In the aftermath of a June recruiting sprint, Cal now has eight commitments in the 2022 class, with more to come in the next few weeks, as recruits come down from the high of visits and make decisions.

With visits returning, Cal locked down a handful of big targets and made an impression on a few others who could join the Bears down the line. Here's a look at what has happened for the Bears over the past month

1. Recruiting the defensive line and edge spots was massively important

Cal defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon noted throughout spring ball that recruiting the defensive line and OLB positions was extra important, and the addition of Keith Heyward, known as a solid recruiter, was further proof of that. Over the month, Andrew Browning and Heyward landed four of the six new commits, with Browning being the lead recruiter for Nate Burrell and Jaxson Moi, and Heyward being the lead recruiter for Curlee Thomas and Nunie Tuitele.

Cal notably wants to get bigger up front, and this four person group, plus the already committed Damonic Williams, gives the Bears a full group for the class at a position they've prioritized throughout the cycle.

2. Keeping the current commits locked in was a major part of visits

Both of Cal's January commits, Justyn Martin and Damonic Williams, took visits elsewhere prior to their officials to Cal. Martin received offers from Michigan, UCLA,and Ole Miss among others, and took visits to those three schools and Michigan State. Williams dominated camps in Texas and Alabama, and picked up offers from SMU and Kansas State. In the aftermath of their visits to Cal, both are locked in with the Bears at this point, both looked to recruit teammates while on their official visits and said that Berkeley felt like home for them.

As far as their fit goes, Martin has a cannon arm and his movement in and out of the pocket sets him apart. Martin's ability to make plays on the run is something that offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave has coveted. Williams is the kind of big nose guard that teams can't get enough of, and Cal can always use more at the position. Even bigger for the Bears is that both plan on enrolling early, getting a jump start on earning playing time in the spring of 2022

3. Kaleb Johnson and Sioape Vatikani are big additions for the offense

Both Kaleb Johnson and Sioape Vatikani made their decisions to commit to Cal after OVs to Berkeley, giving the Bears more pieces around Martin, with Johnson being one of the more coveted offensive players for the Bears. The Hamilton, Ohio back is in the mold of RBs that Bill Musgrave has had success with, one-cut types with burst to outrun pursuit angles. Johnson has that, and showed at the Rivals Camp Series in Indianapolis that he's an excellent pass-catcher, which led to RB MVP honors at the event.

Vatikani was the first piece to the 2022 OL class, something the Bears needed to get started, and he'll be an interior lineman at Cal. Vatikani's film is a bit like McKade Mettauer's was back in the class of 2019, playing left tackle but likely to move inside at the next level. Vatikani could end up being the successor to Mettauer at right guard in a couple of years, depending on how he and the rest of Cal's interior linemen develop.;