Defensive back Alius Mayo is set to make his college decision on August 2, and Cal remains firmly in the mix for the nation’s No. 1 junior college prospect in the class of 2027.
Mayo, who will begin his sophomore season at Modesto Junior College this fall, has drawn offers from a long list of major programs. Cal, Alabama, LSU, Louisville, Arizona State, Mississippi State and Houston are among the schools in the hunt for the 6-foot-4, 190-pound defensive back. Both 247Sports and Rivals/On3 have him ranked as the top JUCO player in his class.
The latest buzz points to Alabama as the favorite. 247Sports lists Cal and Alabama as the leading contenders, while Rivals/On3 gives Alabama a 61.4% chance to land him and Cal a 20.1% chance as of July 27. Every other school in the mix is listed below 3 percent.
Mayo has only taken two visits so far: Cal on June 12 and Alabama on June 18. That keeps the Bears in the conversation, even if the numbers lean toward Tuscaloosa.
For Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi, Mayo fits right into a recruiting push that has emphasized Northern California talent. Mayo would be a major test case, though, because Cal is battling heavyweight programs for a player with national attention.
Mayo’s profile has taken off since his freshman season at Modesto Junior College. He played in 11 games in 2025 for a 9-3 team that fell to San Mateo College in the Northern California Football Conference championship game.
He put up 30 tackles, including 25 solo stops, added one tackle for loss and picked off one pass. He was also one of the few freshman starters on a roster mostly filled with sophomores.
His athletic traits have only added to the intrigue. Mayo says he has a 44-inch vertical jump, and he posted a season highlights message that included “Full Season highlights! #AG2G✝️▫️3.6 GPA▫️1st Team All-Conference DB▫️6’4 190lb▫️Modesto JC ▫️44’ vertical▫️@CoachAbbasi @JUCOFFrenzy @CoachMays21 @MJCFootball @CoachJacks209 @JuCoFootballACE pic.twitter.com/aKRk4vdQ8U”
A Stockton native, Mayo played high school football at Lincoln High School. Coming out of Lincoln, he drew interest from Fresno State, Sacramento State, Portland State and UC Davis, though there is no indication he received offers.
Cal’s 2027 class is already stacking up well. The Bears’ group is ranked 20th nationally by 247Sports Composite, 23rd by Rivals Industry Composite and 21st by ESPN, which described Cal’s class as one built around “versatile, athletic playmakers, particularly from its strong in-state footprint. This class aims to inject speed, size and aggressiveness along with players who bring multi-positional flexibility and high developmental ceilings to compete in the ACC.”
The Bears already have three defensive backs committed in the class: Jeovanni Henley, Kamil Loud and Duvay Williams. Loud and Williams are both four-star recruits.
Cal also has a strong track record of sending defensive backs to the NFL. The Bears have had at least one defensive back selected in each of the past seven NFL drafts, the longest streak of any college, and 11 former Cal defensive backs are currently on NFL preseason rosters.
In Other News...
Cal Baseball Just Got A Long Overdue Hall Of Fame Moment
Jeff Kents Hall of Fame induction in Cooperstown gave Cal baseball a moment it had waited a long time to claim, even if the Golden Bears had to watch it unfold from afar. The former Cal standout was elected by the contemporary baseball era committee in December 2025, clearing the bar with 14 of 16 votes and capping a 17-year major league career that made him one of the most productive infield bats of his generation.
Kents resume already stood on its own, from five All-Star selections to the home run record for a second baseman, but the Hall call adds a different kind of permanence to his baseball footprint. For Cal, it is the sort of recognition that lingers beyond one ceremony, a reminder that one of its own finally reached the sports highest stage and did it with a career built on consistency, power and longevity. [Read more 🡒]