Cal Football Loses Two Starters for the Season

Cal has lost two more starters for the rest of the season, as head coach Justin Wilcox announced on Monday that outside linebacker Ryan McCulloch and safety Isaiah Crosby will not play any more in 2025 as the result of unspecified injuries.

"Isaiah and Ryan will be hard to replace," Wilcox said in a statement provided by Cal. "We have a lot of talented guys behind them, and they all have an opportunity to step up."

McCulloch and Crosby are the second and third Cal starters who have been lost for the season. Defensive lineman Nate Burrell, who started eight games last season and was expected to be a starter this season, was declared out for the season shortly before the Bears’ season opener.

McCulloch and Crosby both missed Saturday’s game against Boston College, a game Cal won 28-24.

Outside linebacker Jayden Wayne replaced McCulloch and safety Dru Polidore Jr. took Crosby’s place in the game against Boston College, and Wayne and Polidore are expected to be the starters in Saturday night’s home game against Duke (3-2, 2-0 ACC). Polidore, a transfer from Montana State, recorded five tackles against Boston College, and Wayne, who transferred from Washington, assisted on one tackle against the Eagles.

McCulloch was considered one of Cal’s best defensive players heading into the 2025 season, and he set a personal goal of double-digit sacks for 2025. In the four games he played this season, McCulloch had 11 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also recorded four quarterback hurries and was an instrumental part of Cal’s pass rush.

Crosby is third on the team in tackles with 24, including one tackle for a loss. He also had three pass breakups. Wilcox had lauded the play of Crosby after Cal’s third game.

Cal is 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the ACC after holding on to beat Boston College on the road.

This week it is Duke that will have to make the cross-country trip to face Cal in a Saturday night game. Duke did not play any games on the West Coast last season, and has not played any game more than one time zone away since Manny Diaz became the Blue Devils head coach before the start of the 2024 season.

The game will start at 7:30 p.m. Pacific time, which is 10:30 p.m. Duke time. The game will not end until about 2 a.m. East Coast time.

Despite all that, Duke is a 3-point favorite over Cal at most betting sites as of Monday evening, with FanDuel and ESPN Bet Sportsbook placing the spread at 3.5 points.

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