The Bears struck gold with one of their top recruiting targets in years with Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, WA) High School tight end DJ Rogers’ verbal commitment to Cal.
The 6-4/235 tight end, rated as high as 7th nationally at his position, presents a nightmare matchup for defenses with his combination of size, speed, strength and athleticism.
Rogers announced his commitment via twitter video, simply saying, “I chose Cal because of the opportunities it presented,” said Rogers. “Cal’s one of the the best institutions in the country. They have a top-notch education and the connections and networking you have in the Bay Area is unmatched.
“Not only will Cal help me succeed off the field and help me earn my criminal law degree but also I’ll play in a program that will utilize me in their offense. In all those ways, Cal’s a great fit. They have a great coaching staff and they have something kicking up there in Berkeley.
“I believe that the coaching staff will help me develop into a dominant football player but also a good man. Cal checked off all the boxes for me.
“Go Bears, baby!”
“DJ is one of the most athletic kids I have been around,” said FSP coach Reggie Ford. “His combo of size and speed and body control is unreal! What makes him unique is he can run and catch like a wide receiver -he can actually play receiver if you need him to- but has the body of a tight end.
“DJ is in the mold of the new age tight end, where he is probably best detached and/or split out, where you can utilize his skills best creating mismatches in the red zone throwing it top-shelf or using his speed to run away from linebackers and safeties.”
Off the field, Ford’s just as big a fan.
“I have had a lot of time to be around him since 8th grade and he has always been a respectful young man who worked his butt off to get to where he is at. He is always working out and working on his craft, catching jugs running routes. He is probably one of the most athletically-gifted kids I’ve been around with the combo of size and speed. He is also the type of young man that’s an alpha and leads by example. He is not just unique on the field. He has a charismatic personality, with a sense of calm about him that makes you think everything is going to be okay. He is a special talent that has the ability to play on Sunday’s if all goes right.”
Rogers’ commitment reunites FSP Sports teammates Justin Baker, Trey Paster and Rogers, pictured below.
Bear Insider
Rogers, who hauled in 42 catches for 599 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior, had earlier narrowed down his long list of impressive suitors to a top ten of Oregon, USC, WSU, ASU, Georgia, Penn State, LSU, Miami and West Virginia and Cal. He also held offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Florida and many other top national programs.
The 4 star tight end took late season official visits to Cal and ASU before making his decision for the Bears.
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