Cal Football: Bears get two more to commit

June 20, 9:16 PMCal Bears ExaminerRob Calonge

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Cal's 2010 football class is turning into one of the better Jeff Tedford compilations.  The Golden Bears received commitments from two players that are in some recruiting publications' top 100 players lists.

Offensive tackle Alex Crosthwaite and inside linebacker Nick Forbes both chose Cal after attending the California Elite Camp on Saturday.  Each player is rated a Rivals.com Top 250 player, and they've both garnered high praise from other scouting sources.

Academics, once again, played a major role in these commits.  Forbes carries a core GPA of 3.60 while Crosthwaite has a 2.80.

I'd have to say everything was right about Cal.  The campus, the program, the education... it was all the right situation for me, especially the education. I wanted to go a place with great academics and they've got one of the top business programs in the nation so that was definitely a big plus.
- Crosthwaite on his commit to Cal

Forbes is a gifted athlete that played on offense as a running back and on defense as an inside linebacker.  Scouting services say he could play outside as well due to his great speed, listed at 4.60.  He is also a track and field star in the discuss throw, but he has stated that he only intends to play football at the next level.

POS	PLAYER	SCOUT RATING	SCOUT POS RANK	RIVALS RATING	RIVALS POS RANK	ESPN RATING	ESPN POS RANK
OT	Alex Crosthwaite		40		22	NR	ESPNU 150
LB	Nick Forbes		7		7	NR	79

Alex Crosthwaite | OT
Hometown:    San Diego, CA
High School:    Cathedral Catholic
Height:    6'4"
Weight:    297 lbs.

Earned all-city, all-league, all-area and all-state underclass recognition in 2008.

ESPNU Scouting:

...a massive offensive lineman that could line up at either tackle or guard. He is a huge football player that mauls defensive lineman that attempt to play base technique. Comes off the ball a little high and is slightly stiff in the knees but is so powerful he still knocks defenders off the line of scrimmage. Moves feet continually and really works to sustain the block. Uses his hands well and often really jars the defender along with continually working them into the frame of the opponent. Gets off cleanly to the second level when uncovered and shows some athleticism in limited space.

Crosthwaite on offensive line coach Steve Marshall (interviewed by Jon Doss of Scout.com):

I wanted to play for someone that coached in the NFL and had experience.  That’s definitely a goal one day. I want to take it to the next level.

Crosthwaite on Cal:

Coach Tedford has taken this team to a lot of bowl games since he’s been here, and he’s established a winning program.  At this point, Cal is second to none.

Nick Forbes | ILB
Hometown:    Frederick, MD
High School:    Governor Thomas Johnson High School
Height:    6'1"
Weight:    224 lbs.

Forbes was named to the Scout.com All-Combine Team for his performance at the Army All-American combine in January 2009.  As a junior, he was named first-team all-conference, and the Frederick News Post named him defensive player of the year. As a sophomore he ranked No. 1 in the state in the discus and No. 4 in the state in the shotput.

ESPNU Scouting:

Forbes is not an overly flashy linebacker but is a tough, disciplined and very instinctive defender. Has adequate size, well-layered bulk and longer, well-defined arms...Soundly reads the play and reacts quickly; seldom takes false steps. Does a good job playing square to the line of scrimmage, rarely gives ball carriers a cutback creases. Scrapes well off-tackle and takes sharp, direct pursuit angles to the ball. Displays great range and "football speed" chasing to the sideline. Fills fast downhill with good initial quickness and generates great short-area power. Shows good explosiveness at the point of attack and striking upper-body strength shedding blockers and tackling.

ESPN's Billy Tucker on the Forbes commit:

Cal reached all the way east into Maryland to land Forbes, arguably the top linebacker out of the state in 2010. In our opinion, Cal is getting a very well-rounded, blue-collar type of linebacker with the coveted scheme versatility to play either inside or out in the Bears 3-4 scheme. Forbes plays bigger and faster than his listed measureables on film and shows good short-area power at the point of attack between the tackles and deceptive range making plays sideline-to-sideline. A very sound and instinctive linebacker who is a nice fit for the Bears defense.

Forbes on playing the linebacking position:

I cover the field from sideline-to-sideline and play very aggressive. I’m a leader on the defense and go hard every play. I’m always going after the ball and never stop.  I definitely want to make bigger hits though. There’s been a few times where I hit a guy and didn’t get the kind of impact I wanted. I want to be able to make that big hit...an impact type hit.

If you like what he said there, make sure to at least watch the last play from this highlight video...I think Bear Backers are going to like this kid.

Keep checking back for more breaking recruiting news and don't forget to stop by on Monday for the No. 2 most valuable Bear of 2009, as rated by me - your Cal Bears Examiner.

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