Cal has reshaped its coaching staff, but many returning pieces on defense have allowed the Bears to continue building relationships with recruits they’ve been targeting for a while.
One of those prospects made the call to commit to the program following a weekend visit to Berkeley for the team’s junior day. Three-star linebacker Jonathan McKinely is headed to Cal as a member of the 2026 class after announcing his pledge Tuesday afternoon.
The 6-foot-2 inside linebacker recruit from Corona-Centennial has become a priority target for the Bears after being offered almost a year ago, and his latest trip to Cal allowed the entire vision to come together.
McKinley, whose brother Javon played at Notre Dame and was with him on the visit to Cal, has built a strong bond and assistant coach Mike Bruno and defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon allowing the junior to feel a connection to the team.
Being able to learn more about the academy side ultimately pushed McKinley to make his choice Tuesday.
“I did visit them last season for their OSU game, and I really did like how they ran their defense. It’s built for the linebacker position. I was talking with Coach Bruno and Coach Sirmon. They really saw me fitting in their scheme really well. I took this visit up there this weekend and then I realized like how well the academic program was. Because like I'm not someone who just loves football, so I like academics and learning what I can do past my football career.
“Financial literacy is what I want to do, and I was talking with one of the professors, and I realized that this is probably one of the top schools where I can get a great education and play great football.”
McKinley stacked up some notable offers throughout his recruitment including offers from Utah, Arizona State, Arizona, Boise State and SMU.
Still, McKinley found his fit with the Bears and decided he didn’t need to see what other offers come his way before making a decision about his future.
“I’d definitely say it was a mix of a Cal pushing me towards making a decision really early, but I also don't wanna beat around the bush with a coach,” the new Cal commit said. “I wanna be up front. I wanna weigh my options and then make a decision right there. I feel like making an early decision with Cal was probably the best move I could do. It gets me really acclimated with the program. It’s great building these great relations with the coaches, and I think that was the best outcome for me.”
McKinley says he plans on enrolling early at Cal to begin getting familiar with the scheme and preparing to contribute, so he will be on campus next January following his senior season at Centennial.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound recruit is the second commitment for Cal’s 2026 class following an earlier pledge from high three-star defensive back Jayden Crowder.
