Editor's note: The video above is a 1-on-1 interview with Jared Goff from CSN Bay Area's Sportstalk Live on Nov. 3.
BERKELEY -- California landed a pair of mid-level prospects who will have the first crack at replacing NFL-bound quarterback Jared Goff.
Victor Viramontes, a three-star quarterback from California, signed with the Golden Bears on Wednesday and will join three-star early enrollee Max Gilliam. The two figure to be the leading contenders for the top spot among a group of five total quarterbacks on the roster.
Viramontes, interestingly, was originally committed to Jim Harbaugh's Michigan Wolverines before flipping to Cal.
Whoever replaces Goff -- who recently declared for the NFL draft following his junior season -- will have plenty of new wide receivers to throw to. Melquise Stoval -- a four-star prospect who committed in January -- leads the group, but there is definite size elsewhere, including 6'5'', 220-pound Logan Gamble.
The Bears also added much-needed depth to the secondary, signing three-star Nygel Edmonds of Tennessee, Josh Drayden from Texas and Camryn Bynum from California.
Other things to know
Top 25 class: No
Best in class: WR Melquise Stoval, California
Best of the rest: CB Nygel Edmonds, Tennessee
Late addition: RB Zion Echols, California
One that got away: Three-star offensive guard Francisco Perez had verbally committed to Cal before switching plans and instead signing with UCLA.
How they'll fit in: Because he arrived on campus in September, Gilliam has a slight edge on the starting quarterback job but don't make too much of it just yet. Viramontes is a 240-pound athlete who has a strong arm and is a capable runner, two traits that fit in well with coach Sonny Dykes' Bear Raid offense. There are three other quarterbacks on the roster, including Luke Rubenzer who was Goff's backup in 2014 before switching to defense in 2015.
CSN Bay Area staff contributed to this report
