The California Golden Bears seem to be engaging in numerous recruiting battles for some of the best athletes all-around California, and one of their targets could be the best recruit in the state. Ellis McCarthy is a behemoth defensive tackle from Monrovia, and he is ranked highly by all the recruiting services.
- 2nd best defensive tackle in the country, 6th in Rivals 250.
- 6th best defensive tackle in country, 53rd in ESPNU 150.
- 5th best defensive tackle in Scout.
Ellis McCarthy: Monrovia High Class of 2012 - Junior Year (via utrhighlightvideos)
Watching him on tape is absurd. McCarthy nearly doubles the size of his blockers, and teams are often committing double/triple teams to keep him in check. It's clear that whoever gets McCarthy will have someone who should have someone who can ably plug the middle of the field as an interior linemen, either as a three technique defensive tackle or a nose guard/nose tackle.
McCarthy has been rumored to be favoring the USC Trojans for awhile, but Cal has found its way into the last cut of favorites. McCarthy told Adam Gorney of Rivals ($) that Cal and USC are his two favorites, with Washington, Oregon and Florida all in the mix (according to the WeAreSC staff). The Bears would love to add more depth inside for ace recruiter/defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi to lead into the trenches, and McCarthy could help give Cal a defensive edge they haven't seen in ages.
For more on Cal recruiting, check out the California Golden Blogs.