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Cal Football
Bears Add Their 2nd 2024 Commit in Texas OL Tyler Knape
After a 5 month pause following their first 2024 commit -Pasadena TE Camden Jones - the Bears added commit #2 in Westlake (Austin, TX) OL Tyler Knape today.
Knape recently had a repeat visit to the bay after initially visiting for Junior Day in March.
“Choose people who choose you,” Knape said said of his decision to commit to Cal. “That’s something that stuck with me in the recruiting process. Cal stood out by being the most genuine in my recruiting process.
“Visiting Cal was a major part in my decision due to actually seeing how cool the campus is and the Bay Area is. The coaches were always super straightforward and never were “salesmen.”
Overall, Cal checked all my boxes of what I was looking for in a college.”
The 6-4/280 lineman was All-District 6A First Team at tackle in 2022. He can play either tackle or guard at the next level.
Playing left tackle at one of the top programs in Texas, Knape shows an aggressive streak paired with good feet and the ability to effectively pull - a trait new Cal OL coach Mike Bloesch looks for in his linemen.
“He's a guy that earned the right to start here at Westlake as a Junior and was a 15-game starter for us last season,” said Brandon Murdock. “He was kind of overshadowed going into it. We had a big right tackle who was highly recruited, and he was a little under the radar because he backed up a Big Ten left tackle that was a 30-game starter when he was a sophomore, so his junior year was really kind of his first exposure. And he's just proven to be a hard worker, somebody that's absolutely a team-first kind of guy that he's always where he's supposed to be when he's supposed to be there. And he does a great job working his craft and getting his body in the best possible shape to play the game.”
At 6’4, Knape maybe be better suited to play inside but also possesses the athleticism to play OT at the next level as well.
“From a football IQ standpoint, I think he could he could play just about any position on the line. At the Power 5 level, he probably projects a little bit more inside,” Murdock said. “I think he knows that his best chance and fastest way on the field is to move inside to play like guard or center but for us at the high school level here at 6A Texas football, he’s a very effective tackle. He was an all-state caliber player as a junior and I fully expect that same type of production again as a senior, even more so.”
The Bears beat out Arizona State, Air Force, and several Ivies for Knape’s commitment.
Related:
Bears Add First '24 Commit in Pasadena TE Camden Jones
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