Poaching is always a problem for coaches until letter-of-intent day arrives
By Jay Heater
As the time passes slowly toward Feb. 1, the first day high school seniors can sign letters of intent to play football in college, Cal coach Jeff Tedford nervously will be checking on every one of his recruits.
Cal's fortunes have shot up since Tedford took over in 2002, and so has the pressure to keep blue-chip recruits after they make oral commitments. Tedford is dealing with a more elite level of athlete now than he did in his first recruiting season, so the risk of poaching is greater.
Included in Tedford's current "oral commitment" class is Rancho Cordova High School senior James Montgomery, who rushed for 2,183 yards and 39 touchdowns last season. The Sacramento Bee's Player of the Year previously had committed to Washington but then changed his mind and gave Tedford an oral commitment last week.
It's not likely that Washington or Oregon, which also came within an eyelash from getting a commitment from Montgomery, will back off even though Tedford appears to have won the battle. Rumors spread that Montgomery chose Cal to satisfy his family. "I made my own decision," Montgomery said emphatically by telephone from his home Wednesday. "I wanted to go to Cal. It's just a little closer to home." Besides distance, Montgomery said he has been very impressed with Tedford's offense. "Coach Tedford is a cool dude," he said. "And his offense is so balanced." Montgomery said he likes the diversity of assignments carried out by Cal's tailbacks, who sometimes split out to a wide receiver position. He said he should fit well into the system. And he wants to fit into the system next season. "I'm probably not going to redshirt," he said. Although Cal fans have been celebrating his oral commitment, Montgomery said he didn't know that his decision to attend Cal would cause such a stir.
"That's cool," he said. One reason that Cal fans are so interested in Montgomery is that current starting tailback Marshawn Lynch doesn't figure to be around after his junior season, and the Bears will need a replacement. "Yeah, (Lynch) told me he is going pro," Montgomery said. Besides Montgomery, Tedford has oral commitments from running backs Tracy Slocum of Clovis East and R.J. Garrett of Crenshaw-Los Angeles. With 19 oral commitments so far, Tedford's work is just about done. His highest-profile recruits are Montgomery, Monte Vista defensive tackle Mike Costanzo, Beaverton (Ore.) quarterback Kevin Riley and McClymonds defensive tackle Derrick Hill. Tedford also has filled needs by signing junior-college offensive lineman Mike Gibson of Solano College along with Saddleback College punter Andrew Larson.
Still on Tedford's wish list are offensive lineman Steve Schilling of Bellevue, Wash., and Crenshaw-Los Angeles defensive back Darian Hagan. Cal's recruiting class to date is ranked No. 22 overall by Scout.com, and if Tedford can land either Schilling or Hagan, that ranking should go higher. Hagan is expected to announce his choice next Thursday. Costanzo said he is excited about Cal's haul, especially Hill. "Competition between us can only make me better," Costanzo said. "That's going to be good for both of us. I was hoping we would get Derrick because he is such a big-time guy."
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