Though it felt like only a matter of time before he committed to Cal, landing a pledge from Corona-Centennial defensive lineman Kingston "Lucky" Schirmer is still very much a noteworthy pickup for the Bears.

The 6-foot-2, 290-pound recruit plays at one of the top programs in the state and had seen a number of schools enter the mix with offers throughout the process. UNLV emerged as the top competition for the Bears, but decided Sunday to close up his recruitment before taking an official visit to Las Vegas.

Cal defensive line coach Andrew Browning had been turning up the heat with Schirmer in recent weeks, and the continued effort from the staff in Berkeley ultimately played a big part in the process.

Browning made Schirmer feel like a priority, and now he is the 18th commitment in the class for Cal. It is a class that ranks 14th overall in the Rivals team recruiting rankings for 2026.

"I love coach Browning," Schirmer previously said. "He always asks me how I'm doing, how my school is going and how life is going in general. So, we always talk about football, family and everything."

Schirmer is the second commitment from Centennial in the cycle alongside linebacker Jonathan McKinley, who gave the Bears his pledge early in the year.

Oregon State, Fresno State and Boston College are some of the other schools that have been involved with Schirmer, but Cal was consistent in its pursuit of the new defensive line addition.

Overall, Cal now has commitments from four defensive linemen highlighted by Rivals100 prospect Camron Brooks, who was also on campus for an official visit over the weekend.

While adding Schirmer on its own is important for the Bears, his younger brother, Miles, is quickly becoming a top target for many programs throughout the country in the 2027 class. That connection could prove to be important for the Bears as they continue to try and land both brothers.