California Golden Bears Land Great Class of Receivers
The California Golden Bears have a few new cubs to add to the family. On Wednesday, National Signing Day, one of the most exciting days of the offseason for college football fans, the Bears added a strong group of incoming freshman, including a great stable of young wide receivers for junior quarterback Jared Goff to play with.
Among the wide receivers coming to Berkeley next year are two four-star, and four three-star recruits. The prized player, not just among receivers, but in the entire class, is Carlos Strickland. The six-foot-five, 200-pound receiver from Dallas, Texas football powerhouse Skyline High School is considered one of the best receiver recruits in the nation.
Recruiting specialists “Scout” had Strickland ranked as the 101st-best player in the nation, and the 14th receiver. “Rivals” had Strickland as the 132nd-ranked player, but 12th-best among wide-outs. “247Sports” rated Strickland 165th overall, and the 20th receiver.
In his senior year of high school, Strickland grabbed 41 passes for 896 yards, good for a 21.9 yards per catch average. He also scored 15 times. Over his three years as a varsity starter at Skyline, he snagged 84 balls for 1770 yards, and scored 27 times.
On his Cal football player profile page, Cal football head coach Sonny Dykes called Strickland one of the “elite wide receivers in the country,” as his size and speed combine to make him a dangerous threat. Dykes would also say that the team is “fortunate that he has chosen to become a part of our program.”
Strickland has the ability to suit up and play almost immediately, and he has the potential to be a great weapon for Goff right out of the gates.
Jaylinn Hawkins is also a four-star receiver coming from Buena Park High School, in Buena Park, California. At 6-1 and 200 pounds, Hawkins is a well-built receiver, and is known as being physical, but also has good speed and runs sharp routes.
Cal Golden Bears
Rivals ranked Hawkins 176th overall, and number 21 among receivers. Scout placed him at 233 overall, while being the 24th receiver listed.
In his senior year of high school, Hawkins posted huge numbers, reeling in 80 catches for 1476 yards and 16 touchdowns. He ended his three-year Varsity career as a starter, he caught 152 passes for 2443 yards and 21 scores.
Hawkins picked the Golden Bears over Pac-12 rivals Oregon Ducks, a perennial top-5 team nationally, and the Arizona State Sun Devils, among other teams. Picking up Hawkins is a big win for a football team that has struggled within the conference for a few years.
Another very good receiving recruit for the Bears came in the form of three-star recruit Brandon Singleton. The six-foot, 175-pounder comes from Hahnville High School in Boutte, Louisiana. He started his high school career as a quarterback before moving outside in his senior year, and he played extremely well in his lone year as a receiver. He totaled 50 catches, 907 yards, and scored 10 times.
Rivals listed Singleton as their 68th wide receiver, while Scout put him as their 81st pass catcher. Singleton owns great speed and athleticism, as he was a top-ranked hurdler in high school. He’s also an excellent route-runner. His size and skill seem to make him a picture-perfect slot receiver.
Austin Aaron is also a three-star receiver who selected the Golden Bears on Wednesday. He possesses size very similar to Strickland, as he stands six-foot-five, and weighs in at 210 pounds. He comes from Napa High School in Napa, California.
While starring at Napa, Aaron set school records in receiving yards with 2082, and touchdowns with 23, while grabbing 115 catches in his prep time. 247Sports and Rivals both ranked Aaron as their number-63 wide receiver.
Nov 29, 2014; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff (16) controls the ball against the Brigham Young Cougars during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron’s size and length will make him a very good outside receiver, as he will be tough for a smaller corner to contain. Eventually, having Strickland on the outside on one side, and Aaron on the other will make for nightmare matchups for defensive backs.
Aaron will be a third-generation student-athlete at Cal, as his father and grandmother were both athletes while attending the university.
Kanawai Noa and Greyson Bankhead round out the group of three-star freshman receiver commits. Noa, a six-foot, 175-pounder, was twice an All-State receiver in Hawaii, and finished his career at Punahou High with 146 catches for 3195 yards and 34 touchdowns. Bankhead, out of Centennial High School in Corona, California, stand 5-10, weighing in at 160 pounds. Rivals had him as the 89th-best receiver in the country, and racked up 137 catches, 2061 yards, and 22 touchdowns at Centennial.
Both players have the look of typical slot receivers, as they are a little undersized, but possess great speed and are shifty players who can make moves after the catch.
Goff set a number of school records last year as a sophomore, including passing yards and touchdowns. He also led the team to the sixth-best passing attack, and 11th-best scoring offense in the entire nation. He’s got a great new set of weapons to tinker with over the next two years, and has a real opportunity to break his own records.
Cal also recruited Goff’s potential successor, picking up four-star quarterback Ross Bowers, who is considered one of the best “pro-style” quarterbacks in the nation. When Bowers’ time does come, he will have a host of talented players around him to work with.
The offense wasn’t an issue last year, and it doesn’t look like it will be an issue moving forward. The defense last year was god-awful, as they allowed 366.7 passing yards per game, and 39.8 points per game, which was 123rd in Division-1. The defense clearly needs a ton of work, but for now, the offense will definitely help ease some of the pain.