Cal Sports Report

Highly Touted QB Jaden Rashada Cuts His List to Five; Cal Not On It

Pittsburg Star pushed his decision date back, but also eliminated the two Pac-12 schools that were in contention

Jake Curtis

Jaden Rashada, the Pittsburg (Calif.) High School star who is rated the fourth-best quarterback prospect in the class of 2023 by Sports Illustrated, announced this week that he has pushed his decision date back from June 18 to June 26, and he also said he cut his list of schools of interest from seven down to five.

Cal and Oregon were on his list of seven finalists a week ago, but neither was on his new list of five finalists, which now includes Texas A&M, Miami, Mississippi, Florida and LSU. His announcement is now scheduled for June 26, his grandmother's birthday, and it will made on CBS Sports HQ.

With Rashada taking Cal off his list, the Golden Bears’ best chance to land a quality quarterback prospect in 2023 rests with Luke Duncan, a three-star recruit from Miramonte High School in Orinda, Calif., who is expected to choose Cal. Duncan reportedly also has offers from San Jose State, UNLV and San Diego State, and 247 Sports ranks him as the 25th-best quarterback recruit in the class. Cal reportedly is his No. 1 choice, although he has not announced his decision.

However, Rashada is the player who could have made a major impact on the Cal program. 

The Bears were hoping their early interest in Rashada and the proximity of the Cal campus to Rashada’s Bay Area home might be enough to persuade Rashada to choose Cal. The Golden Bears reportedly were among Rashada’s favorites early in the recruiting process, but as his stock rose, other schools took a greater interest in him. In recent days it became clear that Cal was a long shot, so it does not come as a surprise that Rashada took Cal off his list of finalists.

Here is how Sports Illustrated recruiting editor John Garcia ranked the top five quarterbacks in the class of 2023 in a June 16 report:

1. Nico Iamaleava

2. Arch Manning

3. Dante Moore

4. Jaden Rashada

5. Malachi Nelson

Rivals ranks Rashada as the sixth-best pro-style quarterback in the class and the No. 33 overall prospect.

The 247 Sports site rates Rashada as the fifth-best quarterback prospect and the 29th-best prospect overall. The 247 Sports Composite rankings, which calculate an average of the rankings of the major media recruiting services, places Rashada at No. 7 among quarterbacks in the class and 45th overall.

SI’s Garcia said this about Rashada:

Rashada, who commits on Saturday with buzz surrounding Florida and Texas A&M most, has a skill set and tall and slim build similar to that of Nelson. We saw the two compete against one another last weekend and each had their moments, though Rashada seemed to push the ball down the field with a bit more ease. A smooth motion and confident demeanor allow the Pittsburg (Calif.) star to take good chances to second- and third-level targets. Comfortable on the run or in the pocket, the ball has juice on it when it leaves Rashada's hands. Similar to Iamaleava, the offseason circuit has been a good one for the stock of the Californian, who has out-performed some of the country's best on multiple occasions along the way. Doing it in L.A. could be the icing on the cake for his rise following an efficient run in the fall complete with another strong ratio (27:5).

Rashada 2021 Stats: 2,220 yards, 27 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 1 rushing TD at Pittsburg (Calif.) High School

Initial SI Evaluation of Rashada:

· Tall, slim athlete with big arm and smooth release

· Easy velocity down the field with enough power to keep defenses honest inside the pocket or out

· Enough mobility to control the pocket and avoid the rush

· Confident and willing to take chances on occasion

· Can work off-speed and show touch as needed

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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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