Dam
Sounds to me like he's one of those guys who might be as good or better than the star quarterback but just got beat out in practice, which happens a lot.
The Bears continue to stack talent, with the addition of 3 star Folsom quarterback Brody Rudnicki with his announcement of his commitment to Cal this morning.
The 6-1/205 Folsom High School QB played as the primary backup to one of the nation’s top QB prospects in the country - Ryder Lyons. Rudnicki held offers from Utah, Minnesota, Arizona State, BYU and more before choosing the Bears over the Cougars and Utes and he’s no stranger to Memorial Stadium, having visited several times over the past year.
"Coach Lupoi's culture and relentless effort towards the game of football is what made me choose Cal," Rudnicki said. "He hired a staff who thinks like him and I want to throw myself in with that. I think this is one of the highest rated classes in 20 years at Cal so Coach Lupoi and the staff are definitely doing the right things."
With Lyons - the #4 rated QB in the nation - going down late in the playoffs, Rudnicki got his chance and shined for the Bulldogs, leading them to a state championship victory.
In the NorCal Division 1-AA regional final against Archbishop Riordan, after Lyons went down with a shoulder injury and Folsom trailed by 10, junior backup Rudnicki came on in the clutch, reeling off a 50-yard run and throwing two 4th quarter TD passes to ignite a 42-38 comeback victory.
Rudnicki then led Folsom to a 42-28 win over Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), running for 186 yards on 24 carries with four TDs, and also threw two TD passes, leading Folsom to their sixth state title.
For the season, Rudnicki had over 1,000 yards and 17 total TDs and a 78% completion rate. In the playoffs against top comp, he went 52-for-67 for 855 yards and 11 TDs along with 23 carries for 116 yards and 2 more TDs.
A versatile athlete, Rudnicki also is a placekicker.
The new QB commit is known for his arm and mobility. He’s a natural passer with a smooth delivery and solid accuracy and is excels throwing from the pocket or on the run, with good velocity at all three levels, plus the ability to buy time with his legs and do damage on designed runs. He also finished fourth in the accuracy challenge at the Elite 11 camp in Los Angeles in early 2026, holding his own against Ohio State commit Brady Edmunds.
Though Rudnicki is heading into his senior season, he’s expected to take a 1-year Mormon mission, effectively making him a 2028 commit, though he’ll be officially categorized with the 2027 class.
He becomes the 24th commit of the class, joining fellow QB Dane Weber, WRs Charles Davis III, (Westlake), Demare Dezeurn (Westlake) and Blake Gunter (Southlake, TX), RBs Jaxsen Stokes (Sierra Canyon) and “AJ” Antwon Sanders (CE King/Houston), TEs Rahzario Edwards (Grant High School) and Jamie Spurgeon (Minarets High School); OTs Isaiah Bertola (Ewa Beach, HA) and Josh Bunni (Cardinal Newman); IOL Ace Herman-Dawson; DLs Troy Bowens (Sutter), Jaderian Jones (Dallas) and Miles Schirmer (Corona Centennial); edge Giovanni Hodge (Grant Union), LBs Elyjah Staples (Marquez-Huntington Park) and Gunnar Perry (Notre Dame Prep/Scottsdale, AZ); CB Duvay Williams (Junipero Serra), safety Myles Baker (Sierra Canyon) and IMG Academy kicker Zach Brien.
Related:
Ace Herman-Dawson Commits To Bears' Stellar 2027 Class
Bears Continue To Climb Recruiting Rankings With Commitment From 4-Star WR Zion White
TonyTiger said:
"Rudnicki then led Folsom to a 42-28 win over Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), running for 186 yards on 24 carries with four TDs, and also threw two TD passes, leading Folsom to their sixth state title."
Dam
Sounds to me like he's one of those guys who might be as good or better than the star quarterback but just got beat out in practice, which happens a lot.
calumnus said:TonyTiger said:
"Rudnicki then led Folsom to a 42-28 win over Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), running for 186 yards on 24 carries with four TDs, and also threw two TD passes, leading Folsom to their sixth state title."
Dam
Sounds to me like he's one of those guys who might be as good or better than the star quarterback but just got beat out in practice, which happens a lot.
When the #4 QB in the country is a senior, and you are a junior it does not really matter what you do in practice, but the fact that he played as much as he did as a backup even before Lyons' injury shows how highly his coaches think of him.