Mid-star prospects join class

Cal will ink at least two prospects, and could land as many as five, on Wednesday’s National Signing Day — the completion of a 20-something player recruiting class that will represent a positive shift in the program.

The newest additions to a solid group of 18 who committed during December’s early signing period are expected to land the Bears’ recruiting class among the nation’s top third and among the Pac-12’s top half.

Cal, which has won 38 percent of its games with one bowl appearance during the past six seasons, hasn’t had a prospect crop ranked among conference’s top half since its Jared Goff-led group in 2013.

The worst was last season, when the Bears’ 15-player class was deemed the Pac-12’s worst. But head coach Justin Wilcox had only two weeks to compile that group. He has had a year to put together the 2018 crop.

The two known newcomers are mid-star prospects Curtis Fatilua, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound linebacker from Madison High-San Diego, and Monroe Young, a 6-1, 185-pound twoway athlete from Onate High (Las Cruces, N.M.).

It’s possible that the Bears could pull some surprising signing-day coups, but the more likely scenario is that they’ll use their remaining scholarships on local players who previously might have been considered as preferred walk-ons.

Fatilua thrived at last month’s Polynesian Bowl, an all-star game in Hawaii, and Young is one of the best prep athletes in New Mexico, having also made marks in basketball and track. The two add to a large group signed in December, which was led by offensive lineman Will Craig (Granite Bay High) and wide receiver Nikko Remigio (Mater Dei High-Santa Ana).

The initial group was strong enough that Cal had the ability the past 2½ months generally to chase the best available prospects for the remaining scholarships. The Bears, however, have failed to fill one position of need in the class: quarterback.

Adrian Martinez of Clovis West High-Fresno de-committed from Cal in favor of Nebraska in April, and JT Shrout opted for Tennessee over the Bears in December.

Wilcox says that Ross Bowers will go into spring ball in a competition for the starting job with redshirt freshman Chase Garbers and South Carolina transfer Brandon McIlwain.