Cal edge Xavier Carlton has solid Hula Bowl, on his way to the NFL Draft
Carlton had an impressive career at Cal and his contributions will be tough to replace.
One of Cal’s biggest losses for this season was defensive end Xavier Carlton. Carlton’s pass disruption on the edge was a key uplift for a beleaguered Cal defense during earlier incarnations, and once they improved in 2024, he was able to unleash his full potential.
Carlton logged 36, 47 and 47 (this season) tackles in his three seasons at Cal and 23 tackles for loss (11 in 2024). He led the Bears in sacks in his sophomore (4.5) and senior campaign (nine).
In his senior campaign, Carlton had two sacks and two quarterback hurries in Cal's lone ACC road win at Wake Forest. He also had a two sack, six tackle performance against NC State; logged four tackles, two TFLs, a sack and a hurry at Florida State; and a six tackle, hurry, pass breakup performance in the Big Game.
Carlton played in the Hula Bowl this past week to prepare for the NFL Draft, and had a very impressive performance, logging two sacks (first one below, second one here). Ironically, he sacked Auburn quarterback Peyton Thorne on both occasions. Carlton’s measurements at the Hula Bowl also seemed promising for an NFL team to take a flyer on this coming season.
Here is a snippet of his message in his NFL Draft declaration:
First Off,
I just wanted to thank my Heavenly Father, my family, and my friends for the endless love and support through my journey. I also want to thank Cal Football, Cal fans, Coach So’oto, Coach Sirmon, Coach Browning, Coach Wilcox, and Coach McBride for believing in me and providing the experience that inspired me to become the man I am today.
Since I was 6 years old, it was always my dream to play the game that I love both in college and in the NFL. Now, my dreams have come true, but the job isn’t complete. With that said, I’ve made the decision to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. To my brothers at Cal, I just wanted to say thank you for welcoming me with open arms, helping me grow, and pushing me to be great.
Cal will have a significant number of edge returners with Ryan McCulloch, Myles Williams and Serigne Tounkara, and incoming talents like Jayden Wayne from Washington, John Gayer, Odera Okaka from the College of San Mateo and freshman John Tofi.
There is a lot of talent in that locker room, but we will miss you Xavier. Best of luck in the pros!
Xavier Carlton was a fun player this past year. I liked his long wingspan. He was able to ahold of the opposing quarterback and boom 💥 SACKTIME!!!’
Definitely one on of my favorites. Best of luck in the NFL bud
I hope to see you on Sundays. Best edge rusher Cal has had in recent memory.