Cal Transfer WR J.Michael Sturdivant Commits to UCLA

Golden Bears will have to face their former standout receiver before he heads to the Big Ten

Wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant, who caught 65 passes for Cal in 2022 before entering the transfer portal, has committed to UCLA for next season.

Sturdivant made the announcement on social media.

Now the Bears will have to defend against Sturdivant, who remained in the Pac-12 and has three years or eligibility remaining.  (The dates for 2023 Pac-12 football games are expected to be released soon, but Cal will play UCLA in Los Angeles on a date yet to be determined.) Cal will only have to deal with Sturdivant for the 2023 season, however, as Sturdivant and the Bruins will move to the Big Ten for the 2024 season, giving Studivant two seasons in that conference.

Whether that was a consideration for Sturdivant is unclear, but he certainly has NFL potential.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Studivant, who is from Texas, was Cal's highest rated recruit in the class of 2021, and he was selected to several freshman All-America teams as a redshirt freshman in 2022 when he had 65 catches for 755 yards an seven touchdowns. He combines good speed with attractive size.

Margin Hooks, who is Sturdivant's trainer, told 247Sports that the departures of starting quarterback Jack Plummer and backup Kai Millner played a role in his decision to enter the transfer potal.

Hooks said the departures Cal starting quarterback Jack Plummer and backup Kai Millner to the portal played the biggest part in Sturdivant opting to explore his options.

It is unclear who UCLA's quarterback will be next season, but it won't be Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who was the Bruins quarterback the past five years. Eventually, UCLA's quarterback is likely to be incoming freshman Dante Moore, who was rated the No. 1 recruit in the country by Sports Illustrated.

The Bruins lose their top two receivers from this past season -- Jake Bobo and Kazmeir Allen, the latter declaring for the NFL draft.

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Cover photo of J.Michael Sturdivant by Darren Yamashita, USA TODAY Sports

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