High three-star cornerback Jayden Crowder plays in arguably the most competitive high school league in the country, Southern California's Trinity League, and now he'll make his future home in the ACC.

The 5-foot-11 recruit from Santa Margarita Catholic in Rancho Santa Margarita committed to Cal on Monday following an unofficial visit to Berkeley over the weekend.

It was one of multiple trips Crowder has made up north to see the Bears this season, and the team's Big Game victory over rival Stanford certainly helped the program seal a decision for its newest commit.

"My past visits were incredible, and they truly made my family and I feel like part of the program," Crowder said. "The staff went above and beyond to ensure we felt comfortable and welcome. This week only reinforced my positive impression, especially seeing the team’s strong win over Stanford and witnessing the close bond between the players and coaches."

Crowder won the Defensive Back MVP award at the Rivals Camp stop in Los Angeles back in the spring helping to kickstart his recruitment leading to offers from programs such as Tennessee, Penn State, Kansas, Syracuse, Oregon State and Duke.

Cal offered the No. 35-ranked prospect in the state in May and has become a big part of his recruitment since that point.

He is now the first commitment in the 2026 recruiting class for the Bears as he closes out his junior season. Crowder began his high school career at Mater Dei in Santa Ana where he was surrounded by plenty of talent, and he has become one of the top defensive backs in the state as a junior.

"Crowder has tremendous instincts, he’s tough at the line of scrimmage and he’s very loose running in coverage with receivers," Rivals national director Adam Gorney previously said of the new Cal commit.