Rutchena Talks About Visit, Future Plans
6-3/205 Monte Vista (Danville, CA) High School athlete Nate Rutchena was one of six recruits in Berkeley last weekend on his official visit to Cal last weekend as early signing day approaches.
“Just getting over to see the coaches again is always a great opportunity,” said Rutchena. “It was good to hear from the players their thoughts on the coaches and campus and the football life there and get a better understanding of what it’s like to be a Bear. Getting to see everything myself was my big takeway.”
Cal’s academics as well as their academic support system are a big standout for the strong student athlete.
“Cal is Cal for a reason," said Rutchena. “They’re probably the best public academic institution in the nation. They’re doing great things over there and they emphasized that a lot while I was there. Obviously their professors are great and their tutors help a lot. It’s a great opportunity.”
Being in Cal’s backyard, just a quick 30 minute ride from Danville has allowed Rutchena to keep tabs on the local program this season.
“I know they started off strong early and when their quarterback went down, they had a rough couple games but when he came back, they started getting better again,” said Rutchena. “They also had a few more guys who were injured that made it difficult to win.
“Overall, they had a pretty solid year and I think they have a bright future ahead. They have a strong program, playing in a great conference and their coaches seem to be doing something right over there.”
The official visit also allowed the 3 star S/OLB/WR to develop a stronger comfort level with the staff and see what makes them tick.
“I think this weekend really helped me know how to interact with their staff,” said Rutchena. “They’re really cool guys. There aren’t a lot of coaches out there who not only are great coaches but great people, too. Just getting to be around them and getting a feel for who they are and joking around with them, it’s good to see what their life is like outside of sports, too. That goes for all their coaches. They have a great system there and have great relationships with their players -making sure they succeed on and off the field.”
As for Rutchena’s current status?
“Right now, I’m pretty open,” said Rutchena. “I’m trying to finish finals well with strong grades. You never know. Other schools I’ve been talking to have been Air Force, Wyoming, Nevada, UC Davis and San Jose State. We’ll see if I sign early or wait. We’ll go over the pros and cons of each and hopefully I can make the decision as soon as I can.”
As a senior, Rutchena helped lead his Mustang squad to an 8-3 record before falling to state runner-up De La Salle in the CIF D1 semifinals. Also named the BVAL 2019 - Co-Player of the Year and 1st Team All League DB, the 3 star athlete had 105 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions on defense and 53 receptions for 709 yards and 12 tds at receiver this season. He projects as an OLB at the next level.