BERKELEY – Head coach Sonny Dykes announced Cal's 2016 recruiting class Wednesday on National Signing Day. The class consists of 25 players as of Cal's Signing Day Press Conference.

“The most important thing you do is recruit student-athletes who can come to Cal and be successful,” Dykes said. “There are three criteria for us in recruiting. The first is that we always recruit student-athletes that can come to Cal and thrive at this university, the second is that we want to recruit very good football players who have a tremendous passion for the game, and the third is that we want recruit high character young men who are unselfish and want to be a part of a team and build something special.”

“The good thing is that we checked all the boxes with this recruiting class,” Dykes added. “They're all good students, they're all outstanding people socially and are going to do the right things off the field, and I think they're all good football players. It's a good group.”

An emphasis of the class was signing student-athletes who have experience winning championships including four that were members of state title prep teams in Traveon Beck (DB – Paramount, CA/St. John Bosco HS), Jordan Duncan (WR – Hattiesburg, MS/Oak Grove HS), Matt Laris (WR – Renton, CA/Eastside Catholic HS) and Evan Weaver (Spokane, WA/Gonzaga Prep).

All of the state champions were among a list of 16 student-athletes that have captured at least a share of a league or district title with the others Camryn Bynum (DB – Corona, CA/Centennial HS), Josh Drayden (DB – DeSoto, TX/Bishop Dunne HS), Zion Echols (RB – Glendora, CA/Charter Oak HS), Logan Gamble (WR – Seal Beach, CA/St. Anthony's HS), Cameron Goode (LB – Spring, TX/Klein Collins HS), Daniel Juarez (OL – Corona, CA/Centennial HS), Drew Kobayashi (WR – Honolulu, HI/Saint Louis HS), Tevin Paul (DL – Austin, TX/Lake Travis HS), Melquise Stovall (WR – Lancaster, CA/Paraclete HS), Chinedu Udeogu (DL – Inverness, IL/Georgetown Prep), Dwayne Wallace (OL – Riverside, CA/Riverside City College/King HS) and Gentle Williams (OL – Florence, MS/Florence HS).

“It's really important to recruit players that know how to win and have been part of a winning program,” Dykes said. “When you look at this recruiting class you can go right down the list of guys and most of them have played at very successful programs. It's really remarkable. You want to recruit winners. You want to recruit guys that understand the team dynamic, that have been successful, that know how to handle success, that know how to play football at the very highest level. I'm really excited that these guys know how to win, know how to compete and know what it takes to be successful.”

Cal also has the highest number of mid-year enrollees in school history in the signing class with eight members already in school in Berkeley who will be joining the team for spring practice. The list includes Rusty Becker (DL – Maple Grove, MN/Minnesota State Community and Technical College/Maple Grove HS), Derrick Clark (RB – San Diego, CA/Mission Bay HS), Jake Curhan (OL – Larkspur, CA/Redwood HS), Duncan, Max Gilliam (QB – Thousand Oaks, CA/Thousand Oaks HS), Stovall, Jordan Veasy (WR – Gadsden, AL/Golden West College/Faulkner/Gadsden City HS) and Wallace.

“The good thing is that we've recruited well so there will be good competition between guys that are developing from last year and our mid-year enrollees and junior college transfers,” Dykes said. “Some of the guys that are coming in will have a chance to compete early and others are going to develop and become really good players down the road. It's a good combination of both.”

Cal stocked up at several positions with the large class notably at wide receiver by adding six student-athletes headlined by Stovall, a consensus four-star recruit who played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and was also an All-State pick. Ranked as the nation's No. 3 all-purpose back in the 2016 recruiting class by 247Sports, Stovall capped a prolific prep career as a two-way player and special teams standout with his All-American selection as a 2015 senior when he registered 1,847 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns by scoring in five different ways (interception return, kick return, punt return, receiving, rushing). Stovall had even bigger numbers during his 2014 junior campaign when he recorded 2,455 all-purpose yards and 24 total touchdowns.

The team's other five wide receiver signees – Duncan (73-1101, 12 TD), Gamble (67-1136, 8 TD), Kobayashi (34-695, 4 TD), Laris (67-1098, 10 TD) and Veasy (63-1036, 11 TD) – all had productive 2015 seasons with Duncan picking up four recruiting stars and an All-State selection for the second consecutive campaign. Gamble, Laris and Kobayashi were also All-State picks.

The recruiting class also features two four-star quarterbacks that were productive both throwing and passing the ball as 2015 seniors in Gilliam and Victor Viramontes (Norco, CA/Norco HS). Gilliam is the nation's No. 6 dual-threat quarterback in the 2016 recruiting class according to Rivals and earned All-State honors while registering 4,079 yards of total offense. He was responsible for 50 touchdowns as he completed 217-of-294 passes (73.8%) for 3,413 yards with 40 touchdowns and five interceptions for a 144.5 quarterback rating, while adding another 666 yards 10 touchdowns rushing. Viramontes, who ranks as the nation's No. 12 athlete according to 247Sports, threw for 2,085 yards and 21 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,112 yards and 17 scores.

Cal signed two running backs in Derrick Clark (San Diego, CA/Mission Bay HS) and Echols that also had productive campaigns in 2015. Echols is a four-star recruit that earned All-State honors in his final prep season when he produced 2,808 all-purpose yards and 44 total touchdowns including 2,147 yards rushing and 37 scores on the ground. Clark ran for 1,361 yards and 13 touchdowns, while he is also the No. 23 running back in the nation according to Rivals.

Curhan, Juarez, Wallace and Williams are the team's four offensive line recruits. Wallace was an All-American and All-State selection as a 2014 junior college freshman who is the nation's No. 4 junior college offensive lineman according to multiple media outlets, while Curhan, Juarez and Williams were each All-State picks as 2015 prep seniors.

The most productive player in 2015 coming into Cal on the defensive side of the ball in the 2016 recruiting class was Weaver, who racked up 125 tackles, 37.0 tackles for loss and 24.0 sacks to earn Washington State Player of the Year honors as a 2015 senior while adding nearly 1,000 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on the ground.

The four other defensive linemen joining Weaver in the 2016 recruiting class are Becker, Paul, Udeogu and Chris Yaghi (Santa Ana, CA/Foothill HS). Paul, Udeogu and Yaghi were All-State selections.

Cal also signed five defensive backs in four-star recruit Nygel Edmonds (Smyrna, GA/McCallie HS) who is ranked as high as the No. 17 cornerback in the country as well as Beck, Bynum, Drayden, and Marloshawn Franklin (Detroit, MI/Mesa Community College/Chandler HS). Beck was an All-State selection as a 2015 senior.

Goode is the lone linebacker in the class.

Cal's 25-player recruiting class totals 14 offensive players and 11 on the defensive side of the ball, while players hail from 10 states including 12 from California, three from Texas, two each from Mississippi and Washington, and one each from Alabama, Illinois, Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan and Minnesota.

Cal is scheduled to begin its 2016 spring football practice sessions at Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium on Monday, March 7 (3:30 pm PT). The majority of Cal's spring football workouts and Pro Day on Friday, March 18 (9 am PT) will be open to the public. Spring workouts will conclude on Cal Day with the Cal Football Spring Game televised live by Pac-12 Networks on Saturday, April 16 (11 am PT).

The 2016 Cal football season will begin with the first college football game ever in Sydney, Australia, on August 27 and feature six home contests at Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium, including five Pac-12 games following the home opener Sept. 17 against Texas. The Bears will host their first conference game Oct. 1 against Utah and play a Friday night home contest vs. Oregon on Oct. 21 before finishing the regular season with three of its final four games at home against Washington (Nov. 5), Stanford (Nov. 19) and UCLA (Nov. 26). 

Cal finished the 2015 campaign with an 8-5 overall record for the most victories by the Bears since 2009 and capped the season with a victory at the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl for its first postseason win since 2008 in its first bowl appearance since 2011. The seven-win turnaround over the last two seasons under Dykes is tied for the second best in school history behind only the eight-win improvement from a 2-10 mark in 1946 to a 10-1 record in 1948.

“We're having an opportunity to recruit a completely different type of student-athlete now than we were a few years ago,” Dykes said. “We've fixed our academic issues and that has allowed us to recruit student-athletes who place a high importance on an education that is very important to them. It allows us to recruit against any institution that puts a premium on academics. We can go into a young man's home and show them that we're graduating our players and helping them prepare for great job opportunities when they finish here. We're really proud of the development of our players on the field, in the classroom and getting them prepared for their careers.”

CalBears.com along with the Cal football Twitter (@CalFootball), Instagram (Cal_Football) and Snapchat (CalFootball) social media accounts provide coverage of Cal football. Fans can join in the conversation on National Signing Day using the hashtags #GoBears, #CalFamily, #2016NSD and #SigningDay.

Cal football season-ticket renewals are in progress and fans who were not 2015 season-ticket holders can place a $100 deposit now to secure seats at Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium for the 2016 campaign. For more information about 2016 football season tickets, visit CalBears.com/tickets or call (800) GO BEARS (462-3277).

2016 Cal Football Recruiting Class (as of February 3, 2016)
NAME – POS – HT – WT – YR – EXP – HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOLS)
Traveon Beck – DB – 5-10 – 165 – Fr. – HS – Paramount, CA (St. John Bosco HS)
Rusty Becker% – DL – 6-4 – 265 – Jr. – JC – Maple Grove, MN (Minnesota State Community and Technical College/Maple Grove HS)
Camryn Bynum – DB – 6-1 – 180 – Fr. – HS – Corona, CA (Centennial HS)
Derrick Clark* – RB – 5-11 – 195 – Fr. – HS – San Diego, CA (Mission Bay HS)
Jake Curhan^ – OL – 6-7 – 320 – Fr. – HS – Larkspur, CA (Redwood HS)
Josh Drayden – DB – 5-11 – 175 – Fr. – HS – DeSoto, TX (Bishop Dunne HS)
Jordan Duncan# – WR – 6-2 – 195 – Fr. – HS – Hattiesburg, MS (Oak Grove HS)
Zion Echols – RB – 5-10 – 175 – Fr. – HS – Glendora, CA (Charter Oak HS)
Nygel Edmonds – DB – 6-0 – 195 – Fr. – HS – Smyrna, GA (McCallie HS)
Marloshawn Franklin – DB – 6-0 – 180 – Jr. – JC – Detroit, MI (Mesa Community College/Chandler HS)
Logan Gamble – WR – 6-6 – 190 – Fr. – HS – Seal Beach, CA (St. Anthony HS)
Max Gilliam+ – QB – 6-2 – 205 – Fr. – HS – Thousand Oaks, CA (Thousand Oaks HS)
Cameron Goode – LB – 6-4 – 200 – Fr. – HS – Spring, TX (Klein Collins HS)
Daniel Juarez – OL – 6-6 – 305 – Fr. – HS – Corona, CA (Centennial HS)
Drew Kobayashi – WR – 6-3 – 200 – Fr. – HS – Honolulu, HI (Saint Louis HS)
Matt Laris – WR – 6-4 – 220 – Fr. – HS – Renton, WA (Eastside Catholic HS)
Tevin Paul – DL – 6-5 – 270 – Fr. – HS – Austin, TX (Lake Travis HS)
Melquise Stovall& – WR – 5-9 – 185 – Fr. – HS – Lancaster, CA (Paraclete HS)
Chinedu Udeogu – DL – 6-5 – 255 – Fr. – HS – Inverness, IL (Georgetown Prep)
Jordan Veasy% – WR – 6-3 – 215 – Jr. – JC – Gadsden, AL (Golden West College/Faulkner/Gadsden City HS)
Victor Viramontes – QB – 6-1 – 240 – Fr. – HS – Norco, CA (Norco HS)
Dwayne Wallace% – OL – 6-5 – 340 – Jr. – JC – Riverside, CA (Riverside City College/King HS)
Evan Weaver – DL – 6-3 – 24 – Fr. – HS – Spokane, WA (Gonzaga Prep)
Gentle Williams – OL – 6-4 – 280 – Fr. – HS – Florence, MS (Florence HS)
Chris Yaghi – DL – 6-5 – 270 – Fr. – HS – Santa Ana, CA (Foothill HS)
+Mid-year enrollee announced September 10, 2015; ^Mid-year enrollee announced September 16, 2015; #Mid-year enrollee announced September 17, 2015; *Mid-year enrollee announced December 4, 2015; %Mid-year enrollee announced December 16, 2015; &Mid-year enrollee announced January 1, 2016