Counting Down Cal's Top-50 Transfer Athletes: No. 41 Kendrick Raphael

The transfer portal era in college athletics seems like it’s been with us forever. Likewise, most fans can recall less turbulent times when transfers happened, they simply didn’t look like a stampede to the 1849 California Gold Rush.

We thought it was time to rank the best transfers Cal teams have attracted, most of them in recent seasons but also including a few OGs from yesteryear.

We limited our ranking to transfers from four-year colleges.

Here is the next athlete in our countdown:

41. Kendrick Raphael

Sport: Football

Arrival year at Cal: 2025-26

Previous school: Played in 2023 and ’24 at North Carolina State (734 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 23 games)

Contributions at Cal:

— Raphael was a workhorse at running back for the Bears last fall, carrying the ball 232 times, most in the ACC and 11th-most of any player in the country.

— He rushed for 943 yards to lead the Bears and rank fifth in the ACC. His 72.5 yards per game was seventh-best in the conference. He also caught 31 passes for 231 yards.

— The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Florida native scored 13 rushing touchdowns and reached the end zone 14 times overall, tied for third-most in the ACC. His 14 TDs were the most-ever by a player who transferred to Cal and were the fourth-most by any Golden Bear since 2000.

— Raphael gained at least 100 rushing yards three times, including a season-best 122 in a 35-3 win over Texas Southern and 119 in a 28-24 road victory vs. Boston College.

— He opted after the season to enter the transfer portal and will play next season at SMU. The Bears will see him again next Oct. 24 when they visit Dallas to face the Mustangs.

Standout performance: Raphael had more rushing yards in two earlier games, but his 111-yard effort on a season-high 33 carries helped the Bears to a 38-35 home victory over an SMU team that won nine games. His 2-yard touchdown run with 43 seconds left provided the winning margin in the regular-season finale.

Impact on his team: Injuries and inexperience at the running back position required Raphael to carry a heavy load last fall, and he responded. He carried the ball 232 times while five other backs on the roster combined for just 70 rushing attempts. On a team led by a freshman quarterback — admittedly a very good one — Raphael provided welcome stability and consistency.

Previously on our list:

No. 42: Aidan Keanaaina

No. 43: Kaylee Pond

No. 44: Elena Flynn

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