Cal football recruiting: scouting take on wide receiver Carlos Strickland

For Cal fans, there hasn't been that much to get excited about the last few years, aside from Jared Goff. The future is starting to look brighter though and the light really started to come through tonight when they picked up a commitment from 4 star wide receiver Carlos Strickland.

He's the highest ranked player currently committed in their class and is going to be an exciting player to watch during his career in the Pac-12.

What kind of player are the Bears getting in Strickland?

Carlos Strickland - 4 star wide receiver

Strickland has ideal size for the position. He's a big target that needs to fill out a little bit, but still is a matchup nightmare for most cornerbacks because of his height. He has very good long speed and is a smooth, but not sudden, athlete.

He does a tremendous job of beating press coverage at the line of scrimmage. He uses his hands well to swat away when defenders try to put their hands on him and will fight through jams. It's one of the things, along with his size, that make him such a good target in the red zone. He is not going to beat you over the top. Players may try and take away the inside, but he shows he can beat that.

He's a natural hands catcher that also displays good body control and adjusts well to the football when its in the air. He threatens after the catch because of his toughness and effort to fight through tackles. That is more of his game than him making defenders miss in the open field.

He flashes the ability to be a great blocker in the run game as well, which should help him get on the field on a consistent basis as a freshman.

Strickland has all of the tools to develop into a number one receiver in the Bear Raid offense and will likely have the chance to make an immediate impact.