CAL TAKES GAMBLE, LANDS TALL 3-STAR WIDEOUT

Logan Gamble of St. Anthony (Long Beach) is PAC-12 bound after committing to a scholarship from Cal-Berkeley on Monday, June 15 (photo by Lorenzo J. Reyna). 

Logan Gamble’s family tree has some Cal-Berkeley colors on it.

The wide receiver/tight end/defensive end from St. Anthony High School in Long Beach said four of his relatives, including both of his grandparents, are proud Cal alums.

Now, Gamble will be added to the Golden Bear family lineage, as the versatile Class of 2016 playmaker made his verbal commitment to Cal on Monday, June 15.

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Gamble chose the Golden Bears over scholarship pledges from Arizona, Virginia, Washington State, San Diego State, Fresno State, San Jose State and Wyoming.

The decision to join Cal wasn’t just meant to continue a household tradition. Gamble said it was mainly the coaching staff who helped persuade him to join the PAC-12 University as they pilfered him to play wide receiver.

“I loved the way they recruited me,” Gamble said. “I loved every single one of those guys. I’m excited about going up there on another visit and I'm looking forward to being a player. I’m super excited about the coaching staff and the legacy of becoming a Cal Golden Bear.”

On the field, Gamble has the appearance of an average high school basketball forward with his height and lack of enormous muscle fiber. However, don’t let the skinny physique fool you.

At defensive end, he fires off from his three-point stance like a track sprinter in a dash event. Then he knifes through an opening along the offensive line and smacks his shoulder pads into a running back, planting him violently into the grass. The way he hits someone makes him look like he’s a bullish 300-pound nose tackle swallowing up a ball carrier.

But it’s at wide receiver where Gamble devours his opponents. His height advantage, feet, routes, separation and yards after the catch gets him to become a six-point threat.

Gamble uses his 6-foot-6 frame to win the jump ball battle in the red zone. His next attribute is his speed after the catch, as Gamble goes into another gear and accelerates to the end zone while the secondary plays catch-up.

Another strength is his mean streak. Gamble scraps for the football when defensive backs try to jam him at the line or latch onto him during coverage.

Golden Bear fans have to be excited about a tall, tough, playmaking wide receiver who can add more points to an already dynamic offense. Last season, the 5-7 Bears ranked second in the PAC-12 in scoring offense with an average of 38.3 points per game. 

Cal’s Bear Raid attack – which operates without a huddle and has quarterback Jared Goff annihilating defensive schemes - also ranked third in the conference with 495.2 yards per game. 

“The offense is already super exciting,” Gamble said. “You couldn’t be more excited about a super offense that’s become a super power in the PAC-12.”

Gamble adds that he’ll likely line up as an inside slot receiver once he puts on the Cal blue and gold.

Another thing that should get Golden Bear fans energized about the arrival of the 3-star Gamble is that he’s not planning to keep his recruiting options open.

“I’m 100% committed to the California Golden Bears,” Gamble said.