Cal football lands nation’s No. 1 JUCO prospect Alius Mayo from Stockton

Alius Mayo didn’t spend years imagining this day.

He spent them expecting it.

That belief became reality Sunday, Aug. 2, at Lincoln High School in Stockton, where the four-star 247Sports recruit and the nation’s No. 1 transfer prospect announced his college decision.

“Whenever you dream, the best ones come from home,” Mayo said. “Go Bears.”

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound cornerback, a 2025 Lincoln graduate and current Modesto College standout, committed to Cal.

He chose the Golden Bears over Alabama, LSU, Arizona State, Mississippi State, Stanford and Washington.

“It feels great,” Mayo said. “Just to finally be home, somewhere I know I’m going to develop and get to the league early.”

Born and raised in Stockton, Mayo played at Lincoln, where he recorded 51 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and two defensive touchdowns in 11 games as a senior. He also caught a 30-yard touchdown pass.

Despite garnering interest from Fresno State, Sacramento State, Portland State and UC Davis, Mayo ultimately took the junior college route after no official scholarship offers materialized.

“This is something I’ve always seen for myself, even with no offers coming out of high school,” Mayo said. “I spoke it into existence every single day because I believed in myself. I believed in the God-given abilities I have, and I gave it everything I had. Anything I put my mind to, I was going to accomplish.”

It didn’t take long for Mayo to show what recruiters had overlooked.

Mayo enters his sophomore season after a freshman campaign at Modesto Junior College in which he totaled 30 tackles, one tackle for loss, five interceptions and five pass breakups in 11 games.

“Now that this weight is off my shoulders, it’s back to square one,” Mayo said. “Just keeping the main thing the main thing and giving it 100% every day.”

Once the season ends, the All-Valley Conference first-team selection will enroll early at Cal in January 2027, giving him a head start before spring practice.

“Just having my family come to the games and see me every day means a lot,” Mayo said. “That’s really important to me. Family was a big factor.”

The coaching staff, though, helped put Cal over the top.

Cal begins a new era this season under first-year head coach Tosh Lupoi, the former Oregon defensive coordinator and Cal alumnus, alongside offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville and defensive coordinator Michael Hutchings.

“The coaching staff is special,” Mayo said. “The love they showed me made me feel like I was already part of the program while I was at my junior college. I can’t wait to get into the playbook and call Cal home.”

Beyond football, Mayo was also drawn to Berkeley itself.

“I am a nature guy,” Mayo said. “Just the California environment and the chance to explore it more and the events around it really just brings it all together.”

So what can Cal fans expect?

“Stay tuned,” he said. “Y’all in for one.”

This article originally appeared on The Record: Cal football lands nation’s No. 1 JUCO prospect Alius Mayo from Stockton