 6A), leading the state in passing yards, 1601 yards, 17 TDs, and 4 INTs, completing 69.7% of his passes while averaging 11.5 yards per attempt. DeBisschop showed an ability to improvise in moving around the pocket, with a solid arm and a willingness to wait for his guys to get open. In addition, West Linn coach Chris Miller is a former Oregon quarterback, and Cal offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave was his backup during his redshirt year. Cal wanted to have a fifth QB in the room after losing both Spencer Brasch and Jaden Casey to the transfer portal this spring, and now they've got one.
DeBisschop joins Trond Grizzell as a walk-on in Cal's class, as Grizzell was another player who excelled in a fall season (36 receptions for 660 yards and 9 TDs) and was committed to FCS Dixie State. Grizzell, a 6'4" wideout who transferred to Park City (UT) in order to play a senior season is another guy with an elite trait (height/catch radius), who can help the Bears moving forward.
2. Ceiling on the Wide Receiver Room
It's track season for a number of high schools, and in Texas, Cal signee J. Michael Sturdivant starred on the track for Marcus HS. Sturdivant picked up wins in the 100 (10.49), 200 (21.05), long jump (23'2.75"), and as the anchor leg of the 4x100 relay team (41.51) in the regional 6-6A championship meet (which Marcus won). Sturdivant qualified for the 6A state meet (held in Austin on May 8th) with those times.
There has been a question of top-end speed in Cal's wideout room throughout Justin Wilcox's tenure, and Sturdivant adds a dimension, as a 6'3" wideout gives the Bears a big play threat right from the jump. He's going to play in 2021, one way or another, and his presence raises the ceiling of Cal's wide receiver group going forward.
He isn't the only one to do that at this point. Multiple times, during Cal's spring game broadcast, the Pac-12 Network's Yogi Roth called Jeremiah Hunter 'possibly the best player on this team when this is said and done.' Hunter still hasn't taken a snap for the Bears, but has the confidence of the Cal staff and those who have seen him play. Admittedly, Roth is one of the more optimistic analysts out there, but this reflects the feedback he's getting and what has been said about Hunter. The second year wideout from Fresno has showed in practice that he can make contested catches, and his high school film showed a great run-after-catch game with a 6'2" frame.
In addition, Tommy Christakos made one of the bigger leaps this spring, likely earning some playing time for the Bears. Justin Baker has impressed with his speed and work ethic, and both Mason Mangum and Aidan Lee have shown productivity in the spring, with Mavin Anderson set to come in and add to a talented room. It all adds up to a room that has become significantly more talented since Burl Toler took over the room, and it's something that bodes well for the Bears' offense going forward if they can take advantage of it.
3. QB Justyn Martin will be coveted
QB commit Justyn Martin got an offer from Ole Miss this week, as Martin had a stellar spring season at Inglewood. Martin, who had 8 touchdown passes against Muir in one game, showed why he was a four star prospect prior to starting a game. His pocket awareness and quick release were on display throughout the spring, along with showing some great arm strength to multiple levels.
What this all means is that the Bears will have to continue to recruit their quarterback commit. That's nothing new for Cal, as Wilcox has noted that that usually means they're getting guys who are coveted, but it's a fight they'll have to have nonetheless. For his part, Martin has been locked in with the Bears since his commitment, and is the cornerstone of the offense for this class.
