Kyion Grayes is my biggest mystery. He came to Cal from Ohio State. Last off season, he stayed at Cal when all of the WRs transferred out. Maybe because Devin Brown was coming. Grayes sees very limited action and his buddy Brown entered the transfer portal but Grayes is still here. He might enter the portal, but still kinda surprises me that he hasn't yet.
Heard the announcers mention that Mendoza could really focus on football this semester since all of his graduate classes at Indiana were online. Wondering if he's even stepped into a classroom at IU yet, and that's one of the "better" educational universties in today's NCAA. Different world, different sport.
So far it seems like we didn't get hit too hard all things considered. Ferrelli is a bit concerning, but I get that the timing is great for him to get a bag and he's raised his profile a ton this year. Everyone else seems to be either depth, graduated, or was a recent transfer that didn't blow the doors off, so those are to be expected.
I agree it's not that bad. It could be worse. Losing Ferrelli really hurts, but I'm sure there will be better players who will fill the starting role. A few years ago I was really bummed when KEO transferred after a breakout season, but I easily forgot about him. This is the norm in the portal era.
I find it a little curious that some key defensiveI players entered the Portal given TL's reputation as a defensive coach. Hoping they are just testing their value and will return.
I tend to agree. While it would be great if LF stayed, I felt the LBs in particular underperformed vs. expectations. We seemed more vulnerable to explosive running plays in the second half of the season when CU & LF were in. I'm sure some of that's just my perception, but it does make it seem that we have very few indispensable defensive players.
This portal/off-season is so critical: Oregon needs to lose & give us our coach full time. Go Tosh. Go Bears
Part of our LB issue was of course a weak DL, which allowed opposing lineman to get to the 2nd level far too easily. It’s such a cliche but as we’ve all heard a million times football games are won in the trenches, and Justin Wilcox had below-average line play on both sides of the ball for pretty much his entire decade here.
Maybe in an era where players stuck around he could have developed some linemen into passable Power Conference players, but in the portal era such an option became generally impossible, especially for such a poor recruiter.
We get better DL play…guys that can occupy an OL, make them work, we’ll likely see better LB production.
Cade in the portal 🫠
Yup that one hurt. Ryan McCulloch too.
The lines are the key besides QB and have that covered.
New WR Coach/Co-OC is Ike Hilliard: https://x.com/CalFootball/status/2007263283330658412
https://calbears.com/news/2026/1/2/football-ike-hilliard-to-lead-cal-wide-receivers.aspx
Kyion Grayes is my biggest mystery. He came to Cal from Ohio State. Last off season, he stayed at Cal when all of the WRs transferred out. Maybe because Devin Brown was coming. Grayes sees very limited action and his buddy Brown entered the transfer portal but Grayes is still here. He might enter the portal, but still kinda surprises me that he hasn't yet.
https://x.com/i/status/2007187506174017619
Let me know if I'm missing anything about Mendoza's situation last year. He got his Cal degree and had three choices:
1. Declare for the draft where he would be a low pick
2. Stay at Cal another year and play for a 6-6 program; maybe his stock rises a little in the draft and maybe JKS stays at Oregon
3. Transfer to a power program; make much more NIL money; compete for the Heisman and a national championship; see his draft stock skyrocket
Adam Mohammed would be insane. Best RB in portal imo
Agreed!
How many Cal players have entered the portal and returned to Cal?
In Tosh we trust. Let’s reserve judgment until we see how many Oregon players follow Tosh. His shutout against TTU is a great advertisement.
Harrison Taggert in the portal
He was disappointing.
what I am waiting for...
Oregon Loses. Half of the defense enters the portal. All eager to follow Tosh to Cal.
Heard the announcers mention that Mendoza could really focus on football this semester since all of his graduate classes at Indiana were online. Wondering if he's even stepped into a classroom at IU yet, and that's one of the "better" educational universties in today's NCAA. Different world, different sport.
So far it seems like we didn't get hit too hard all things considered. Ferrelli is a bit concerning, but I get that the timing is great for him to get a bag and he's raised his profile a ton this year. Everyone else seems to be either depth, graduated, or was a recent transfer that didn't blow the doors off, so those are to be expected.
I agree it's not that bad. It could be worse. Losing Ferrelli really hurts, but I'm sure there will be better players who will fill the starting role. A few years ago I was really bummed when KEO transferred after a breakout season, but I easily forgot about him. This is the norm in the portal era.
Doesn’t seem like a great start to portal season, some decent sized shoes to fill just to break even.
I find it a little curious that some key defensiveI players entered the Portal given TL's reputation as a defensive coach. Hoping they are just testing their value and will return.
Maybe they were not in TL's plans.
Watching this roster plod along to 7-6 this year, very few jobs should be safe.
I tend to agree. While it would be great if LF stayed, I felt the LBs in particular underperformed vs. expectations. We seemed more vulnerable to explosive running plays in the second half of the season when CU & LF were in. I'm sure some of that's just my perception, but it does make it seem that we have very few indispensable defensive players.
This portal/off-season is so critical: Oregon needs to lose & give us our coach full time. Go Tosh. Go Bears
Yep. 💯
Part of our LB issue was of course a weak DL, which allowed opposing lineman to get to the 2nd level far too easily. It’s such a cliche but as we’ve all heard a million times football games are won in the trenches, and Justin Wilcox had below-average line play on both sides of the ball for pretty much his entire decade here.
Maybe in an era where players stuck around he could have developed some linemen into passable Power Conference players, but in the portal era such an option became generally impossible, especially for such a poor recruiter.
We get better DL play…guys that can occupy an OL, make them work, we’ll likely see better LB production.
The real Christmas is finally upon us.