Cal Lands Massive Local Piece in Kaleb Elarms-Orr

The top local target left on Cal's recruiting board has decided to stay home. Moreau Catholic (Hayward, CA) linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr announced on Instagram that he'll be staying in the Bay Area, heading to Cal, and becoming the 19th commitment of Cal's 2021 class.

Cal had been a factor in Elarms-Orr's recruitment since he was offered in March, as his mother is a Cal grad and the Bears made him one of their biggest priorities in the class. He's been targeted as a do-it-all type in the linebacker core, being recruited by both Peter Sirmon and Tim DeRuyter

"Coach Sirmon wants me to play inside backer, coach DeRuyter wants me to play outside backer. They want to see how I’d fit in person. I’ve watched film (with them) and I’d say if I played inside backer, I would be playing around the field more, all over the place. At outside backer," Elarms-Orr told Golden Bear Report back in June. "I’d be pressuring the edge only, I wouldn’t really be all over the field like I would be if I played inside backer, where I would be blitzing and doing all that fun stuff. (Sirmon) told me Evan Weaver used to be a defensive end/outside backer when he first came to Cal, seeing that transition, I feel like my speed and athleticism could let me play any linebacker position on the field. I wouldn’t be too worried about it, I believe in my skillset."

It's a skillset that made him extraordinarily productive at Moreau Catholic as a junior, with, 121 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks in 10 games played. Elarms-Orr has explosive pass rushing ability off the edge, as well as the speed to cover ground sideline to sideline and to drop in pass coverage.

There's also a familiarity with Cal's current class, as Elarms-Orr will be on defense with a couple other NorCal products that he has talked with.

"They have a lot of defensive guys committed in the class of 21, my class," Elarms-Orr said in June, "I know a couple guys too, Akili (Calhoun), Hunter (Barth), Kaleb Higgins, that would be cool playing with my friends, playing with those guys would make an impact on Cal’s defense. Kaleb Higgins, we played 7 on 7, he doesn’t text me too much, he’s more of a chill guy, Hunter hit me up in the past when he committed, I called him once or twice, and Akili, he’s chill wherever I go, he’s not recruiting me too hard, but Akili has told me about a couple of things in the past, it would be cool if we were on the same defense."

Now they will be, as Cal moves closer to completing their 2021 class. There are only two or three spots left for the Bears, as Elarms is the 10th defender in the class.

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)

5. QB Kai Millner, Gilbert, AZ (April 9th, 2020)

6. CB Kaleb Higgins, Folsom, CA (April 14th, 2020)

7. S Hunter Barth, Queen Creek, AZ (April 23rd, 2020)

8. DB Fatuvalu Iosefa, Mililani, HI (June 12th, 2020)

9. WR J. Michael Sturdivant, Flower Mound, TX (July 4th, 2020)

10. OL William Reed, Sammamish, WA (July 15th, 2020)

11. ILB Moses Oladejo, Elk Grove, CA (July 19th, 2020)

12. OL Dylan Jemtegaard, Yelm, WA (July 20th, 2020)

13. OL Ryan Lange, Pittsburg, CA (July 25th, 2020)

14. DL Myles Williams, Mission Hills, CA (July 31st, 2020)

15. OLB Patrick Hisatake, Portland, OR (August 2nd, 2020)

16. DB Lu-Magia Hearns, Pittsburg, CA (August 6th, 2020)

17. DL Derek Wilkins, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA (August 8th, 2020)

18. TE Keleki Latu, Carmichael, CA (August 13th, 2020)

19. LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, Hayward, CA (October 3rd, 2020)

By Position

QB - 1

WR - 2

TE - 2

OL - 4

DL - 3

LB - 3

DB - 4

By State

CA - 11

AZ - 2

WA - 2

HI - 1

MN - 1

OR - 1

TX - 1