Cal Football

Bears Add More Size and Athleticism With WR Commit Montgomery

By Jim McGill

February 1, 2023

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The Bears picked up a commitment today from 6-5/205 Snow College (Ephraim, Utah) wide receiver Marquis Montgomery‍ during his official visit to Cal. The Bears beat out some stiff competition for the talented receiver, with LSU, Penn State, Oregon and Texas A&M named along with Cal as his recent Top 5.

“Marquis has yet to reach his ceiling regarding his talent,” Snow College Asst. Head Football/WR Coach James Dye noted. “He is continuing to improve and grow in both his on-field IQ and his X's & O's IQ. He has good overall body control and presence in route running, which makes it easier for the QB to throw away from the defender. He has a good feel for game-time situations, so he'll adjust his routes accordingly. Marquis will win when it comes to press coverage matchups.”

“Marquis can be as good as he wants to be. If he continues to work and perfect his craft, the sky's the limit!"

Montgomery announced his decision on Instagram Live this morning saying, “First of all, I want to thank everyone for coming out. It means a lot to me, especially early this morning. First and foremost, I want to thank my heavenly father for everything he’s done for me throughout my life, being able to play at the Division 1 level, which I’ve dreamt of my whole life.

“I want to thank my teammates at Snow for bringing me in and teaching me and being able to showcase my talents. I remember I was in y’all’s position a year ago and watched one of my teammates doing something similar to this and I just remember thinking in my head at that moment that I’d be in this position and making sure I’d do that. So it’s really good to have this opportunity and for the next 2-3 years, I’ll be going to Cal.”

Montgomery had an official visit to Cal over the weekend that sealed the deal for the Bears.

“My visit to Cal went really great,” said Montgomery. “I’d definitely say it was family-oriented. Being in person there and especially meeting Coach Wilcox, when I met him, when we were sitting down and talking, it didn’t seem like I was talking to a head coach, the way a lot of people depict a head coach, like the boss. It really felt comfortable, like I was having a conversation with a regular coach.

“Coach Toler, he’s a cool-ass coach. He keeps it real with you and really just expresses how he feels and what he thinks. That’s what I want in a coach - a coach who’s going to be honest and be real, who’s going to be there to help me and mentor me and always support me, too.

“The coaches were awesome and the players are great. I know one of the main things they all head in common when I asked them about the program is they all felt close and the locker room is tight and really connected and I thought that was awesome. My host was Mavin (Anderson).”

Montgomery’s first visit to the Bay Area impressed the talented WR as well.

“It was awesome there,” Montgomery said. “What I really liked is that it’s not like just another college town, where it’s just the college and that’s it. Cal being in the bay area, it’s a popular area. Silicon Valley, San Jose, San Francisco, you’re surrounded by culture and I think it’s really cool.

“Cal’s academics and their reputation also stood out to me. I know my parents really like the idea of me going to Cal and their reputation was a big reason why they’re happy I chose Cal. They were saying that being able to get a degree from Cal speaks volumes. And if football is not the route you’re destined for, being able to have that degree and showing that to employers really gets your foot in the door so that’s great.”

The high 3 star receiver played his prep ball at Kapolei High School in Honolulu, Hawaii after moving there from Lakewood, WA where he grew up after his freshman year then at Independence Community College before moving to Snow last season where he had 13 catches for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns. Montgomery is rated the #10 JC wide receiver in the nation in his class by ESPN.