St. John Bosco HS (Bellflower, CA) defensive end Nate Burrell was one of six Cal targets hosted by the Bears this weekend in their successful first week of official visitors. After returning home and discussing things with family, the 6-3/265 4 star DE officially announced his commitment to Cal.
The SJB defensive end was joined on the trip by fellow DE Jaxson Moi, OLB Curlee Thomas, offensive linemen Jackson Brown and Jake Maikkula and RB Ashton Hayes.
“I’m glad to be a part of the family,” said Burrell tonight. “When I got up there, the atmosphere, how they see my playing in their defense, being with the players and guys visiting and just feeling like I was a part of the team, with no awkward moments, just genuine interaction like we’ve known each other for a long time...those are just some of the things that made me feel like Cal was the place for me. And the meetings with the coaches and getting to know the staff was great, as well.
“My relationship with (DL) Coach (Andrew) Browning is great. He can’t wait to coach me and I can’t wait to be coached by him so that’s going to be a great experience.”
Burrell’s comfort level as a future student athlete at Cal helped him in his decision.
“Just hanging out with the guys up at Cal and seeing the things they do there, I can most definitely see myself being a part of things up there and keep going what they started.”
Burrell was impressed by his weekend in Berkeley, affirming all his impressions of the program and more from afar.
“My first impression about the vibe of the program was great,” said Burrell after the visit. “The staff and the players showed love the whole weekend. My comfort level with the staff was great. It felt as if we had already met before the visit and same with the players that hosted me. That was one of my favorite parts about the visit, getting to know the players.”
Another element Burrell was looking for in his future home was an environment was was comfortable in and Cal checked all the boxes.“The campus and facilities were great,” said Burrell. “Everything is really close together so it will be easy to move around campus if you’re new and that’s a big thing, especially for incoming freshman that really won’t know the campus.”
An excellent student, Burrell was also looking for a university that offered him the academic prestige that would set him up for life after football.
“As for academics Cal is up there with the best of them and they have 24/7 help for players that need it,” said Burrell. “And they will always get you what you need to be the most successful in and out the classroom.”
Burrell announced his commitment to Cal tonight via Twitter, saying: “First off, i’d like to thank God and my family, especially my mother and grandfather for giving me the opportunity to be in this position. Second, I would like to say thank you to all the Bosco coaches. They have helped and changed my life. Also, I would like to thank any coach who has helped me in my life and to all my teammates who have helped me become the person who I am today. But today I’d like to announce I will be committing to The University of California Berkeley. #Go Bears”
Rated 4 stars by Rivals (5.8) and the #23 player in the state and the #27 strongside DE in the nation overall, as well as 3 stars (88 grade) by 247, as a soph Burrell had 53 tackles, 6 ½ sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery. Burrell has a strong offer list that includes USC, Oregon, Washington, Miami, Michigan and more but the talented DE shut things down with no other visits scheduled.
Other stories:
Bears Cap Off Successful First OV Weekend of 2021
Six Recruits Kick Off Cal's First Official Visit Weekend
