Cal football now has the 18th-ranked transfer portal class
The California Golden Bears have made a lot of headway to upgrade their roster
As the winter recruiting cycle winds down, it’s time to acknowledge the work the Bears have been doing in the transfer portal.
Cal did enjoy a solid high school recruiting class on Early Signing Day full of potential contributors, but there is definite work to do to get better with the prep scene in future years.
But the Bears went into the market for already ready-made college football players, and are on the verge of their second straight solid transfer portal class. 247Sports situates the Bears at 17th, placing them 4th overall among ACC programs (and 4th among the old Pac-12 gauntlet).
Without transfers like Isaiah Ifanse and David Reese, Patrick McMorris and Nohl Williams, Barrett Miller and Matthew Wykoff, and so many others, it’d unlikely the Bears would have risen back up to make a bowl game. The quality of these portal additions raises the ceiling on what Cal can accomplish in the ACC in 2024.
Recapping the ten new additions up to this point:
Quarterback
Chandler Rogers (via North Texas)
Rogers will push Fernando Mendoza for the starting quarterback job. Both quarterbacks bring different skillsets that could serve the Cal offense well. The Bears definitely should have a more favorable 2023 preseason with two capable QBs ready to go.
Cal will likely want another quarterback for depth purposes, after losing both Sam Jackson V (to Auburn) and Ben Finley (to Akron) in the portal.
Running back
Kadarius Calloway (via Old Dominion)
Calloway was a great depth pickup at Cal’s deepest offensive position. Calloway will offset the loss of Isaiah Ifanse, and give the Bears an abundance of wealth at the position to provide Jaydn Ott the relief he needs in distributed carries.
Wide receiver
Tobias Merriweather (via Notre Dame)
Cal has turned over in the best possible way at wide receiver. Both Matthews and Merriweather should provide a huge boost to the wide receiving room after losing Jeremiah Hunter to the portal and Monroe Young to the draft. And there are plenty of youngsters nipping at the bud for their own spot.
Offensive line
Rush Reimer (via Montana State)
Both Reimer and Stoffel are huge additions to a Cal offensive line that is turning over at several positions and could see a significant shuffling in positions.
Defensive line
Aidan Keanaaina (via Notre Dame)
Cal needs to get better upfront, and the addition of the Irish transfer will go a long way toward providing depth stability. Keanaaina will rotate in the interior for snaps along with Ricky Correia, Stanley Saole-McKenzie, and Jaedon Roberts.
Linebacker
Teddye Buchanan (via UC Davis)
Cal needed a Jackson Sirmon replacement, and Buchanan fits the bill to a tee. Expect him to contend immediately for a starting position as he should line up right next to Cade Uluave.
Secondary
The Takers had a rougher season than usual, but here’s to a reset with new additions. Cal continues to stock up on cornerback talent with the arrival of Harris, who should compete with incoming JUCO transfers Ja’ir Smith and Isaiah Crosby for starting spots.
Kicker
Ryan Coe (via North Carolina)
With the departure of Mateen Bhagani to UCLA, Coe comes in likely too be the primary kicker as a graduate transfer. Coe was an outstanding kicker at Delaware and Cincinnati, but suffered an injury at North Carolina that derailed his campaign there. It’ll likely be a battle between Coe and Michael Luckhurst for starting duties, with Coe the heavy favorite to handle both duties.
What’s next?
I’d expect Cal to prioritize getting one more defensive lineman to bulk up the interior. They will likely want one more quarterback, wide receiver and linebacker for depth. And another edge rusher would make all the difference for a defense that had all sorts of trouble sacking quarterbacks last year. But Cal has been able to meet the majority of their primary needs.
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Sam Jackson V is going to be a WR against Cal this September! That'll be interesting!