6-2/195 Millikan (Long Beach, CA) High School receiver Malik Bradford became the first WR commit of the Bears' 2019 recruiting class with his commitment to Cal today.
"I've always wanted to play in California so my parents and friends could watch me play," said Bradford of his commitment to Cal. "To be able to do that and attend the best public university in the country is a great opportunity."
Bradford initially announced his commitment to Cal via twitter, saying:
"After talking with my family and coaches, I am proud to announce my commitment to the University of California Berkeley. I would like to thank the entire Cal coaching staff for believing in me!! #GoBears #CalFamily"
The 3 star receiver's relationship with receivers coach Nick Edwards also made Cal feel like a good fit for the talented Bradford.
"I like Coach Edwards a lot," said Bradford. "Me and him low-key have a lot of things in common and I feel like it will be a really good fit with him. He played receiver and is pretty much exactly my size so he knows the type of receiver I am and how to get the most from my abilities. He's also young and can relate to us better than someone that's older might be able to so I like that, too.
"I also like the offense a lot and think it fits me really well."
Bradford had the chance to visit Cal during spring ball and knew he'd found a place he could see himself thrive in the future.
"I liked it. I liked the school a lot," said Bradford. "I loved the size of the campus and the football facilities are great, just perfect.
"Malik is a big and long target for us," said Millikan head coach Justin Utopo. "On the field, we have a young quarterback and him being an upperclassmen, with us starting a sophomore QB, he helped him come along in the meeting room and on the field to read defenses and grow as a player. He's a mentor on the field for our underclassmen and with his physical, big play ability, he's a leader on the field in that aspect, as well.
"We're excited for him and his family. He's come a long way. He's young, too. He's a year younger than his class so he's growing into his big frame.
"If you see him in person, he's got big, broad shoulders. We did weigh-ins recently and he's a solid 218 but he's still moving the same. In fact, faster, in my opinion. He's a legitimate 6'2."
"Off the field, he gets along well with everyone and he's a good student, too.
"I know he'd like to play early at Cal so I think he's going to look at graduating early and coming in for spring semester this year at Cal."
As a senior, Bradford hauled in 37 catches for 667 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 19 yards per catch for the season.
As to his future aspirations at Cal, the 3 star receiver's aiming high.
"I'm really looking forward to getting up there next year," said Bradford. "I've set a goal for myself and I'd like to push to start as a freshman."
"I'm excited and happy for him. Cal's getting a great student athlete with Malik," concluded Utopo.
Twitter / Malik Bradford
