Above are the players that have already committed to Cal for the 2009 season. Signing day isn't until February, but the Bears are not gaining commitments at a pace that would lead you to believe that they have a program to challenge for a title. After looking at the teams that lead Cal in recruiting this year, it's puzzling that Cal's recruiting class has been slow to develop.
| POS | PLAYER | SCOUT | SCOUT POS RANK | RIVALS | RIVALS POS RANK | ESPN | ESPN POS RANK |
| QB | Allan Bridgford | 4 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 79 | 19 |
| RB | Dasarte Yarnway | 4 | 23 | 4 | 21 | 77 | 78 |
| WR | Terrell Williams | 3 | 90 | 3 | NR | 40 | NR |
| OG | Brian Schwenke | 3 | 31 | 3 | 41 | 80 | 9 |
| OLB (JC) | Jarred Price | 2 | JC | 4 | NR | N/A | NR |
| CB/DB | Vachel Samuels | 3 | 33 | 3 | 35 | 73 | 142 |
Since 2003, Cal ranks as the second best team overall in the Pac-10 in terms of wins and losses. So why would a team that has been to a bowl game every year over the past five not be held in higher esteem? Here are the rankings. The first table is the win and loss record for the conference while the second is the overall record.
| RNK |
TEAM
|
Con W | Con L |
| 1 | USC | 42 | 8 |
| 2 | California | 30 | 17 |
| 3 | Oregon | 29 | 19 |
| 4 | Oregon State | 28 | 19 |
| 5 | UCLA | 26 | 21 |
| 6 | Arizona State | 23 | 24 |
| 7 | Washington State | 17 | 31 |
| 8 | Arizona | 16 | 31 |
| 9 | Stanford | 16 | 32 |
| 10 | Washington | 10 | 37 |
| RNK |
TEAM
|
Ovr W | Ovr L |
| 1 | USC | 66 | 7 |
| 2 | California | 49 | 23 |
| 3 | Oregon | 45 | 26 |
| 4 | Oregon State | 44 | 27 |
| 5 | Arizona State | 40 | 30 |
| 6 | UCLA | 38 | 33 |
| 7 | Washington State | 31 | 37 |
| 8 | Arizona | 24 | 42 |
| 9 | Stanford | 23 | 43 |
| 10 | Washington | 18 | 49 |
The recruits that Cal has received verbal commitments from aren't bad, it's just that there isn't as many that would give you a warm-and-cozy feeling that the program is still going to be competitive in the future. One of my first articles here at Examiner.com detailed the youth that is currently in the program so the Bears should be fine for the next two years. What happens after that will be determined by how they fare this season in the game of recruiting.
At the time of this writing, here are the rankings for the teams in the Pac-10:
| Rk. | School | Commits | Conf. | Points | Top 100 |
  |
|
|
Off. | Def. | Sp.T. | H.S. | J.C. | Avg. | Prv. Rk.* |
| 2. | USC | 17 | Pac-10 | 3823 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 4.18 | 2. |
| 13. | Stanford | 15 | Pac-10 | 2591 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 3.60 | 13. |
| 32. | UCLA | 12 | Pac-10 | 1622 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 3.17 | 32. |
| 38. | Oregon | 11 | Pac-10 | 1404 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 3.27 | 38. |
| 52. | Arizona | 12 | Pac-10 | 967 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 2.58 | 52. |
| 59. | Washington State | 9 | Pac-10 | 895 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2.89 | 59. |
| 61. | Arizona State | 8 | Pac-10 | 796 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2.88 | 61. |
| 62. | California | 5 | Pac-10 | 770 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3.40 | 62. |
| 66. | Oregon State | 11 | Pac-10 | 719 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 2.36 | 66. |
| 82. | Washington | 5 | Pac-10 | 343 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2.60 | 82. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
| School | TOTAL |  Commits |
Commits |
Commits |
Avg Stars |  Points |
||||||||||||
| 1 | USC | 16 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 4.25 | 2,393 | |||||||||||
| 2 | Stanford | 15 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 3.47 | 1,214 | |||||||||||
| 3 | UCLA | 12 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 3.33 | 787 | |||||||||||
| 4 | Oregon | 11 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3.09 | 504 | |||||||||||
| 5 | California | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3.50 | 273 | |||||||||||
| 6 | Arizona | 12 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2.75 | 270 | |||||||||||
| 7 | Oregon State | 11 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2.64 | 142 | |||||||||||
| 8 | Arizona State | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2.88 | 126 | |||||||||||
| 9 | Washington State | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2.50 | 44 | |||||||||||
| 10 | Washington | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2.20 | 27 | |||||||||||
As you can see, Cal is on the level of commitment status the same as lowly Washington. It's true that with a facilities upgrade, which is currently under contruction, the Bears will be able to compete on a more level playing field when it comes to top-flight recruits. For now, it's the promise of those facilities and Cal's continued success that must drive the engine to top recruiting classes.
Here are the recruits:
Allan Bridgford QB:
Hometown: Mission Viejo, CA
Mission Viejo High School
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 213
One of the star talents in a strong Southern California class of quarterbacks. Started final seven games of 2006 season as a sophomore. Threw for 1,642 yards and 15 touchdowns against just three interceptions. Followed up sophomore season throwing for 22 td's with 2 more on the ground, completing 177/288 (62%) for 2508 yards for the Diablos. Earned co-MVP honors in a strong LA Nike field in May.
- Scout.comI hate to compare players but Allan has a chance to be as good as anyone we've had here, he's an incredible prospect.
- Mission Viejo coach Bob Johnson / Rivals.comBridgford is your prototypical pocket passer with ideal size, adequate arm strength and very good ball handling skills. He reminds us a little of John Parker Wilson at Alabama.
- ESPNU
Dasarte Yarnway RB:
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep.
Ht: 6'0" Wt: 215
Dasarte Yarnway had a strong junior year in 2007 when he ran for 1,408 yards and 19 touchdowns on 175 carries. Rushed for over 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns during his 2006 sophomore season at San Francisco (Calif.) Sacred Heart Cathedral and earned all-state underclass honors.
- Scout.comA powerful and exceptionally elusive rusher who stars at nearby Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep, Yarnway has the tools to be one of Cal's greatest backs ever.
- A.W. Prince (BearTerritory.net)Yarnway is productive runner with a good blend of size and lateral quickness. He looks a bit shorter than his listed measurables but is compact and thickly-built. Hits the hole fast and can slice through the seam just as it opens.
- ESPNU
Terrell Williams WR:
Hometown: Keller, TX
Fossil Ridge High School
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 165
Williams feels the traits that stand out for him are his speed (4.45 forty), agility and hands. He also has excellent leaping ability, with a 38 inch vertical.
- Scout.com
Brian Schwenke OL:
Hometown: Oceanside, CA
Oceanside High School
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 250
Helped lead Oceanside (Calif.) to the CIF State D-II Championship.
- Scout.comA first-team all-league, second-team all-county, second-team all-state selection as a junior.
- Rivals.comSchwenke is a very scrappy offensive tackle. He is undersized at 6'4" and just 250 pounds but he plays with a lot of heart.
- ESPNU
Vachel Samuels DB:
Hometown: Lynwood, CA
Lynwood High School
Ht: 6'0" Wt: 185
Vachel Samuels finished his junior season with 60 tackles, two fumbles caused and one sack. He says he can bench 315-pounds, squat 495 and claims a 37-inch vertical jump.
- Scout.comVachel has a great size, speed and possesses an outstanding work ethic. You have to tell Vachel to slow down sometimes because he works so hard. It is just a matter of time before Vachel becomes a big time recruit.
- Lynwood coach Mark WilliamsSamuels is a fine looking athlete with good physical skills as a defensive back prospect for a college program to mold. He is tall, athletically-built but still very lean and has much physical developing to do. Played corner in most of the game films we viewed but his hips, turns and overall fluidity are more suited at safety. Covers a lot of ground with his long stride and good acceleration; displays good range on both run and pass support.
- ESPNU
Jarred Price OLB (JC):
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Blinn College (TX)
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 218
Blinn College outside linebacker Jarred Price is one of the top junior college defenders in the nation. The 5-foot-11, 218-pounder might be a little smaller than others, but he's got plenty of big-time ability.
- Jeremy Crabtree (Rivals.com Football Recruiting)
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