Top-100 transfer DB Marcus Scott II announces commitment to Cal

There has been a bit of a Texas feel to Cal's work in the transfer portal this spring. After adding standout freshman offensive lineman Matthew Wykoff from Texas A&M earlier this week, the Bears added another Texas native Thursday. Missouri defensive back Marcus Scott II (Conroe, Texas) had been one of the best available players in the Rivals transfer portal rankings, and Thursday he brought the process to an end by committing to Cal after a visit to Berkeley last weekend.

The freshman, who sat out the 2022 season with an injury, is currently ranked No. 95 overall by Rivals giving the Bears their third top-100 transfer of the offseason joining running backs Byron Cardwell (No. 51) and Justin Williams-Thomas (No. 93).

"I was really blown away by really the people in the building, the coaching staff, along with the climate, the environment," Scott told Golden Bear Report after last weekend's visit with the Bears. "But with me it's always been about the people in the building and the development they can offer me."

Scott also visited UNLV, a school he had interest in when current Cal defensive backs coach Tre Watson was on staff in Las Vegas. Now, both will move forward in Berkeley where Scott will have four seasons of eligibility to work in the Bears secondary.

Ultimately, a knee injury kept Scott off the field in 2022 but he is healthy again and looking for a chance to work and grow as a player under Cal's coaches. The Bears have not been secretive about retooling the secondary this year, and Scott will be one of the newcomers looking for a chance to make his mark as part of the group.

"Just looking for an opportunity to play this season," he said. "Same thing as anybody else, I'd say, just looking for an opportunity and the development," he said. "Coach Watson and coach [Terrence] Brown, they do it at a super high level and I want to be a part of that."

Scott is just the latest player to be added in the secondary as a transfer this offseason, and he isn't even the first one this spring. The Bears have already added two-time All-Mountain West safety Patrick McMorris in recent weeks adding to the winter defensive back haul.

UNLV's Nohl Williams and Colorado's Kaylin Moore both joined the Bears in the winter and participated in spring ball while junior college transfer Matthew Littlejohn did the same. Both Williams and Littlejohn spent ample time with the first unit offense through March and April.

Head coach Justin Wilcox previously said the team could add as many as eight transfers this spring, and the Bears are well on their way toward doing so and potentially even more. Scott is the fifth spring addition for the program joining Wykoff, Mississippi State receiver Marquez Dortch, NC State quarterback Ben Finley and McMorris.

Seven of the Bears' transfers added this offseason are rated inside the top 415 players in the Rivals rankings.