New Verbal: OG Brian Schwenke

Cal received a new verbal commit over the weekend: Offensive Guard Brian Schwenke out of Oceanside High School.

Schwenke (who looks like a blown up Hansen brother although I'd never say that to his face...even though he kinda does) is listed at Scout.com as a 3 star 6'3 255 lbs guard, and the 41st best at his position. Schwenke had also received offers from Oregon, Colorado, Stanford, and Oregon State among others.

Considered to be a bit undersized as for a guard, Schwenke is blessed with incredible athleticism (running a 4.85 40 yard dash) and is apparently pretty smart to boot, boasting an impressive 3.9 GPA. Says Schwenke:

"It finally came down to Cal and Stanford. I want to major in engineering, and both schools have great engineering schools. In the end, I chose Cal because the football program is better right now." (NC Times)

So what he's saying is that seven years ago, he would have gone with Stanford when Cal went 1-10 as opposed to Stanford's 9-3 season. Then again, seven years ago, Schwenke would have been 11.

Here's what ESPN had to say about him:

"Schwenke is a very scrappy offensive tackle. He is undersized at 6'4" and just 250 pounds but he plays with a lot of heart. Even though his rear end is a little low in his stance, he comes off the ball low and hard and gets off very quickly. Tends to get slightly high after initial contact but that could be corrected with stance adjustment. Athletic lineman that has good leg drive and body control. Uses hands well on base block and really stays after the defender. Excellent reach blocker. Takes good quick lateral step and fits into outside half of defensive ends body. Runs legs on contact knocking back defender and shortening the perimeter. Shows mobility getting to second and third levels. Gives great effort seeking out opposition. Locks on to defenders most of the time but must be careful not to try and turn the defensive player too soon. Solid pass protector that keeps good relationship between rusher and quarterback. Shuffles feet and maintains balance. Must be careful not to attack pass rusher too quick; needs to have some patience. Schewenke is a very good lineman that can excel at the next level if he gains lower body strength and bulk. He can potentially play either guard or tackle. Athletic enough to be a difference maker up front."