California Golden Bears
ACC
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #80
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- -3.2 (#80)
- SP+ Offense
- 25.6
- SP+ Defense
- 27.9
- SRS
- -4.1
- FPI
- -3.4
- Elo
- 1360
- Talent
- 726
- Recruiting
- —
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
6.0p10 4.0 — p90 8.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 0.1% | |
| Make CFP | 0.0% | |
| Quarterfinal | 0.0% | |
| Semifinal | 0.0% | |
| Natl. final | 0.0% | |
| Natl. champ | 0.0% |
Schedule
proj record 5.7–6.3
Schedule
67th
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
80th
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
60th
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+ · 1 FCS game.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsUCLA | -8.7 | 32-26 | +6.2 | 67% | — |
| 2 | @Syracuse | -13.1 | 29-26 | +3.4 | 59% | — |
| 3 | vsWagner | FCS | 44-4* | +39.4 | 99% | — |
| 4 | vsClemson | +9.5 | 23-32 | -8.8 | 26% | — |
| 5 | @UNLV | +4.3 | 26-30 | -3.8 | 38% | — |
| 6 | vsVirginia Tech | -10.1 | 30-25 | +4.9 | 63% | — |
| 7 | vsWake Forest | +5.7 | 26-27 | -0.8 | 48% | — |
| 8 | @SMU | +13.4 | 20-35 | -14.5 | 15% | — |
| 9 | @NC State | +4.8 | 24-36 | -12.3 | 19% | — |
| 11 | @Virginia | +11.1 | 21-32 | -11.9 | 20% | — |
| 12 | vsStanford | -11.8 | 31-23 | +7.3 | 69% | — |
| 13 | vsPittsburgh | +8.4 | 25-27 | -2.5 | 43% | — |
* FBS-vs-FCS estimate from the SP+ gap — no per-game model for FCS opponents.
Quarterbacks · 2
2026 · 76
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele | FR | 6'3" | 225 | — |
| QB | 2nd | Jackson Brousseau← Colorado State | SO | 6'4" | 220 | ★★★ |
Running Backs · 7
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Adam Mohammed← Washington | SO | 6'0" | 215 | ★★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Ashten Emory← UTEP | FR | 5'11" | 203 | ★★★ |
| RB | 3rd | LJ Johnson Jr. | SR | 5'10" | 215 | — |
| RB | 4th | Anthony League | FR | 6'0" | 215 | — |
| RB | 5th | Dean-Taylor Chapman | SO | 5'9" | 175 | — |
| RB | 6th | Jayden Parker | FR | 5'10" | 180 | — |
| RB | — | Carter Vargas← UC Davis | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Wide Receivers · 13
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Jacob De Jesus | SR | 5'7" | 170 | — |
| WR | 2nd | Chase Hendricks← Ohio | JR | 6'0" | 200 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Ian Strong← Rutgers | JR | 6'3" | 211 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 4th | Trond Grizzell | SR | 6'4" | 205 | — |
| WR | 5th | Jordan King | JR | 6'2" | 220 | — |
| WR | 6th | QuaRon Adams | JR | 5'7" | 170 | — |
| WR | 7th | Mark Hamper | SO | 6'2" | 210 | — |
| WR | 8th | Cole Boscia | JR | 6'3" | 215 | — |
| WR | 9th | Jayden Dixon-Veal | SR | 6'0" | 190 | — |
| WR | 10th | Cooper Perry← Oregon | FR | 6'1" | 194 | ★★★ |
| WR | 11th | Kyion Grayes | SO | 6'0" | 190 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 12th | Isaac Torres | SR | 6'4" | 215 | — |
| WR | 13th | Carson Perry-Smith | FR | 5'11" | 195 | — |
Tight Ends · 4
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Dorian Thomas← New Mexico | SO | 6'4" | 239 | ★★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Mason Mini | SO | 6'4" | 240 | — |
| TE | 3rd | Rico Walker← Purdue | JR | 6'3" | 250 | ★★★ |
| TE | 4th | Jeffrey Johnson | SR | 6'5" | 250 | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | Tyson Ruffins | SO | 6'2" | 310 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Mykeal Rabess← Florida International | SO | 6'8" | 320 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Kahlee Tafai← Minnesota | SO | 6'5" | 340 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Jimothy Lewis Jr.← Mississippi State | FR | 6'6" | 320 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Jacob Arop← South Dakota | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Defensive Line · 14
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 1st | Aidan Keanaaina | SR | 6'3" | 320 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 2nd | T.J. Bollers | SR | 6'2" | 305 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 3rd | Jayden Williams← North Texas | SO | 6'2" | 298 | ★★★ |
| DL | 4th | Stanley Saole-McKenzie | SR | 6'2" | 335 | — |
| DL | 5th | Derek Wilkins | JR | 6'5" | 305 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 6th | BJ Canady | FR | 6'5" | 285 | ★★★ |
| DL | 7th | Zae Smith | SR | 6'1" | 310 | ★★★ |
| DL | 8th | Ashun Shepphard← Mississippi State | SR | 6'3" | 295 | ★★★ |
| DL | 9th | Jericho Johnson← Oregon | FR | 6'4" | 342 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 10th | Michael-Anthony Okwura | FR | 6'3" | 300 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 1st | Joshua Pierce← North Texas | SO | 6'4" | 250 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 2nd | Justin Beadles← Louisville | SR | 6'5" | 270 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 3rd | Solomon Williams← Texas A&M | FR | 6'1" | 250 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 4th | Emmanuel Okoye← Tennessee | SO | 6'5" | 243 | ★★★ |
Linebackers · 8
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Aaron Hampton | SO | 6'1" | 230 | — |
| LB | 2nd | Jayden Wayne | JR | 6'5" | 255 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Chris Victor | SR | 6'4" | 245 | — |
| LB | 4th | Odera Okaka | JR | 6'4" | 240 | — |
| LB | 5th | Kamar Mothudi← Oregon | FR | 6'3" | 244 | ★★★ |
| LB | 6th | Tristan Jernigan← Texas A&M | SO | 6'0" | 230 | ★★★ |
| LB | 7th | Serigne Tounkara | SO | 6'2" | 245 | ★★★ |
| LB | — | AJ Tuitele← USC | FR | 6'2" | 215 | ★★★ |
Defensive Backs · 17
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Ricky Fletcher← Ole Miss | JR | 6'3" | 200 | ★★★ |
| CB | 2nd | Daniel Harris← Georgia | JR | 6'3" | 195 | ★★★ |
| CB | 3rd | Marquis Groves-Killebrew← Arizona | JR | 6'0" | 179 | ★★★ |
| DB | 1st | Dru Polidore Jr. | SR | 6'2" | 195 | — |
| DB | 2nd | Cam Sidney | JR | 5'11" | 185 | — |
| DB | 3rd | Aiden Manutai | FR | 5'11" | 200 | — |
| DB | 4th | Brent Austin | SR | 5'11" | 180 | — |
| DB | 5th | Isaiah Crosby | JR | 5'10" | 185 | — |
| DB | 6th | Jasiah Wagoner | SO | 5'11" | 180 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 7th | Ja'ir Smith | SR | 6'1" | 185 | — |
| DB | 8th | Jordan Sanford | JR | 6'0" | 195 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 9th | Tristan Dunn | JR | 6'5" | 205 | ★★★ |
| DB | 10th | Quimari Shemwell | SO | 5'11" | 175 | — |
| DB | 11th | Khamani Hudson | FR | 6'0" | 185 | ★★★ |
| DB | 12th | Dayday Aupiu | FR | 6'2" | 170 | — |
| S | 1st | Kingston Lopa← Oregon | FR | 6'5" | 210 | ★★★★ |
| S | — | Michael Hurst← Northern Arizona | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Special Teams · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | — | Towns McGough← Auburn | SO | 6'0" | 200 | ★★★ |
| LS | — | David Bird← Alabama | JR | 6'0" | 205 | — |
| P | 1st | Angus Davies← Tulsa | JR | 6'1" | 205 | — |
| P | 2nd | Brook Honore Jr. | JR | 6'0" | 190 | — |
| PK | 1st | Chase Meyer | JR | 5'10" | 180 | — |
| PK | 2nd | Michael Luckhurst | SO | 6'1" | 180 | — |
SP+ Trend
points vs avg team
— Overall— Offense— Defense
SP+ = opponent-adjusted points vs an average team. Overall & Offense higher = better; Defense lower = better.
Season History · last 12
0 AP top-10 · 6 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7-5 | 4-4 | #80 | — | 0-1 |
| 2024 | 6-6 | 2-6 | #55 | — | 0-1 |
| 2023 | 6-6 | 4-5 | #67 | — | 0-1 |
| 2022 | 4-8 | 2-7 | #77 | — | — |
| 2021 | 5-7 | 4-5 | #68 | — | — |
| 2020 | 1-3 | 1-3 | #53 | — | — |
| 2019 | 7-5 | 4-5 | #74 | — | 1-0 |
| 2018 | 7-5 | 4-5 | #55 | — | 0-1 |
| 2017 | 5-7 | 2-7 | #74 | — | — |
| 2016 | 5-7 | 3-6 | #62 | — | — |
| 2015 | 7-5 | 4-5 | #28 | — | 1-0 |
| 2014 | 5-7 | 3-6 | #71 | — | — |
Recruiting Classes
avg #50 · 24 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★125 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #69 | 180 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 2024 | #55 | 190 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 2023 | #79 | 163 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 2022 | #59 | 176 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 2021 | #28 | 209 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| 2020 | #39 | 198 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 2019 | #43 | 196 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 2018 | #42 | 197 | 0 | 2 | 17 |
| 2017 | #70 | 160 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 2016 | #31 | 208 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 32net -4Out 36
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.2 / 3.1
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Chase Hendricks | WR | 4★ | ← Ohio |
| ▲ | Adam Mohammed | RB | 4★ | ← Washington |
| ▲ | Ian Strong | WR | 4★ | ← Rutgers |
| ▲ | Kingston Lopa | S | 4★ | ← Oregon |
| ▼ | Cade Uluave | LB | 4★ | → BYU |
| ▼ | Kendrick Raphael | RB | 4★ | → SMU |
| ▼ | Luke Ferrelli | LB | 4★ | → Ole Miss |
| ▼ | Devin Brown | QB | 4★ | → Weber State |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
7 items
- Recruiting boost: A top 5 prep receiver in California just picked BYU over the likes of Utah, Ohio State, UCLA and OregonRecruiting rebound: A day after four-star athlete Bode Sparrow spurned BYU for Oklahoma, the Cougars got the commitment of four-star WR Blake WongCAL1d
- Texas lands 2027 OL out of California over UCLA, Penn StateTexas added a commitment from a Class of 2027 IOL on Thursday. The post Texas lands 2027 OL out of California over UCLA, Penn State appeared first on Saturday Down South.CAL4d
- Syracuse faces California team looking for breakout third season in the ACCCalifornia completed their second year in ACC with a record of 7-6, improving by one win from their debut season in 2024.CAL4d
- How Mater Dei Pipeline Re-Established USC Recruiting in CaliforniaThe Mater Dei Monarchs (Santa Ana, Calif.) make their presence known in both USC's 2026 and 2027 recruiting classes.CAL6d
- Way-too-early Virginia Football 2026 opponent preview: A California dream, tested at Scott StadiumFor the first time ever, Virginia will host California. It is just the second matchup between the two programs, after the Cavaliers won 31-21 at California MemoCAL6d
- Given A Chance To Run, Bonner Got Tested In Husky Spring BallUW Roster Review: The highly regarded freshman back from California was fully initiated.CAL7d
- Cal Football Preview 2026: The Dangerous Golden BearsWith a new coach, a tremendous quarterback prospect, and a whale of a transfer class, Cal is set up to be a major player in the ACC.CAL7d