Bears Get Deeper on D With Commitment from Missouri Portal Edge Serigne Tounkara

The Bears picked up another commitment this weekend from Missouri edge Serigne Tounkara on his official visit.

As a prep recruit out of League City, Texas, the 6-2/240 edge defender was rated the #62 defensive end in the nation, choosing Missouri over Ole Miss and SMU in 2023, where he redshirted his first season, leaving him four years of eligibility. As a senior, Tounkara had 8 sacks and an estimated 72 tackles and 12 TFLs his senior season.

"I just love this team," Tounkara said after the visit. "The first day I went there for that visit, it just felt like family, you know? The bay area's beautiful and the campus was beautiful. I really enjoyed seeing the scenery.Love the coaches, love the environment and looking forward to play for their team.”

Tounkara’s brother Muizz, a 2025 WR recruit also made the trip out to Cal and pulled in a Cal offer in the process.

"He thought about the same thing as me about the program but for him right now, he's early in the process. He feels like it's too early to commit so he wants to see every other school but he loves school as well."

Tounkara also noted that the high volume of Texas players on the team and his relationship with OLB coach Vic So’oto were big factors for him, too.”

"Coach Vic's my guy," Tounkara said. "He came here to visit me in Columbia, Missouri so that was really huge for me, for a coach to show that much interest to come out there, so that's my guy,"

As for how Cal sees the newest Bear fitting in on their defense:

"More like an outside linebacker, edge rusher type player so they'll give me every opportunity to do my thing," Tounkara noted. "Right now, I think my pass rush is the strength of my game, just my get-off and explosive type of football."

The final clincher for Tounkara, whose father immigrated from Senegal, was the opportunity to earn a degree at Cal.

"Being able to earn a Cal degree and just to be able to graduate from a school like that with a degree from such a prestigious university was a huge part for me, too."

Tounkara becomes the 39^th commit of the 2024 class - a massive class that will likely comprise half of Cal’s 2024 roster, though the diverse eligibility nature of the portal will give the Bears solid class balance overall.  He will have 4 years to play 4 seasons as a redshirt frosh.