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Bears' 2018 Class at 17 With Bickett's commitment

November 30, 2017
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Productive and versatile Torrey Pines (San Diego, CA) outside linebacker Louie Bickett picked up an offer from Cal this week and joined his Dad as a legacy Pac-12 linebacker with his commitment tonight to the Bears.

The 6-4/205 Bickett is the son of former USC and NFL linebacker Duane Bickett, who was named NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1985 with Indianapolis as well as a Pro Bowler in 1987, compiling 53 sacks in his 12-year NFL career.

Bickett's father also coaches him at Torrey Pines and dad's productivity has certainly been passed on to his future Bear son, with the OLB piling up 130 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and five passes defensed his junior season. Final senior stats will come out at the team banquet.

The senior has visited Cal on a couple occasions and was visited in spring practice by Cal staff, who have been keeping an eye on him his senior season.

When Bickett's offer came this week, it didn't take long for him to make the decision to be a Bear.

Bickett announced his commitment on Twitter tonight, saying:

"I'd like to thank my family, my friends, my coaches, my teachers and my teammates for supporting me through the recruiting process. I have decided to commit to the University of California Berkeley.

"This is a dream come true. Very thankful for the Cal coaching staff and all involved."

"It's going to be awesome playing for Cal. It's the best of both worlds, athletically and academically," said Bickett, who sports an impressive 3.5 gpa and 1410 SAT out of 1600 and wants to study business at Cal.

"I've been up there a few times. Great area, great school. I feel like I'll fit in and love it."

Bickett's film shows a player with a nose for the ball that's excellent in pursuit as well as pass coverage.

"One of my best attributes is being able to cover as well as move around," said Bickle. "Sometimes it's a lot harder for taller, lankier guys to cover but I have good coaching, so that's helped me a lot, for sure."

Much of that coaching comes from the senior Bickett, who coaches linebackers for Torrey Pines.

Bickett is in the physical mold of fellow '18 commits Nick Alftin (Archbishop Mitty) and JH Tevis (Menlo School), who will play defensive end and outside linebacker respectively, though both Alftin and Tevis are a bit taller and thicker.

"They've definitely emphasized packing on the pounds so I'll definitely be training hard in the offseason to put on some weight and maybe have a chance to play earlier," concluded Bickett.

Bickett plans to take his official visit in January during one of the Bears' big recruiting weekends.

Discussion from...

Bears' 2018 Class at 17 With Bickett's commitment

11,001 Views | 24 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by NYCGOBEARS
71Bear
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12:19a, 12/1/17
January? With 70% of recruits expected to sign in December, why not hold the big weekend December 16 like most schools?

Hmmmm...
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MoragaBear
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12:34a, 12/1/17
Staff
They're having multiple big weekends, including this one.

The January ones are for those not signing in December along with some commits that are taking their officials later to host targeted recruits.
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FloriDreaming
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10:44a, 12/1/17
I find this very encouraging. I've been of the opinion that this recruiting class needs to be big - big numbers, kind of a "sign them all and let God sort them out" class. So to see Wilcox and Co. getting commits that have good size and potential, whether or not they have the stars, and getting lots of them, is encouraging.

If you look at programs that have rebuilt, they tend to start that way. We laughed when Harbaugh took every TE that was breathing in his first couple years, but that's what you have to do when your program doesn't have the pull power. WSU, AZ schools did the same thing.

So Cal is pulling in lots and lots of LBs. Good. Take all the LBs, TEs, FBs and linemen you can find. Overfill the recruiting class with foundational talent. I like this. Cherry-picking is for USC. The rest of the Pac 12 recruits for fit and plays the numbers game. There's a lot of talent out there and very little of it gets noticed by the recruiting services.

I like Wilcox's recruiting strategy. It's very sustainable.
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71Bear
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In reply to FloriDreaming • 10:51a, 12/1/17
Uthaithani said:
I find this very encouraging. I've been of the opinion that this recruiting class needs to be big - big numbers, kind of a "sign them all and let God sort them out" class. So to see Wilcox and Co. getting commits that have good size and potential, whether or not they have the stars, and getting lots of them, is encouraging.

If you look at programs that have rebuilt, they tend to start that way. We laughed when Harbaugh took every TE that was breathing in his first couple years, but that's what you have to do when your program doesn't have the pull power. WSU, AZ schools did the same thing.

So Cal is pulling in lots and lots of LBs. Good. Take all the LBs, TEs, FBs and linemen you can find. Overfill the recruiting class with foundational talent. I like this. Cherry-picking is for USC. The rest of the Pac 12 recruits for fit and plays the numbers game. There's a lot of talent out there and very little of it gets noticed by the recruiting services.

I like Wilcox's recruiting strategy. It's very sustainable.
Wilcox needs to sign a break through type of recruit - a Russell White or DeSean Jackson kinda guy. This will demonstrate to other guys that Cal is serious. One guy can turn things around in a hurry.

Bottom line - Stars matter. Complimentary players matter. You need both.
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TahoBear
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11:04a, 12/1/17
Would be great to sign an Elite WR and Elite RB. ( I know..........stating the obvious....but....Cal should be able to get one of each based on our track record of developing NFL RB's and WR's.)
“ Once a Bear - Always A Bear”
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Bobodeluxe
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11:31a, 12/1/17
Stars matter, stars don't matter, stars matter, stars don't matter, stars matter, stars don't matter, ...

Funny how many five star qb's Stanford has gone through to find a good one, finally.

Look at all the NFL players who played for no-name schools.

Just a guide, but you can't scout every player.
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71Bear
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In reply to Bobodeluxe • 11:38a, 12/1/17
Bobodeluxe said:
Stars matter, stars don't matter, stars matter, stars don't matter, stars matter, stars don't matter, ...

Funny how many five star qb's Stanford has gone through to find a good one, finally.

Look at all the NFL players who played for no-name schools.

Just a guide, but you can't scout every player.
Just curious, how many 5 star QB's did LSJU go through?
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tequila4kapp
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1:09p, 12/1/17
This is good news.
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FloriDreaming
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In reply to 71Bear • 1:39p, 12/1/17
71Bear said:
Uthaithani said:
I find this very encouraging. I've been of the opinion that this recruiting class needs to be big - big numbers, kind of a "sign them all and let God sort them out" class. So to see Wilcox and Co. getting commits that have good size and potential, whether or not they have the stars, and getting lots of them, is encouraging.

If you look at programs that have rebuilt, they tend to start that way. We laughed when Harbaugh took every TE that was breathing in his first couple years, but that's what you have to do when your program doesn't have the pull power. WSU, AZ schools did the same thing.

So Cal is pulling in lots and lots of LBs. Good. Take all the LBs, TEs, FBs and linemen you can find. Overfill the recruiting class with foundational talent. I like this. Cherry-picking is for USC. The rest of the Pac 12 recruits for fit and plays the numbers game. There's a lot of talent out there and very little of it gets noticed by the recruiting services.

I like Wilcox's recruiting strategy. It's very sustainable.
Wilcox needs to sign a break through type of recruit - a Russell White or DeSean Jackson kinda guy. This will demonstrate to other guys that Cal is serious. One guy can turn things around in a hurry.

Bottom line - Stars matter. Complimentary players matter. You need both.
Stars matter is like saying #1 draft picks matter. Sure, they do, but this isn't basketball. You recruit a team, not a player.

It's not that stars don't matter, it's that good coaches who aren't at the "star power" schools have a strategy that doesn't rely on star power. Plenty of teams in the top 25 that never have top 25 recruiting classes in terms of stars, and it's because they focus on the program first.
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71Bear
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In reply to FloriDreaming • 3:57p, 12/1/17
Uthaithani said:
71Bear said:
Uthaithani said:
I find this very encouraging. I've been of the opinion that this recruiting class needs to be big - big numbers, kind of a "sign them all and let God sort them out" class. So to see Wilcox and Co. getting commits that have good size and potential, whether or not they have the stars, and getting lots of them, is encouraging.

If you look at programs that have rebuilt, they tend to start that way. We laughed when Harbaugh took every TE that was breathing in his first couple years, but that's what you have to do when your program doesn't have the pull power. WSU, AZ schools did the same thing.

So Cal is pulling in lots and lots of LBs. Good. Take all the LBs, TEs, FBs and linemen you can find. Overfill the recruiting class with foundational talent. I like this. Cherry-picking is for USC. The rest of the Pac 12 recruits for fit and plays the numbers game. There's a lot of talent out there and very little of it gets noticed by the recruiting services.

I like Wilcox's recruiting strategy. It's very sustainable.
Wilcox needs to sign a break through type of recruit - a Russell White or DeSean Jackson kinda guy. This will demonstrate to other guys that Cal is serious. One guy can turn things around in a hurry.

Bottom line - Stars matter. Complimentary players matter. You need both.
Stars matter is like saying #1 draft picks matter. Sure, they do, but this isn't basketball. You recruit a team, not a player.

It's not that stars don't matter, it's that good coaches who aren't at the "star power" schools have a strategy that doesn't rely on star power. Plenty of teams in the top 25 that never have top 25 recruiting classes in terms of stars, and it's because they focus on the program first.
Please elaborate. Which schools in the Top 25 have NEVER (using your word) had a recruiting class in the Top 25?
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Rbears
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5:17p, 12/1/17
How many spots are left?
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Bear19
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In reply to FloriDreaming • 5:25p, 12/1/17
Uthaithani said:
I find this very encouraging.
I like Wilcox's recruiting strategy. It's very sustainable.
Exactly. Wilcox is recruiting players that "star" in the factors that matter most at Cal & Cal football, regardless of how many "stars" they have from the so called experts. This is a group that will be quite impressive by the time they are playing at Cal.
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Yogi58
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In reply to Bear19 • 7:07p, 12/1/17
Bear19 said:

regardless of how many "stars" they have from the so called experts.
The so-called experts are correct much more often than the message board posters who poo-poo them when trying to figure out who the good players are going to be.
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Bobodeluxe
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In reply to Yogi58 • 8:50p, 12/1/17
Yogi Bear said:
Bear19 said:

regardless of how many "stars" they have from the so called experts.
The so-called experts are often much more often
You sound like me on a good day ...
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Bobodeluxe
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In reply to 71Bear • 9:05p, 12/1/17
71Bear said:
Bobodeluxe said:
"Stars matter, stars don't matter, stars matter, stars don't matter, stars matter, stars don't matter, ...

Funny how many five star qb's Stanford has gone through to find a good one, finally.

Look at all the NFL players who played for no-name schools.

Just a guide, but you can't scout every player.
Just curious, how many 5 star QB's did LSJU go through?
Four out of five on this year's team, on one list or another. One guy was only a 3/4 star. WHO did he know?
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Yogi58
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In reply to Bobodeluxe • 9:15p, 12/1/17
Bobodeluxe said:
Yogi Bear said:
Bear19 said:

regardless of how many "stars" they have from the so called experts.
The so-called experts are often much more often
You sound like me on a good day ...
Add some Porky Pig stuttering to that sentence for the full picture
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71Bear
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In reply to Bobodeluxe • 11:56p, 12/1/17
Bobodeluxe said:
71Bear said:
Bobodeluxe said:
"Stars matter, stars don't matter, stars matter, stars don't matter, stars matter, stars don't matter, ...

Funny how many five star qb's Stanford has gone through to find a good one, finally.

Look at all the NFL players who played for no-name schools.

Just a guide, but you can't scout every player.
Just curious, how many 5 star QB's did LSJU go through?
Four out of five on this year's team, on one list or another. One guy was only a 3/4 star. WHO did he know?
Actually, only one Stanford QB was a five star - Freshman Davis Mills. Chryst and Costello were four stars by Rivals, Scout and ESPN and Burns was a four star by ESPN and Rivals and a three star by Scout. Richardson is a walk on.

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82gradDLSdad
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7:53a, 12/2/17
Why on Earth would a top rated high school QB go play for Knute Shaw? I guess it's so you can spend 4 years handing off and come out with a degree in Architecture Appreciation of Industrial Societies.
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Polodad
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In reply to Yogi58 • 8:49a, 12/2/17
Yogi Bear said:
Bear19 said:

regardless of how many "stars" they have from the so called experts.
The so-called experts are correct much more often than the message board posters who poo-poo them when trying to figure out who the good players are going to be.
Yes, but they typically miss the late developing guys and the guys that bring the extraordinary will to succeed. Examples would be Rodgers and the AZ linebacker from Santa Rosa in recent years (name escapes me).
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oski003
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In reply to 71Bear • 10:07a, 12/2/17
5 star recruits are top 40. Costello and Chryst consensus rank around 50. Pretty damn close. Anyway, what's your handle on the furd board? :P
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SRBear
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In reply to Polodad • 11:32a, 12/2/17
Scooby Wright
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Rbears
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In reply to Polodad • 11:34a, 12/2/17
Polodad said:
Yogi Bear said:
Bear19 said:

regardless of how many "stars" they have from the so called experts.
The so-called experts are correct much more often than the message board posters who poo-poo them when trying to figure out who the good players are going to be.
Yes, but they typically miss the late developing guys and the guys that bring the extraordinary will to succeed. Examples would be Rodgers and the AZ linebacker from Santa Rosa in recent years (name escapes me).
Scooby wright. Man was a beast
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Polodad
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12:10p, 12/2/17
That's the guy. Not a lot of interest out of Power 5 interest out of HS.
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NYCGOBEARS
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In reply to Polodad • 2:15p, 12/2/17
Polodad said:
That's the guy. Not a lot of interest out of Power 5 interest out of HS.

It's called the Alex Mack exception
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