Cal Linebacker Cade Uluave Signs With BYU

A tremendous loss for the California Golden Bears.

The transfer portal giveth, the transfer portal taketh.

California Golden Bears linebacker Cade Uluave is moving on.

Matt Zenitz@mzenitz

BYU has signed coveted Cal linebacker transfer Cade Uluave, @chris_hummer and I have learned. Uluave, who has 235 career tackles, is ranked as the top linebacker to enter the transfer portal this cycle.

4:23 AM · Jan 13, 2026 · 14.7K Views

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There’s no sugarcoating this one. Replacing Cal’s defensive captain is tough. Rated the top linebacker in the portal by 247Sports and third by On3, the Bears middle linebacker put up 100 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, notched 5 quarterback hurries, and broke up six passes in 2025. It’s very difficult to replace that level of productivity from one player, as productive middle linebackers are usually the most sought-after players in the portal.

This likely completes a painful exodus for the California Golden Bears at the linebacking corps, with Luke Ferrelli heading to Clemson, Ryan McCulloch off to UCLA, and Harrison Taggart still looking for a new home in the portal. Also gone are Eze Osondu, Curlee Thomas and Buom Jock. Aaron Hampton (who logged 41 tackles in his sophomore campaign) is now slated to be the starting Mike by default.

Expect priority #1 to be linebackers now for Tosh Lupoi and the new Cal coaching staff. There are many edges and defensive linemen currently portalling out of Oregon that might be Cal targets, but inside linebacker might be more of a deeper dive. Stay tuned.

Cal transfer portal arrivals

• Running back Adam Mohammed (via Washington)

• Running back Carter Vargas (via UC Davis)

• Running back Ashten Emory (via UTEP)

• Wide receiver Ian Strong (via Rutgers)

• Wide receiver Chase Hendricks (via Ohio)

• Tight end Dorian Thomas (via New Mexico)

• Offensive lineman Jimothy Lewis (via Mississippi State)

• Offensive lineman Mykeal Rabess (via Florida International)

• Offensive tackle Jacob Arop (via South Dakota)

• Defensive lineman Justin Beadles (via Louisville)

• Defensive lineman Ashun Shepphard (via Mississippi State)

• Edge Solomon Williams (via Texas A&M)

• Linebacker Tristan Jernigan (via Texas A&M)

• Safety Kingston Lopa (via Oregon)

• Safety Michael Hurst Jr. (via Northern Arizona)

Cal transfer portal departures

• Linebacker Cade Uluave (BYU)

• Linebacker Luke Ferrelli (Clemson)

• Linebacker Harrison Taggart

• Linebacker Eze Osondu

• Linebacker Buom Jock

• Linebacker Curlee Thomas (North Texas)

• Defensive lineman TJ Bush (Minnesota)

• Defensive lineman Ike Okafor

• Edge Ryan McCulloch (UCLA)

• Running back Brandon High (UTSA)

• Offensive lineman Lajuan Owens

• Offensive lineman Nick Morrow (Kansas)

• Offensive lineman Leon Bell

• Offensive lineman Braden Miller (Duke)

• Offensive lineman Daveion Harley

• Offensive lineman Jordan Spasojevic-Moko

• Tight end Landon Morris (Wake Forest)

• Quarterback Devin Brown

• Quarterback EJ Caminong

• Quarterback Belay Brummel

• Defensive back Kaden Cook

• Wide receiver Dazmin James

• Wide receiver Jaiven Plummer

• Kicker Abram Murray

• Kicker Chase Meyer

• Punter Michael Kern

• Longsnapper Rino Monteforte (Kansas)