Wednesday: Signing Day

Today is the day we find out for sure what our 2007 recruiting class looks like. We already know that these verbal commitments can come and go, but once a letter of intent (LOI) is signed it’s a done deal.

Updates will be posted as news comes in. I have heard that there may be a last minute surprise in store, and Ken over at Bear Territory alludes to this in his blog.

In the meantime, TBIOOTF has posted a nice overview of Cal’s recruiting over the past few years, and Tightwad Hill also has some pretty good posts cautioning against taking the recruiting star rankings too seriously. Take a look.

EDIT 11:13am: All 25 LOI’s in, according to Scout. Signing Day was very smooth, with a couple of pleasant surprises.

EDIT 10:10am: Scout is reporting that all expected LOI’s plus Conte/Owusu are in, other than Smith/Aigamaua in Hawaii who will wait a bit for a ceremony with their coach. 23 down, 2 to go!

EDIT 8:30am: Here’s a surprise: Chris Conte, a safety who committed to Cal early (6/10/06), then switched his commitment to UCLA (1/20/07), has in the end submitted his LOI to Cal! Here are the Scout, Rivals articles linked. Also, Rivals has re-rated him since earlier in the recruiting process and now has him listed as a 4-star safety. This is great news for the defense.

EDIT 7:04am: Rivals is reporting that Ernest Owusu (3-star DE from prep school in New Jersey who did not previously announce a commitment) has decided to come to Cal over Stanford, Minnesota, UNC, and some other BCS conference schools.

EDIT: The SF Chronicle writes:

Cal football coach Jeff Tedford is expected to announce today an incoming class of 23 recruits that makes a statement … “Jeff Tedford and his staff have firmly established themselves as great recruiters,” Rivals national recruiting editor Jeremy Crabtree said. “When you talk about the top classes each and every year, Cal now has to at least be in the conversation.” …

Crabtree estimates … Rivals will rank the Bears’ class in the top 25 for the fourth consecutive season despite the absence of a five-star recruit … Cal’s recruiting class is solid from top to bottom, fills needs and includes a bevy of linemen … According to Scout.com, Cal is No. 15 in overall points, trailing only No. 5 USC and No. 8 Oregon in the Pac-10.

Cal’s group includes 20 high school players and three junior-college transfers, and is especially strong at running back, linebacker and along the offensive line. By position, the class has five linebackers, four offensive linemen, four defensive linemen, two running backs, two wide receivers, two tight ends, two defensive backs, a quarterback and a punter.