Another Hometown Hero: Liberty DE Akili Calhoun Jr. Commits to Cal

Cal has continued their hot start in the Bay Area, bringing in another highly touted local recruit. Akili Calhoun, a 2021 defensive end from Liberty HS (Brentwood, CA), is staying in the Bay Area, committing to Cal after an unofficial visit to Berkeley Saturday. Calhoun joins fellow local commit Jermaine Terry in pledging to the Bears, the fourth commit in 2021 for Cal and the first on defense in the class.

Calhoun noted after the junior day he attended at the beginning of February that the Bears stood out, thanks to how the coaches made him feel at home.

"It was something different about Cal that I really enjoyed," Calhoun noted in February, "the coaches treated me like family, I felt like I was a real top priority. The education you can get from Cal is amazing, it was a lot they got out to me."

Calhoun is a versatile defensive end at Liberty, playing mainly with a hand in the dirt as a 4-3 defensive end. His frame and skillset lends itself to playing defensive end in Cal's 3-4, as he can put on weight and fit into a similar role to what Zeandae Johnson does on Andrew Browning's defensive line. Browning was Calhoun's main recruiter, and has expressed to the Liberty standout that his versatility stands out.

"He likes my work ethic, how athletic I am," Calhoun noted in February, "and how versatile I am. He’s saying that they could put me almost anywhere, I could bust up a guard for a few plays, then rush the edge, play a tight 5 (technique), a 4i."

Another piece to the puzzle is Torre Becton, as Calhoun had previously cited his development skills as a key piece in a previous visit.

"That’s my dude, he’s a cool dude," Calhoun noted. "His presentation was basically saying how he can build us into potential NFL athletes basically, how injury is inevitable, but there’s a way that you can keep it from happening as much. He’s got a lot of experience, especially with him working with the Texans before he was doing strength and conditioning at the collegiate level. I’ve talked to him multiple times before, he reminds me of family, I don’t feel like I have to be super nervous around him, he’s like my pops."

Calhoun also joins Mavin Anderson and Bastian Swinney in the class. He chose Cal over offers from both Arizona schools, UCLA, Oregon State, and Washington State.

Cal Commits

1. WR Mavin Anderson, Mission Viejo, CA (February 1st, 2020)

2. OL Bastian Swinney, Edina, MN (February 8th, 2020)

3. TE Jermaine Terry, Richmond, CA (February 24th, 2020)

4. DE Akili Calhoun, Brentwood, CA (March 7th, 2020)

By Position

WR - 1

TE - 1

OL - 1

DE - 1

By State

CA - 3

MN - 1