In this day and age of college football, an ideal roster consists of a combination of top transfers, young promising four and five star freshmen, and whatever returning talent a team can maintain.
Luckily for Cal, they have all three of those types of players at the tight end position alone. The tight end core consists of a top-20 four star recruit, a highly sought after transfer, and one of the team’s most productive overall receivers from last season.
While the offense consists of one of the most talked about quarterbacks in the country, two big name receivers and a slew of promising running backs, the tight ends could arguably have the biggest impact.
First year tight ends coach and Bay Area native Steve Haunga came over to Cal from Oregon with Tosh Lupoi, where he served as an offensive analyst. Oregon last year started nine games with two tight ends. With Cal’s offense needing to improve on the run to balance out their attack, and with this tight end depth, we could very well be seeing two and even three tight end looks.
While the top three tight ends for Cal certainly have great athleticism, Haunga will look to develop them in all facets of the game.
“I think the biggest thing about having tight ends is that they can do a lot of things,” Haunga emphasized. “If you have guys that are talented and athletic I think we can use them in a lot of different ways.”
With Haunga confident in the players ability to develop in versatility, this tight end group could be among the core pieces to bringing this offense to the next level. Here is a look at Cal’s tight end room.
Redshirt Junior Mason Mini
Apart from Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Mini is the other returning player who made the most noise last season. The Idaho transfer finished third on the team with 387 receiving yards and second on the team with four receiving touchdowns, all while playing in 11 games before his season was cut short due to injury.
He set the tone for Cal’s offense early in the season. In the opening game against Oregon State, Mini made a nice back shoulder catch for Cal’s first touchdown of the season. He would continue to be a dependable go-to target for JKS when he was under immense defensive pressure. Mini consistently displayed athleticism with reliable route running . We should only expect him to continue this success. He is the top returning receiver from last year’s team, the most familiar target of JKS.
Who knows too, could we still see another unexpected spurt of trick plays involving Mini passing. As a former high school quarterback, Mini played a role in two different trick plays in which he completed a pass. One of which was a 42-yard touchdown bomb against Virginia. While the hope is that Cal’s offense won’t be struggling to the point that first year offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville has to pull out too many trick plays in desperation, Mini would be counted on if the offense is to effectively execute one.
One area of growth we hope to see is his blocking ability, an aforementioned essential part of this offense. Mini could very well be the top tight end in the group. Regardless of his spot on the depth chart, expect him to be a big part of the gameplan.
Redshirt Junior Dorian Thomas (New Mexico Transfer)
The University of New Mexico put themselves on the map across the college football landscape last season. A key piece of that was Thomas. He went from being a scout team participant as a redshirt freshman at the University of Arizona to not only one of New Mexico’s top receivers, but one of the top tight ends in the country.
Among tight ends nationally, he was third in catches with 56 and eighth in receiving yards with 560, while leading all Lobos receivers with four receiving touchdowns. This earned him First-Team All-Mountain West honors and a spot on this year’s John Mackey Award watchlist, given to the nation’s top tight end. As a result, he became a sought after name in the portal. He chose Cal over UCLA and Florida.
Thomas said he chose Cal because, “Talking to coach Steve on my official visit and like him telling me and showing me what I’m gonna be in the future and like who he wants me to be it was kind of like I already knew like it felt like it was home here already.”
Like Mini, Thomas displayed skill and athleticism. He was exceptional at turning short receptions in the flat into big chunks of yardage after the catch. Most importantly, he has some of the most dependable hands you could ask for, something the receivers for JKS lacked last season.
Also like Mini, Thomas will look to grow in his blocking, something Haunga has been pleased with so far in his development. Thomas at this point may look like the favorite to be the TE1 but regardless, Thomas will have arguably one of the most important roles in this offense.
Freshman Taimane Purcell
The bad news? Purcell may have to be patient with full playing time given the experience of fellow tight ends Mini and Thomas. The good news? Not only does he have two talented tight ends to learn from and develop, but if Cal does run more of a pro style offense, there should be room for Purcell to have a role as a third tight end on certain plays. Either way, Purcell is a name Cal fans should not take their eyes off of.
As the second rated Cal recruit for 2026 according to 247 Sports, Purcell showed flashes in his high school film of being an explosive receiver capable of turning short screen passes into big gains. He also showed a consistent ability to run block. That ability to run block is something that could come into play if Cal’s offense will turn to extra blockers as they aim to create downhill space for their running game. Purcell was rated as the No. 3 overall player in the state of Hawaii and the No. 16 tight end recruit in the country.
Sommerville already believes that he, “takes in information at a high level and then plays fast…The amount of information for a freshman to take in with what we ask in the system, he’s done a phenomenal job at that.”
Look for Cal to slot in Purcell in on 13 personnel plays while also giving him opportunities to display his receiving athleticism. As he develops, he will be an essential depth piece to the tight end room.
Redshirt Junior Michael Cooley
Has yet to see action in college.
Redshirt Sophomore Jack Olyphant
Played in the Texas Southern game last season.
Redshirt Freshman John Tofi Jr.
Appearing in three games last season and making a start against SMU, Tofi Jr. was initially recruited as an athlete who also played linebacker and safety at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco. Could see action at the tight end position as a depth piece.
Freshman Sosaia Noa
A two-way player who primarily played edge in high school.
Senior Rico Walker (Purdue Transfer)
Previously played for Purdue and Maryland. Has 13 receptions for 127 yards in his collegiate career.
Outlook
During last year’s inconsistencies on offense, some of the better production came from the tight end room. Like the rest of the Cal offense, I would expect Cal to get even better from this position.
Even if the tight ends do not jump out statistically like the rest of the skill positions on offense, their role will be just as important due to their versatility from receiving to blocking. Thankfully, this room should be the deepest for the Golden Bears.
Wow. What an abundance of TE talent! Starting with Mini, Thomas and Purcell, Cal could really dominate the middle of the field and provide quick release targets for JKS. Go Bears!