Bears’ class is large — so are the O-linemen

Cal expects to ink nearly 20 prospects during football’s early signing period, setting the foundation for a 2018 class that projects to be both big on local players and just plain big.

Ten of the players are from Northern California and nine are linemen, including four on the offensive front who average better than 6-foot-6 and 296 pounds — keeping with the pledges Justin Wilcox made when he was hired.

The head coach had fewer than three weeks to cobble together last season’s middling, 14-player class, but his imprint is all over this one, a group most recruiting services are ranking among the nation’s top 40.

Wednesday starts a three-day early signing period, and after that, prospects can’t sign binding letters of intent until the first week of February — a full year after Wilcox started the process of injecting life into the program.

The recruiting class has only two players considered four-star prospects, but it illustrates Wilcox’s commitment to local players and toughness. The best of the bunch might be Nikko Remigio, who had 700-plus receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches for California Open Division champion Mater Dei High-Santa Ana, but Will Craig is a better example of the group.

The 6-foot-5, 270pound offensive lineman from Granite Bay High is so skilled that he might start as a freshman and is so tenacious that he also received Power 5 offers as a defensive lineman. He could be considered a runt compared with the other incoming offensive linemen, including giant locals Brandon Mello (Clayton Valley CharterConcord) and Miles Owens (Bishop O’Dowd High-Oakland).

Among other locals are College of San Mateo linebacker Colt Doughty and defensive linemen Nick Alftin (Mitty) and JH Tevis (Menlo SchoolAtherton). Defensive tackle Atonio Mafi of Serra High is believed to be leaning toward Cal over UCLA, one of two decisions that will add to the intrigue in Berkeley on Wednesday.

Quarterback JT Shrout verbally committed to the Bears in June, but the Hart High-Newhall student took an official visit to Tennessee last weekend and de-committed from Cal late Tuesday. The Bears made an offer to Zachary Wilson, a quarterback at Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah).