BERKELEY - Nyziah Hunter has seemingly come from nowhere this fall to emerge as one of the Cal football team's top wide receivers. He was the talk of the team after his performance in the season opener against UC Davis and much of the talk was about his spectacular first career scoring reception when he picked a ball up off his shoelaces for the Golden Bears' final touchdown of the day.

But wide receivers coach Burl Toler III was impressed by Hunter's performance long before that.

"He put two guys on their backs on the perimeter before he even touched the football," Toler aid as he pointed out that Hunter's first block came on his first-ever play with the Golden Bears.

It was a nearly 20-month journey behind the scenes for Hunter to go from a highly touted four-star recruit who arrived at Cal as a mid-year enrollee in January 2023 to his first game action for the Bears last Saturday.
Toler has played an important role in that journey.

"He taught me to just be patient and told me that my time was coming," Hunter said. "I have really stuck with that throughout these last 20 months."

"The transition from high school to college is never easy, but Nyziah embraced it," Toler said. "He knew there were a lot of things to work on. I have open conversations with him about a lot of things, and I'm able to be up front with him and let him know what he needs to work on."

And while almost no one outside the program was watching, Hunter was working. While his fellow receivers were chalking up 178 receptions for just over 2,000 yards last season, he was working. And when an extensive group of new wide receivers was brought in to compete with him for reps were on the practice field last spring, Hunter was working his way back from an injury that cost him all of spring ball.

And all that work got him … a spot running with third teamers when training camp started in late July.

But Hunter refused to let that discourage him and continued to work just like he had done the previous 19 months. When he finally got an opportunity to show what he could do in training camp, he was prepared to take advantage of it, and in addition to having Toler's support, he credited many of his new teammates that had been brought in to take his job.

"Bringing in all the new guys gave a boost to everybody in the room and gave us all the motivation to work hard," Hunter said. "It's really just about who's going to be the best that day."

On many days recently, including last Saturday against UC Davis, Hunter has been the best.

And at a team meeting Monday after the UC Davis win, Hunter was rewarded for his performance publicly when Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox presented him with a game ball for his performance against the Aggies.

The room erupted in applause.

"The room erupted because he was still a third stringer at the start of camp and then all of a sudden his hard work and dedication to the game paid off," said starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who began the 2023 campaign as a third-stringer himself. "Nyziah had a great game against UC Davis and was able to shine in the spotlight, and everyone respected that. They respect him as both a player and a person, and when people see it done the right way through hard work it is enjoyable for all of us."

"He's a guy that everybody in the room likes," Toler said. "He has a good relationship with a lot of guys and when it's time to lock in and be a leader, he can do that, too. He is not afraid to speak up when he knows something's not being done the right way, and if he doesn't do something the right way, he appreciates it when I get on him. Nyziah wants to learn."

And he's learned a lot from Toler.

"The best thing he has taught me on the field is my technique and to be decisive in my releases," Hunter said. "But he has also taught me a lot off the field – to be early for everything, sit in the front at class and be a leader."

So, is there anything the student would like the teacher to learn?

Hunter says he has not watched old game film of Toler when his position coach was a wide receiver for the Golden Bears two decades ago, but he must have seen some photos.

"His drip was not it," Hunter said with a laugh about Toler's gameday attire. "But he did play in the NFL so that really showed me that he knows a lot about football."

At this rate, Hunter may be doing the same, and he says he will be doing it with drip.

"I do got drip," Hunter confirmed.