The process of recruiting was much different during Brady's time, when athletes' rankings were not as prominent. In terms of recruiting in the 2000s, Brady would have been considered a four-star recruit. In essence, he was a highly rated prospect.[27] Brady was also on Blue Chip Illustrated as well as a Prep Football Report All-American selection.[28] After his recruiting process, he narrowed his list to five schools.[29] "Probably the ones that we did hear from and ultimately pared the list to were Cal–Berkeley, UCLA, USC, Michigan and Illinois”, his father said.[29] As a Cal fan, his father hoped that Brady would attend the nearby Cal, where Brady was a silent commit, and that he would be able to watch his son play.[30][31]