SF Chronicle: Salesian's Best heading to Cal

Mitch Stephens, Chronicle Staff Writer

Salesian football coach Chad Nightingale got a call from coaches at the University of Florida early Monday, offering his running back Jahvid Best a scholarship.  Too late. The night before, the running back from the small Richmond private school, arguably the nation's fastest prep player, verbally committed to Jeff Tedford at Cal. Best, who rushed for a Bay Area-record 3,220 yards and scored 49 touchdowns this season, said he's going to stay close to home and be a Bear. "It's a big relief and exciting all at the same time," Best said. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go to a great school and play for a great program in front of my parents and all my friends." And in front of his high school coach, a Cal receiver in 1988 and 1989. Best said Nightingale stayed neutral throughout the process, which included an average of about four calls per day throughout the season from recruiters.  Nightingale "just wanted what is best for me and supported me 100 percent throughout the process," Best said.  Said Nightingale with a laugh: "I certainly had no objections. Seriously, at no time did I ever push or sway him to Cal. My job was to objectively sift though all the information and give him all the pros and cons for each offer."  Oregon, USC and Notre Dame made the biggest impressions on the 5-foot-10, 183-pound senior, who has been clocked at 10.49 and 21.03 in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, respectively.

But after an official visit to Cal last weekend, Best canceled visits to USC (scheduled this weekend) and Notre Dame (schedule in January) and committed to Tedford.  "I think coach Tedford was pretty happy," Best said. "I hope so."  Best said he was surprised by the offer from Florida, which will play Ohio State in the BCS championship game.  "I hadn't heard from them at any point," Best said. "It was a very nice offer but my commitment to Cal is firm."  Said Nightingale: "Everybody came after him, especially the last couple of weeks. Some colleges in the heat of battling for a big-time bowl game were at a disadvantage and just couldn't get to him in time."  Even if Pac-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Year Marshawn Lynch opts for the NFL, which he's expected to do, Cal should be fine in the backfield next season. The Bears return speed back Justin Forsett, who will be a senior, along with freshmen James Montgomery and Tracy Slocum, who each redshirted this season.  Best said he'd prefer not to redshirt, but he hasn't been promised anything.  "I think I can compete for a spot right away," he said.  Some questioned whether Best could have piled up such gaudy numbers -- he rushed for more than 200 yards in all but three games -- against larger schools.  Salesian is a coed school of 568 that competes in the North Coast Section's Class A division with schools of enrollment between 400 and 700.  Said Nightingale: "Judging from the schools that went after him, I think he proved his worth."