Pac-12 Signing Day Recruiting Grades: Southern California Resurgence

Nov 29, 2014; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears head coach Sonny Dykes leaves the field after the loss against the Brigham Young Cougars at Memorial Stadium. The Brigham Young Cougars defeated the California Golden Bears 42-35. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

6. California Golden Bears

Rivals Class Rank: No. 29

Sonny Dykes had to turn the California football program on its head and start it from scratch to get it where he wanted it to be. Going from 1-11 to 5-7 and barely missing a bowl game showed improvement. This past year’s recruiting class shows even more improvement.

Dykes has shown that as his teams get better, his recruiting classes will get better. The additions of 4-star defensive back Malik Psalms and 4-star defensive end Russell Ude should be immediate upgrades on a defense that was the sole reason this team did not make a bowl game last year, 4-star athlete Lonny Powell could be a weapon anywhere, and 4-star wide receivers Jaylinn Hawkins and Carlos Strickland are perfect for the fast-paced high scoring pass offense Dykes likes to run.

The addition of multiple offensive and defensive linemen were also exactly what the Golden Bears needed to get more physical as well, and with improvements expected already, this is just another major plus for Dykes’s football program.

Add in the fact that this is the third best recruiting class in the Pac-12 North, and you have a lot to be excited about in Berkeley.

Grade: B+

Next: No. 5 Ranked Pac-12 Recruiting Class