Cal Sports Report

Report: UNLV Transfer WR/Kick Returner Jacob De Jesus Commits to Cal

De Jesus was an all-conference punt returner this season and was the offensive star of UNLV's victory over Cal in the LA Bowl

Jake Curtis

UNLV Rebels wide receiver Jacob De Jesus
UNLV Rebels wide receiver Jacob De Jesus / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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UNLV transfer wide receiver and all-conference punt-returner Jacob De Jesus has committed to Cal, according to the Rivals website. De Jesus has not confirmed the commitment himself, and no other sites have reported his commitment to the Bears.

The 5-foot-7, 175-pound De Jesus spent two seasons at UNLV and was a senior this past season. But he spent his first two seasons at Modesto Junior College, and the NCAA ruled last month that players who played football at a junior college would get an addition year of eligibility at a four-year school.

In 2024, De Jesus caught 36 passes for 512 yards and three touchdowns for the 11-3 Rebels. He was also a first-team All-Mountain West selection as a punt returner, averaging 10.1 yards per return.

De Jesus was productive in UNLV's victory over Cal in the LA Bowl, and was named the offensive MVP of that game after recording 142 all-purpose yards. He caught two passes for 38 yards and a touchdown, and returned three punts for 75 yards. He also returned kicks in that game. His 9-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter (which was really a run) put UNLV ahead to stay, and his 38-yard punt return in the fourth quarter led to the Rebels' final touchdown in their 24-13 victory over Cal.

De Jesue was more productive as a junior when he caught 60 passes for 606 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 16.1 yards on punt returns and 25.7 yards on kickoff per returns that season, and was named a second-team All-American kick returner by USA Today.

De Jesus is from Manteca, California, and Morehead State was the only school besides UNLV to offer him a scholarship coming out of Manteca High School.

After he entered the transfer portal last month, De Jesus visited Purdue before choosing Cal.

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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