The official visit season through the first two weekends has been a resounding success so far for the Bears.
The Bears picked up five additional commitments from the first weekend’s official visitors, including 4 star TE Rahzario Edwards, 3 star OTs Josh Bunni and Amaziah Siale, 3 star DT Jaderian Jones and 4 star LB Elyjah Staples to go along with Thursday’s pre-Elite 11 commitment from 4 star QB Dane Weber in a fantastically productive recruiting week for the program under new head coach Tosh Lupoi.
The second big official visit weekend yielded more impressive results with the commitments of WR Demare Dezeurn and OT Isaiah Bertola following the commitment of safety Jeovanni Henley as the OV weekend was beginning, though Henley is on campus this weekend for his official visit.
Here’s a rundown of the visitors, with some comments from several of the recruits:
6-5/295 James Campbell High School (Ewa Beach, Hawaii) 4 star offensive lineman Isaiah Bertola - The former teammate of Cal QB Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele kicked off his official visit season with a trip to USC last weekend. The #2 player in Hawaii and #19 OT in the nation also held offers from Oregon, UCLA, Penn State, Michigan and more before committing to Cal yesterday.
“The OV was amazing,” Bertola said. “The amount of love they showed was unconditional. I really love Cal and can see myself in that Blue and Gold.
“The coaches played a big part in my decision and they have a lot of Poly dudes I know at Cal. It’s like family for me there.
“Coach Tosh, he’s a great guy. He’s a really big part of this decision.”
6‑5/200 Westlake High School 4 star WR Charles Davis III - The highly sought after receiver committed to Cal on April 10. The consensus 4 star WR chose Cal over Oregon and UCLA and also held USC, Michigan, SMU offers. As a junior, the younger brother of current Cal safety Niles Davis had 30 receptions for 526 yards and 11 TDs. The consensus 4 star is rated the #20 WR, #8 overall in the state and #98 overall in the nation by Rivals. He announced today that he is shutting down his recruitment and not taking any scheduled official visits.
“My visit was extremely fun and informative,” Davis said. “The program is headed in the perfect direction and I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the legacy Coach Lupoi is building.”
5-11/170 Westlake High School 4 star WR Demare Dezeurn - The consensus 4 star receiver is committed to Oklahoma but is taking an official visit with new teammate and Cal commit Charles Davis III after his transfer from Palisades High. One of the fastest receivers in the country (10.3 100), Dezeurn also holds offers from Alabama, USC, UCLA, Tennessee, Texas and more. As a soph, the 4 star WR had 20 catches for 451 yards and 5 touchdowns and added three more TDs on kick/punt returns and had 8 tackles and 1 interception at corner in just 7 games.
Dezeurn talked about his biggest motivation for committing to Cal on his visit.
“Really, the coaches, they believe in me and I love that,” the newest Bear receiver said. “And also, half of the coaches have coached in the NFL or have been around the NFL and thats my main goal, so why not get developed by the best?”
6-2/225 Washington High School 4 star LB Brayton Feister - The consensus LB was named a Ohio Mr. Football finalist and Division II Co-Defensive Player of the Year, totaling 133 tackles, 39 TFL, 13 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions on defense, while also carrying the ball 116 times for 1,098 yards and 17 touchdowns on offense. Feister is rated the #LB player in the state, the #6 LB in the nation and #149 overall by 247. He also holds offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Notre Dame, Georgia and more.
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6-2/185 Southlake Carroll (Southlake, TX) High School 3 star WR Blake Gunter -Born in Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, Gunter had an impressive junior season, adding 68 receptions for 1,224 yards and 18 T along with 5 carries for 138 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. He put up those big numbers despite sharing balls with current Ohio State WR signee Brock Boyd. In the Texas 6A Division 2 state semifinal against DeSoto last season, Gunter erupted for 4 touchdowns and 111 yards on just 7 receptions. Despite Southlake Carroll ultimately losing 57-44 in a wild shootout. Gunter’s size and physicality make him a tough cover in one-on-one situations and his toughness is a trait the Cal staff covets. Physical, fast and athletic, Gunter ran an impressive 21.67 200, 47.29 400 and had a strong high jump mark of 6’4. He committed to Cal early in the process on March 7 after Elite Junior Day.
“My visit to Cal was so fun,” Gunter said. “I had a great time. The way the staff relates to us is so genuine and really wants to be great. It really motivates me for the future. I truly believe this is the best fit for me.”
6-4/290 Atascocita High School (Humble, Texas) 3 star DL Jason Johnson - the big DT had 50 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 5 pass breakups and 1 interception in 11 games his junior season. The high 3 star DT has 20 offers including Texas, Texas A&M, SMU, Houston, TCU, Kansas, Kansas State, Northwestern, Arkansas, Florida, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Baylor and more.
6-3/265 Poplarville High School (Poplarville, MS) 4 star DT Sam LeJeune - Rated #4 overall in Mississippi and a consensus top-150, top-10 interior defensive lineman (primarily a 3-technique), the Under Armour All-American had 58 total tackles, 14 TFL, 4 sacks, 3 pass breakups, a forced fumble and an interception returned 36 yards. A two-way player with heavy snaps on both lines. He has 25 offers, including Florida State, Auburn, Washington, LSU and Cal as current leaders. He visited Auburn to open his OVs last weekend and has upcoming visits to Washington (6/8), Florida State (6/12) and LSU (6/19).
6-1/205 C.E King High School (Houston, TX) 3 star running back “AJ” Antwon Sanders Antwon Sanders - The #63 nationally-rated RB (247) has 31 offers, including Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Mississippi State, Texas Tech, SMU and more before picking the Bears. As a junior, Sanders had 82 carries for 769 yards (9.4 ypc) and 10 TDs, helping lead King to the Texas 6A championship game, where they fell to DeSoto. Sanders has been clocked in a speedy 4.44 40m time. The Texas RB committed to Cal in the spring on April 11.
“What stood out the most to me was the energy,” Sanders said. “Everybody was welcoming from the moment I got there, and it just felt like a family. The team bonding was great, and being around the players and coaches showed me how close the program really is. Overall, I loved the experience. Getting to spend time with my future teammates and coaches made it feel like home. The message from the coaches was that they believe in me and see me as a big part of what they’re building. It was a great weekend, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be around my new family.”
6-2/220 Chaparral High School (Temecula, CA) 4 star QB Dane Weber - The new Cal commit made the call for the Bears over UCLA and his mom’s alma mater Cincinnati right before the Elite 11 competition began. Weber completed 218 of 311 passes (70.1 percent) for 3,654 yards and 41 touchdowns to 9 interceptions as a junior, adding 14 touchdowns and 668 yards over 115 rushes as a true dual threat QB. He’s immediately taken the lead in helping build the 2027 recruiting class with his fellow visitors and with other important targets for the Bears.
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6-1/170 4 star Serra High School 4 star CB Duvay Williams - Named to the prestigious Navy All-American Bowl game as well as the Polynesian Bowl, the 6-1/170 corner also fielded offers from USC, UCLA, Oregon, Notre Dame, Auburn, Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas and more before choosing the Bears. As a junior for Serra, Williams totaled 25 tackles, two TFL, five passes defended, three interceptions and one fumble recovery. He also played some receiver on offense, adding 12 catches for 184 yards (15.3 ypc) and 2 TDs. The 4 star DB committed to the Bears a month ago on May 6.
6-3/250 Maple Mountain High School (Spanish Fork, Utah) 4 star edge Uhila Wolfgramm - The former New Zealander has a powerful, college-ready frame at 6-3/250 but despite that size he shows speed and explosiveness for the edge position. At the adidas Polynesian Bowl Combine he posted a 2.75-second 20-yard dash, a 4.31 short shuttle and a 101-inch broad jump. On the track he has run an 11.79 in the 100 meters as a junior - unusual wheels for a 250-pound lineman. As a junior in just 8 games, the 4 star edge had 37 tackles, 20 TFL, 9 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. He holds offers from Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, BYU, UCLA, Arizona State, Boise State, North Carolina, Texas A&M and more. He visited Arizona State (April 24), UCLA (May 15) and Boise State (May 28). He had a North Carolina visit set for June 5 but he visited Cal instead, with Utah (June 12) and BYU (June 18) still on tap.
“It was great,” Wolfgramm said of the visit. “The Bay Area is home to my family so having the visit brought all of my family members who live nearby and it was good to see them all.
“The coaching staff is great, led by Coach Lupoi, who is an excellent motivator. I had a great time with all the coaches and was grateful to be able to spend time with all of them and learn from them. The staff is really energetic, and you can feel the success that they have by how they all carry themselves and treat each other as well as others. Overall, it was a great experience and I’m glad I was able to be there.”
6-1/180 Chaparral High School (Temecula, CA) 4 star WR Eli Woodard - The former USC commit would bring speed to the Cal receiving corps with his 10.3 100 meter time and quickness on the field. A teammate of Cal QB commit Dane Weber, Woodard also has Miami, where he took an official visit last weekend and UCLA as other top contenders with the Bears. The composite 4 star receiver is rated #70 overall by On3/Rivals. Originally from Missouri, Woodard committed to USC early in February but decommitted mid-May, partially because of the Trojans no-OV policy. The 4 star WR had a stellar junior season, hauling in 51 catches for 1070 yards and 17 TDs on the year.
6-5/330 Basha High School (Chandler, AZ) 3 star IOL DaJohn Yarborough - A high OL target for the Bears, Yarbororough plays OT for Basha but projects inside at the next level. With his massive, athletic frame, Yarborough reportedly benches 375+. He transferred from Benilde-St. Margaret’s (MN) to Arizona power Basha to face stronger competition. He holds 30 offers, with a Top 10 that includes Cal, Alabama, Florida State, Washington, Wisconsin, Arizona State, UCLA, Kansas State, Minnesota and UCF and took his first OV to Mississippi State (5/29). He had a planned OV to Florida State this weekend but visited Cal instead. Washington (6/19) also on his intended list of visits.
Earlier, Yarborough said, “The message they gave me was that I’m a priority for them and they see me as a big piece of what they’re building. That meant a lot. Right now, Cal is definitely high on my list and they’ve put themselves in a really good position in my recruitment.”
Stay tuned for more on next weekend’s official visits.