BERKELEY – Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox announced Wednesday that quarterback Sam Jackson V will join Cal as a member of the program's 2023 recruiting class. Jackson will be a third-year sophomore in 2023 with three seasons of collegiate eligibility remaining when he arrives in Berkeley later this month. He spent his first two collegiate campaigns at 2022 national runner-up TCU.

"Sam is a young and talented athlete who is developing rapidly as a quarterback," Wilcox said. "We are excited to get him started in our program and continue to accelerate his development."

Jackson saw action in each of his first two seasons at TCU, where 2022 Heisman Trophy finalist Max Duggan started 42 games over the past four campaigns. He played in a combined seven games as a 2021 true freshman and 2022 redshirt freshman, completing all six of his pass attempts for 140 yards while adding 15 rushes for 79 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Jackson was a four-star recruit of ESPN and On3, who also ranked Jackson as high as the No. 9 quarterback in the nation (No. 73 player overall) despite playing only one full season at the position as a prep in the Chicago area at Naperville Central HS, where he passed for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns during his 2019 junior before COVID wiped out his 2020 senior campaign. Jackson played wide receiver as a 2018 sophomore and contributed 50 receptions for 847 yards with 14 touchdown catches.

Cal has now announced the first 20 members of its 2023 recruiting class including 11 transfers who will be mid-year enrollees this month – TE Asher Alberding, ILB Sergio Allen, TE J.T. Byrne, RB Byron Cardwell, WR Brian Hightower, Jackson, DB Matthew Littlejohn, DB Kaylin Moore, RB Justin Williams-Thomas, DB Nohl Williams and P Lachlan Wilson.

Cal also signed nine prep players during the early signing period last month that will arrive in Berkeley in June – DL Tiumalu Afalava, DL Zurich Ashford, WR Nyziah Hunter, TE Ben Marshall, OLB Ryan McCulloch, RB Jaivian Thomas, ILB Cade Uluave, DB Sai Vadrawale and ATH Frederick Williams III.

2023 Cal Football Recruiting Class (As Of January 11, 2023)

NAME – POS – HT – WT – YR – EXP – HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOLS) – DATE ANNOUNCED
Tiumalu Afalava – DL – 6-2 – 275 – Fr. – 1st – Baldwin Park, CA (Bishop Amat HS) – December 21, 2022
^Asher Alberding – TE – 6-4 – 260 – R-Jr. – 5th – Houston, TX (North Texas/Clear Lake HS) – January 9, 2023
^Sergio Allen – ILB – 6-1 – 225 – R-So. – 3rd – Fort Valley, GA (Clemson/Peach County HS) – December 21, 2022
Zurich Ashford – DL – 6-2 – 275 – Fr. – 1st – Las Vegas, NV (Arbor View HS) – December 21, 2022
^J.T. Byrne – TE – 6-5 – 250 – R-So. – 3rd – Carmel, CA (Oregon State/Carmel HS) – January 6, 2023
^Byron Cardwell – RB – 6-0 – 210 – R-So. – 4th – San Diego, CA (Oregon/Morse HS/St. Augustine's HS) – December 21, 2022
^Brian Hightower – WR – 6-3 – 220 – R-Sr. – 6th – Los Angeles, CA (Illinois/Miami/IMG Academy) – January 10, 2023
Nyziah Hunter – WR – 6-2 – 200 – Fr. – 1st – Salinas, CA (Salinas HS) – December 21, 2022
^Sam Jackson V – QB – 5-11 – 190 – R-So. – 3rd – Chicago, IL (TCU/Naperville Central HS/Bolingbrook HS) – January 11, 2023
^Matthew Littlejohn – DB – 5-11 – 180 – R-Jr. – 3rd – San Antonio, TX (Citrus College/Stevens HS) – December 21, 2022
Ben Marshall – TE – 6-4 – 220 – Fr. – 1st – Murfreesboro, TN (Blackman HS) – December 21, 2022
Ryan McCulloch – OLB – 6-3 – 240 – Fr. – 1st – Duarte, CA (Rio Hondo Prep) – December 21, 2022
^Kaylin Moore – DB – 5-10 – 185 – Jr. – 3rd – Westlake Village, CA (Colorado/Oaks Christian HS) – December 21, 2022
Jaivian Thomas – RB – 5-10 – 175 – Fr. – 1st – Oakland, CA (McClymonds HS) – December 21, 2022
Cade Uluave – ILB – 6-1 – 230 – Fr. – 1st – South Jordan, UT (Mountain Ridge HS) – December 21, 2022
Sai Vadrawale – DB – 5-11 – 170 – Fr. – 1st – Concord, CA (Rancho Cotate HS) – December 21, 2022
^Nohl Williams – DB – 6-1 – 185 – Jr. – 4th – Oxnard, CA (UNLV/Pacifica HS) – December 21, 2022
Frederick Williams III – ATH – 6-5 – 265 – Fr. – 1st – Los Angeles, CA (Junipero Serra HS) – December 21, 2022
^Justin Williams-Thomas – RB – 6-0 – 215 – R-Fr. – 2nd – Dallas, GA (Tennessee/East Paulding HS) – January 9, 2023
^Lachlan Wilson – P – 6-3 – 195 – R-Jr. – 5th – Eaglemont, Australia (Tulsa/Xavier College) – December 23, 2022
^January 2023 Enrollee