Cal Poly Announces 10 Football Signees to National Letter of Intent

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Beau Baldwin's third recruiting class at Cal Poly includes seven high school seniors, a pair of community college transfers and an Australian punter.

The 10-member class was announced Wednesday, the opening day of the National Letter of Intent's Early Signing Period for football. The period for high school student-athletes ends Friday while community college transfers who will enroll midyear have until Jan. 15 to sign during the Midyear JC Transfer Period. The Regular Signing Period for football runs from Feb. 2 through April 1 in Division I.

The Mustang newcomers include four wide receivers and one each for defensive back, defensive lineman, offensive lineman, quarterback, running back and the Australian punter.

"It's a little smaller class than what we have had before," said Baldwin, "but it was more of a selective process for us as we were looking at certain positions to fill. Our guys did a great job earmarking certain guys and that will help create more and more competition for us at various positions."

One of the seven high school players led his prep team to a state championship last week and a second played in the semifinals.

The signing announcement was made by Baldwin and Cal Poly director of athletics Don Oberhelman.

Cal Poly captured the Big Sky championship in its first season in the conference (2012), has claimed five conference titles in the last 17 years, including four in the eight-year existence of the Great West Conference (2004-11), and earned its fourth NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth in 2016. Cal Poly will announce its 2022 football schedule Thursday.

The signees (listed alphabetically):

Bryson Allen, WR, 6-3, 190, Tulare, Calif. (Tulare Union HS/College of Sequoias) Allen caught 81 passes for 1,668 yards and 15 touchdowns in two seasons at College of Sequoias, helping the Giants of head coach Travis Burkett to back-to-back 6-5 seasons and a pair of California Community College bowl games. A two-time first-team All-National Division Valley League selection and the league's offensive MVP in 2019, Allen caught 38 passes in 11 games as a freshman in 2019 and made 43 receptions as a sophomore in 2021. Sequoias played just two games iin the spring of 2021 after the 2020 fall season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Allen did not play in those two contests, leaving him with two seasons of eligibility. The Giants beat Merced 40-39 in overtime in the Valley Center Bowl on Dec. 2 in Merced and lost to Butte in the 2019 Gridiron Classic Bowl at Oroville. Allen made a career-high 10 catches twice, both this past fall, against Modesto in the regular season and versus Merced in the bowl game. He averaged 83.4 yards per game and 20.6 yards per catch in his Sequoias career. Allen is a 2018 graduate of Tulare Union High School. Under head coach Darren Bennett, Allen made 40 catches for 778 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior in 2017, leading the Tribe to a 13-1 record, first-place finish in the East Yosemite League, a CIF-Central Section Division 2 title and into the semifinal round of the NorCal Division 2-AA finals before falling to Serra of San Mateo for the Tribe's only loss of the year. He missed three games with a hip injury. As a junior in 2016, Allen had 16 catches for 194 yards in 10 games. He signed a National Letter of Intent with Sacramento State in 2018 and was a redshirt that year before transferring to College of Sequoias. Allen also played baseball at Tulare Union, hitting .312 as a junior in 2017 with 15 RBIs in 22 games and played two seasons of varsity basketball, notching 27 points and 33 rebounds in 25 career games.
Jasdev Banwait, OT, 6-5, 270, Elk Grove, Calif. (Monterey Trail HS/Sacramento CC) Banwait played one season of football at Sacramento City College this fall. Under head coach T.J. Ewing, the Panthers posted a 3-7 mark. Banwait is a 2021 graduate of Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove. The Mustangs won all five games in Banwait's senior season, which was played in the spring of 2021 and is the first undefeated team in school history. Under head coach Dannie Walker, Banwait made 18 tackles as a defensive lineman along with two pass breakups, a sack, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble, earning All-Metro honors from the Sacramento Bee. A team captain, Banwait also was named Monterey Trail's Lineman of the year. As a junior in 2019, Banwait rushed one time for four yards, made a catch for 36 yards, which resulted in a touchdown, and on defense notched 11 tackles, including two sacks, along with a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and one interception en route to first-team All-Metropolitan League as a tight end and defensive end. Banwait also was the Metro League Sportsmanship Player of the Year and earned Sacramento Bee All-Metro honorable mention praise. He had eight tackles and a fumble recovery as a sophomore when Monterey Trail went 12-2, 5-0 for first place in the Metropolitan League and the first of two straight second-place finishes in the CIF-Sac-Joaquin Section's Division I playoffs. Banwait also played two varsity basketball seasons, averaging 1.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 45 career games. He was a team captain in his junior season and helped the Mustangs earn their first playoff win. In track and field, Banwait has best marks of 44-8 in the shot put and 112-4 in the discus. Banwait chose to attend Cal Poly because it is "a great opportunity to continue my academic and athletic careers."
Logan Booher, WR, 6-2, 195, Long Beach, Calif. (St. John Bosco HS) Booher caught 22 passes for 429 yards and three touchdowns as a senior this fall under head coach Jason Negro at St. John Bosco. The Braves finished 10-2 overall, second in the Trinity League and lost to Servite 40-21 in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. Booher made a career-high five catches for 130 yards and one score in the 2021 season opener versus Alemany. As a junior in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, played in the spring of 2021, Booher notched 14 receptions for 168 yards and a pair of scores. Also recruited by Kansas, Brown, Portland State and Drake, Booher chose to be a Mustang because "I built a great relationship with the coaching staff, and the school had the complete package with football and academics. It also felt like home."
Jesse Ehrlich, P, 6-2, 175, Melbourne, Australia (Mount Scopus Memorial College) Erlich will vie for Cal Poly's job as a punter after excelling in swimming and track and field at Mount Scopus Memorial College in Burwood, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Ehrlich has a best mark of 30.98 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle and competed in the 100-meter hurdles on the track. Writes Aaron Perez, director and owner of The Punt Factory, "Jesse is a young and very talented punter. He is a lefty with a lot of room to grow and get stronger. Jesse has shown he can hit balls 50+-plus yards and 4.8-plus seconds of hang time. Coming from Australia, Jesse has a diverse set of skills and is very good with end over end rollouts as well as spiral rollouts. He is improving greatly on his directional, traditional punting and has a very quick get off. We believe with more improvement that Jesse can be one of the top punters in this class." Ehrlich also has attended the Chris Sailer Kicking Camp and achieved 5.0-plus hang times last August.
Nilasoni Finau, DL, 6-4, 312, Elk Grove, Calif. (Elk Grove HS) Under head coach John Heffernan at Elk Grove High School, Finau (no relation to Mustang offensive lineman Vatulele Finau) made 39 tackles in 12 games, including 24 solo stops, this fall, with 11 sacks, five pass breakups and three blocked field goals. He also kicked off eight times, four of them resulting in touchbacks. The Thundering Herd posted an 8-4 mark and second-place finish in the Delta League, reaching the semifinals of the CIF-Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs. Finau earned first-team All-Delta League honors and made the Sacramento Bee's Prep of Honor. Also recruited by Idaho State, Georgetown and Northern Colorado, Finau chose Cal Polly "because it feels like home when I am there. The education is fantastic and the area is beautiful. Overall, Cal Poly is a great school that I believe will benefit my academic and personal needs."
Paul Holyfield Jr., RB, 6-0, 180, Los Angeles, Calif. (Chaminade College Prep) Holyfield rushed for 456 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior under head coach Ed Croson at Chaminade College Prep in West Hills. He gained a season-high 135 yards on just nine carries, scoring three times, against Birmingham and added 106 yards on 12 trips and one score versus Cathedral. Holyfield also caught 24 passes for 339 yards and three scores, including a season-high seven receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown against Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks. He also was used sparingly on defense with two tackles and three pass breakups. Holyfield earned first-team All-Mission League accolades. Chaminade was 5-5 for the 2021 season, finishing fourth in the Mission League and qualifying for the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 playoffs. As a junior, Holyfield rushed 34 times for 200 yards and four touchdowns, caught 38 passes for 393 yards and three scores and was named to the All-Mission League First Team as a running back and wide receiver. He chose Cal Poly because "it is a school that has incredible academics as well as athletics. They also have a very family-oriented program and environment."
Makhi Johnson, WR, 6-2, 185, Lower Lake, Calif. (Windsor HS) Johnson, who caught 11 passes for 164 yards and one touchdown in a single game (Ukiah), finished with 52 receptions for 1,127 yards and 13 scores as a senior under head coach Paul Cronin at Windsor High School. He caught a 98-yard scoring pass against East Union and 90 yards versus Maria Carrillo. Johnson also rushed for 128 yards on 14 carries, scoring three times, and on defense made 25 tackles (18 solo) with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Johnson's performance helped the Jaguars finish 11-2 overall, third in the North Bay League's Oak Division and the CIF-North Coast Section Division III title with a 38-14 win over Benicia three weeks ago. Windsor lost to Vanden in the state 3-AA Division semifinals Dec. 3. As a junior, Johnson caught 15 passes for 199 yards and four touchdowns in five games. He played as a sophomore at Lower Lake High School with 28 receptions for 550 yards and six touchdowns on offense and 50 tackles (44 solo), four interceptions and six pass breakups on defense.
Bo Kelly, QB, 6-0, 195, Dana Point, Calif. (Dana Hills HS) Kelly passed for over 6,000 yards and 66 touchdowns in three varsity seasons at Dana Hills High School, leading the Dolphins to 18 wins in 27 games. Twice he has thrown five touchdown passes in a game while tossing four touchdown passes in seven other contests in his prep career. Playing for former Cal Poly volunteer coach Tony Henney, Kelly completed 177 of 280 passes for 3,617 yards and 42 touchdowns this fall, leading Dana Hills to an 8-3 record, second-place finish in the Pacific Hills League and a berth in the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 playoffs. Kelly also rushed for 163 yards on 55 carries, scoring six times. He had eight 300-yard games passing, including a season-high 411 yards and four scores against Irvine and 409 yards and four more touchdowns versus Aliso Niguel. Kelly threw five touchdown passes against Woodbridge and Laguna Hills. He earned Pacific Hills League and team MVP honors, was named an All-Orange County All-Star and notched first-team all-league honors. In five games as a junior, Kelly connected on 91 of 135 passes for 1,400 yards and 17 touchdowns with season highs of 351 yards and four scores against Irvine. He also rushed for 105 yards and one touchdown, earning Pacific Hills League MVP and first-team all-league honors. As a sophomore, Kelly completed 68 of 155 passes for 1,033 yards and seven touchdowns. His career prep totals -- 336 completions in 570 attempts for 6,050 yards and 66 touchdowns with 18 interceptions. Kelly also plays baseball, primarily as a pitcher, at Dana Hills. He was 6-4 with a 2.11 ERA as a junior in 2021 with a pair of complete games, two saves and 44 strikeouts over 53 innings. Kelly struck out nine in a complete-game 1-0 win over Tesoro last May. Also recruited by Portland State, San Diego, UC Davis and Northern Arizona, Kelly chose to be a Mustang "because of the family atmosphere that surrounds the program, the high level of education, great coaching staff and a program that has a huge ceiling." "Every position obviously is part of the big picture, but Bo adds excitement to this class and I am excited to see what Bo brings to the table," said Baldwin.
Kai Rapolla, WR, 6-2, 180, Winchester, Calif. (Rancho Christian HS) Under head coach John Bankhead at Rancho Christian High School in Temecula, Rapolla, a team captain as a senior, caught 29 passes for 787 yards and 12 touchdowns and made 34 tackles (29 solo) on defense with two interceptions, seven pass breakups, one fumble recovery and four forced fumbles during his sophomore season (2019). He made seven catches for 201 yards and three scores and returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in the game against Heritage. During his freshman season (2018), Rapolla notched 35 tackles (28 solo) and returned a kickoff 80 yards for a score. The Eagles were 2-8 under head coach John Bankhead this fall and Rancho Christian played just three freelance games during the 2020-21 spring campaign due to the pandemic. Rapolla also competed in track and field, posting best marks of 10.74 in the 100 meters, 22.64 in the 200 and 21-7 in the long jump.
Donovan Saunders, DB, 6-3, 180, San Diego, Calif. (Cathedral Catholic HS) Under head coach Sean Coyle, Saunders helped Cathedral Catholic to a 12-2 record and the CIF-San Diego Section Open Division championship with a 48-19 win over Carlsbad. The Western League champion Dons defeated Folsom 33-21 for the state Division 1-AA title last Friday at Saddleback College. Saunders also plays basketball at Cathedral Catholic and competes in track and field with best marks of 11.09 in the 100, 23.72 in the 200, 5-11 in the high jump, 21-11 in the long jump and 43-4 in the triple jump.
Photo credits: L.A. Daily News, SocoPrepSports.com, Twitter, MaxPreps, Ontario Daily Bulletin, Hudl.com, SocoNews.org, 247Sports, Chico Enterprise-Record, PrepRedZone.com

Calendar

Cal Poly Announces 10 Football Signees to National Letter of Intent

Bryson Allen, WR, 6-3, 190, Tulare, Calif. (Tulare Union HS/College of Sequoias)

Jasdev Banwait, OT, 6-5, 270, Elk Grove, Calif. (Monterey Trail HS/Sacramento CC)

Logan Booher, WR, 6-2, 195, Long Beach, Calif. (St. John Bosco HS)

Jesse Ehrlich, P, 6-2, 175, Melbourne, Australia (Mount Scopus Memorial College)

Nilasoni Finau, DL, 6-4, 312, Elk Grove, Calif. (Elk Grove HS)

Paul Holyfield Jr., RB, 6-0, 180, Los Angeles, Calif. (Chaminade College Prep)

Makhi Johnson, WR, 6-2, 185, Lower Lake, Calif. (Windsor HS)

Bo Kelly, QB, 6-0, 195, Dana Point, Calif. (Dana Hills HS)

Kai Rapolla, WR, 6-2, 180, Winchester, Calif. (Rancho Christian HS)

Donovan Saunders, DB, 6-3, 180, San Diego, Calif. (Cathedral Catholic HS)

Players Mentioned

Vatulele Finau

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