The big blow hit Cal football's recruiting class this week when Shaq Thompson, the No. 3-rated recruit in the country, according to Scout.com, and the prize of the Golden Bears' recruiting class, decommitted from Cal and verbally committed to Washington instead.
The Cal class that had been so highly touted a few weeks ago is now crumbling into mediocrity as the decommitments continue to fly and Wednesday's signing day approaches.
You have to wonder whether Tosh Lupoi's decision to leave the Cal coaching staff and join the Washington's staff caused Thompson to change his mind. Based on the story in the Sacramento Bee, you'd have to think it did.
That means Lupoi's departure probably cost the Bears the No. 2 and No. 3 recruits in the country. Lineman Arik Armstead, the nation's No. 2 recruit, according to Scout.com, seemed set to commit to Cal when Lupoi left, but then decided to go to Oregon. And now Thompson, a safety who had verbally committed to Cal twice, has decided to go elsewhere.
Thompson had said recently that Washington and Cal were running neck and neck and the Huskies eventually won out.
It was the day before Lupoi took the Washington job that he told Thompson he might be leaving Cal for Seattle and to keep the Huskies in mind. Lupoi was also the Washington coach who made a home visit to Thompson's house later.
This the latest piece of bad news for Cal.
Two others Cal commits -- defensive tckle Ellis McCarthy, rated No. 23 overall in the counrty, and wide receiver Jordan Payton, rated No. 95 overall -- have decommitted from Cal since Lupoi left. McCarthy has since committed to UCLA and Payton to Washington.
Thompson, McCarthy and Payton represented three of the top four rated players who had verbally committed to Cal.
And now wide receiver Bryce Treggs, the most highly rated player still committed to Cal, is wavering. Treggs, rated No. 43 in the country overall by Scout.com, visited USC last week after opening up his recruiting recently.
Suddenly a Cal recruiting class that has jumped into the top 10 in the nation in team recruiting rankings according to most services, has dropped all the way to 41st, according to the Scout.com team rankings. The Bears rank only ninth in the Pac-12.
The question is, how can the departure of one coach -- an assistant at that -- make that much difference in a recruiting class? Even when a new head coach comes on board with an entirely new staff, a school may not lose that many key commitments.
It will be interesting to hear how coach Jeff Tedford tries to spin this on Wednesday, the first day high school players can sign binding letters of intent.
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