Bears Hit Double Digits With Commitment of Muller
A couple of weeks after his visit to Cal with family, 6-5/220 Capistrano Valley (San Juan Capistrano, CA) High School tight end Jake Muller became the 10th member of the Bears' 2020 recruiting class with his commitment.
“Honestly, I went up there and just loved the environment of the school,” said Muller. “All the coaches were so welcoming and no one really could’ve beaten my experience up there and what Cal has to offer me.”
Muller would like to pursue a business degree so Cal’s academics played a strong role in his decision.
“I love Cal’s academics,” said Muller. “I love Cal’s academic reputation and all the support they offer student-athletes. It’s amazing.”
"Jake is your prototypical athletic tight end, kind of what everyone is looking for," said Capistrano Valley head coach Sean Curtis. "He's got really good size. All of 6'5, probably 225 pounds right now. But he moves around really well. He's basically a really good receiver playing tight end right now.
"The previous offense he was in, he was split out wide, sometimes in the slot. This is my first year at Capo and the offense I run incorporates the tight end a little bit more of the traditional sets you guys will be running up at Cal so it's a good fit for him to get that first year in with me to get used to putting his hand in the ground and doing some of the things Cal's going to ask him to do as far as run blocking and some of the different formations they'll run.
"He's just 17, so I can easily see him putting on another 15-20 pounds as he fills out.
"He's got really good bend, is athletic and is a really good catcher of the football. He has a great work ethic and approach to catching the ball the right way. He picks up things really quickly from an offensive standpoint so he's got a really high football IQ. He's just a good kid, from good family and takes care of business in the classroom, so I think he's the type of well-rounded pickup that's great for Cal."
Muller announced his commitment to the Bears on Twitter, saying:
“I am incredibly excited to announce that I have verbally committed to The University Of California Berkeley to continue my football and academic career! Thank you to all of my family and coaches who believed in me. Go Bears!!”
Muller also likes what he’s seeing in Cal head coach Justin Wilcox’ continued efforts to rebuild the program into a Pac-12 powerhouse.
“I feel like it’s really a family he’s starting to build,” said Muller. “What Cal’s plans are for their tight ends, the culture in the locker room -it’s a great fit for me.”
Muller, who was offered May 9 by the Bears, becomes the sixth offensive player in Cal’s 2020 class, joining the receiving trio of 6’2 Fresno WR Jeremiah Hunter, speedy 5’11 Lake Oswego WR Casey Filkins and 6’4 Scottsdale WR Tommy Christakos as well as 6-7 Turlock OT Everett Johnson and 6’1 Newhall QB Zach Johnson.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bears have commitments from 6-2/280 Honolulu DT Stanley McKenzie, 6-3/220 Mililani LB Mo Iosefa, 6-3/220 LB Andy Alfieri and 5-11/170 Corona cornerback Isaiah Young.
As a junior, Muller had 14 receptions for 200 yards (14.3 yards per catch) and two touchdowns in nine games, helping lead Capo to a 9-4 record before a 46-42 loss to Cajon in the CIF Southern Section D3 championship game.
A solid student, Muller heads into his senior year with a 3.3 gpa.
Other recruiting stories:
Bishop Amat Running Back Damien Moore Breaks Down Cal Visit
Bears Go Back to Hawaii for Commitment from DT McKenzie