Another day, another Bear. Cal football bolstered an already impressive class of 2021 with the commitment of wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant.
A track athlete and star football player in high school, Sturdivant brings speed and play-making ability to a Bears squad that improved dramatically along those lines last season. His 4.67 40-yard dash time and towering height could become familiar facets of future games at California Memorial Stadium should he find success with Cal wide receivers coach Burl Toler and new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave.
The wideout from Flower Mound, Texas, is listed as a three-star prospect by rivals and as a four-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports, both of whom rate the new Bear in their top 200 prospects in the nation. Sturdivant is the blue and gold’s fifth four-star recruit, according to 247Sports — giving Cal the No. 48-ranked class in the country.
Many of those highly rated prospects will become key pieces in future blue and gold offenses, as Sturdivant joins fellow ESPN 300 prospects wide receiver Mavin Anderson, tight end Jermaine Terry and quarterback Kai Millner in committing to Cal.
The 6’2” wide receiver caught multiple offers from Power Five schools, including powerhouses Michigan and Notre Dame. After receiving an offer from the blue and gold nearly a year ago, Sturdivant placed the Bears among his top four programs, and ultimately committed his future to the Bay rather than in-state rival UCLA, College Football Playoff semifinalist Oklahoma or defending national champion LSU.