Star TE is Pac 10 bound

Kansas City (Mo.) Pembroke Hill tight end Spencer Ladner saw everything that he needed to see this weekend.

After taking an unofficial visit to Cal this weekend to visit the campus and meet up with the coaches, Lander, a fast-rising 6-foot-7, 230-pound tight end, has decided to go ahead and commit to the Bears.

"I still haven't officially gotten the opportunity to call Pete Alamar, because it's still early out there, but I have decided that Cal's the place for me," Ladner said. "I'm going to give him a call here in a little bit and let him know that I'm committing."

With offers from other national programs like Clemson, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Kansas and Kansas State, Ladner had plenty of option to consider. But in the end, Cal was the place he always wanted to be at.

"Well since the start of this thing, my hope was to get a Cal offer," Ladner said. "My brother is Stanford now, but I've always seen the town of Berkeley as my kind of place. I just visited there this weekend to confirm that it was the place for me.

"The visit was awesome. I got to see everything about Cal that I loved. When I got home, I decided that it was time for me to commit."

Ladner is a great get for the Bears. He hauled in 620 yards and 11 touchdowns while playing primarily wide receiver as a junior. He also was a key player in Pembroke Hill's run to the Missouri state basketball championship. He has a great frame and will easily build into a big-time tight end prospect down the road.

"The whole staff out there is great," Ladner said. "They were having some sort of fantasy camp this weekend, and all the coaches were real nice. Coach Alamar told me about how I would be used, and that there is a great opportunity for early playing time if I work hard."

Ladner said that the total package also sold him at Cal.

"The education is what kind of finalized the whole deal," he said. "They're the No. 1 public school in the country year in year out. It was the perfect fit."