Best Recruiting Classes Since 1980

2,786 Views | 22 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by TandemBear
santacruzbear
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My pick is 1993. Cal had three of the top-10 players on the West Coast--Pat Barnes, Reagan Upshaw, Tariq Smith; two more in the top 20--Kevin Devine and a db from the East Bay who didn't contribute perhaps because of injury; and two more in the top 50--Tarik Glenn and Bobby Shaw. Todd Steussie wasn't bad either. He was ranked in the 50-100 range. The rankings I cite are from Allen Wallace who put out a recruiting publication until the internet came along.
heartofthebear
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2011 and 2012 were generally considered be off the charts good, earning Tosh recruiter awards nationally. However, many of those guys didn't pan out for one reason or another. So, it depends on what the standards are.
BancroftBear93
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"Todd Steussie wasn't bad either."

I'm sorry, I need a minute to make sure this was sarcasm.
Bear19
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heartofthebear said:

2011 and 2012 were generally considered be off the charts good, earning Tosh recruiter awards nationally. However, many of those guys didn't pan out for one reason or another. So, it depends on what the standards are.
If the standard is "Recruits that were Recruited to Other Schools while Tosh was recruiting 'for' Cal," then he wins the All Time Recruiting Snake Award. No one even close.

"One reason or another" - you mean someone told them they had to actually show up to a class once in a while, right?
heartofthebear
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Bear19 said:

heartofthebear said:

2011 and 2012 were generally considered be off the charts good, earning Tosh recruiter awards nationally. However, many of those guys didn't pan out for one reason or another. So, it depends on what the standards are.
If the standard is "Recruits that were Recruited to Other Schools while Tosh was recruiting 'for' Cal," then he wins the All Time Recruiting Snake Award. No one even close.

"One reason or another" - you mean someone told them they had to actually show up to a class once in a while, right?
Understood, point is it's a lot harder to go back and research these classes based on how they turned out at Cal. We might not remember. And how they did in the pros is not the same thing. Cameron Jordan was a starter and pretty good at Cal but not like he is in the pros.

Conversely, Zach Follett was a great Cal bear as was Jahvid Best, but no so much in the pros.
Looperbear
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2003 Rodgers etc
BearsBowl
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Bruce Snyder's last class was the best class. Then that little turd Bob Bockrafh torched us.
Cave Bear
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santacruzbear said:

My pick is 1993. Cal had three of the top-10 players on the West Coast--Pat Barnes, Reagan Upshaw, Tariq Smith; two more in the top 20--Kevin Devine and a db from the East Bay who didn't contribute perhaps because of injury; and two more in the top 50--Tarik Glenn and Bobby Shaw. Todd Steussie wasn't bad either. He was ranked in the 50-100 range. The rankings I cite are from Allen Wallace who put out a recruiting publication until the internet came along.
Steussie's last year at Cal was 1993. His recruiting class was 1989 or 1990. 1993 was a great class though.

My pick would be one of 2003, 2005 or 2007. All Pac-10 honorees:

2003
Daymeion Hughes: 1st Team (2005), 1st Team and DPOY (2006)
Brandon Mebane: HM (2004), 1st Team (2005), 1st Team (2006)
Aaron Rodgers: HM (2003), 1st Team (2004)
JJ Arrington: 1st Team (2004)
Matt Giordano: 1st Team (2004)
Ryan Riddle: 1st Team (2004)
Craig Stevens: HM (2005), 2nd Team (2006), HM (2007)
Joe Maningo: HM (2004)
Thomas Decoud: HM (2007)
Brian de la Puente: HM (2007)

2005
Syd'Quan Thompson: 1st Team (2008), 1st Team (2009)
Zack Follett: HM (2006), 2nd Team (2007), 1st Team (2008)
DeSean Jackson: 1st Team (2006), 2nd Team (2007)
Tyson Alualu: 2nd Team (2008), 1st Team (2009)
Desmond Bishop: 2nd Team (2005), 1st Team (2006)
Nu'u Tafisi: 2nd Team (2005), 2nd Team (2006)
Lavelle Hawkins: HM (2006), 2nd Team (2007)
Anthony Felder: HM (2007), HM (2008)
Mickey Pimentel: HM (2006)
Will Ta'ufo'ou: HM (2008)

2007
Bryan Anger: 2nd Team (2008), 1st Team (2009), 1st Team (2010), 1st Team (2011)
Mitchell Schwartz: HM (2009), 2nd Team (2010), 1st Team (2011)
Cam Jordan: HM (2008), HM (2009), 1st Team (2010)
Jahvid Best: 1st Team (2008), 2nd Team (2009)
Chris Conte: 1st Team (2010)
Shane Vereen: HM (2009), 2nd Team (2010)
Sean Cattouse: HM (2009), HM (2010), HM (2011)
DJ Holt: HM (2010), HM (2011)
Matt Summers-Gavin: HM (2011)
Justin Cheadle: HM (2011)
DJ Campbell: HM (2011)

The honors for the 2007 recruiting class are even more impressive since they had less team success to support their individual candidacies. The 2005 class players probably won more combined games started than any class since the Truman administration. The 2003 class was the backbone of the best Cal team since that time. It's a tough call. If it's team success then one of 2003 or 2005.
santacruzbear
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"Steussie's last year at Cal was 1993. His recruiting class was 1989 or 1990"

My mistake. Maybe I was thinking of Jeremy Newberry. Was he part of the '93 class?
Cave Bear
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santacruzbear said:

"Steussie's last year at Cal was 1993. His recruiting class was 1989 or 1990"

My mistake. Maybe I was thinking of Jeremy Newberry. Was he part of the '93 class?
Newberry was 1994

For as little team success as we've had the last 30 years, we sure have had more than our share of OL talent
hanky1
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2003 was exceptional and may actually have been underrated.
GivemTheAxe
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heartofthebear said:

2011 and 2012 were generally considered be off the charts good, earning Tosh recruiter awards nationally. However, many of those guys didn't pan out for one reason or another. So, it depends on what the standards are.

I don't see how any recruit can be counted as a good recruit if he didn't get on the field for any reasonably substantial amount of time.
If he doesn't play then all we would be counting is his resume.
heartofthebear
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GivemTheAxe said:

heartofthebear said:

2011 and 2012 were generally considered be off the charts good, earning Tosh recruiter awards nationally. However, many of those guys didn't pan out for one reason or another. So, it depends on what the standards are.

I don't see how any recruit can be counted as a good recruit if he didn't get on the field for any reasonably substantial amount of time.
If he doesn't play then all we would be counting is his resume.
Agreed
TandemBear
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GivemTheAxe said:

heartofthebear said:

2011 and 2012 were generally considered be off the charts good, earning Tosh recruiter awards nationally. However, many of those guys didn't pan out for one reason or another. So, it depends on what the standards are.

I don't see how any recruit can be counted as a good recruit if he didn't get on the field for any reasonably substantial amount of time.
If he doesn't play then all we would be counting is his resume.
Here, let me help: the list of names is for highly-recruited players out of HS or CC. Just because they didn't pan out at the D1 level, doesn't mean they weren't an excellent get by Cal. Just like just because Best didn't have a stellar (or even really any) NFL career, doesn't mean he wasn't a great recruit or one of the best who played for Cal.

Given this, and related to another post I decided not to write, what glaring omission can you find in these lists of top recruit names? (In other words, what obvious NFL name is missing.) It's pretty damn obvious. (Oh, and I'm sure there are more than the one player I'm thinking of. Haven't finished my espresso yet!)
NVBear78
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GivemTheAxe said:

heartofthebear said:

2011 and 2012 were generally considered be off the charts good, earning Tosh recruiter awards nationally. However, many of those guys didn't pan out for one reason or another. So, it depends on what the standards are.

I don't see how any recruit can be counted as a good recruit if he didn't get on the field for any reasonably substantial amount of time.
If he doesn't play then all we would be counting is his resume.


I think there are two different evaluations to consider:

  • The initial ranking of the recruiting class.

  • The actual performance of the class which considers who made it into school and contributed for us.


As we know the later Tosh recruits didn't stick around and perform....
joe amos yaks
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Keenan Allen
"Those who say don't know, and those who know don't say." - LT
calbear93
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Looking at the class (still remember how much of a shut down corner Daymeion Hughes was for us after being recruited potentially as a RB) from 2003 brings back so many fond memories. Loved those teams. The only team that brings back the same type of memories is the 1991 team.
TandemBear
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joe amos yaks said:

Keenan Allen
Not the name in mind. But a good one I didn't think of.
joe amos yaks
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Tony Gonzales.
"Those who say don't know, and those who know don't say." - LT
TandemBear
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joe amos yaks said:

Tony Gonzales.
Ha! Another one I missed. And an even better example. But nope...
joe amos yaks
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Nnamdi Asomugha
Jeremy Newberry
Brandon Mebane
"Those who say don't know, and those who know don't say." - LT
TandemBear
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joe amos yaks said:

Nnamdi Asomugha
Not yet!
Cave Bear
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calbear93 said:

Looking at the class (still remember how much of a shut down corner Daymeion Hughes was for us after being recruited potentially as a RB) from 2003 brings back so many fond memories. Loved those teams. The only team that brings back the same type of memories is the 1991 team.
Yeah, I feel much the same way. There was magic to 1991 and the early Tedford years that hasn't been equaled otherwise, though I didn't see the 1975 team and it sounds like that season had that same magic. I suppose it was the limitless potential the program seemed to have in 1991 and 2004 that made those years so very enjoyable to be a Cal football fan (and all the winning of course was fun too).
TandemBear
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Alright, so the guy I'm thinking of is...


















Marshawn Lynch!

Thanks for the replies.
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