Cal Kicks Off in Eight Weeks: Six Looming Questions

It’s now been more than seven months since Cal hired Tosh Lupoi coach its football team. The momentum Lupoi has generated since Dec. 4 has become a tidal wave of hope and optimism for Golden Bears’ fans.

Since Day 1, when he dashed to Hawaii to convince quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele to remain with the program, Lupoi seemingly has pushed all the right buttons.

He assembled a promising coaching staff and showed off his recruiting chops both during the transfer portal signing period and since then with high school prospects who will arrive for the 2027 season.

But what matters — to Lupoi and to fans — is winning games. And the 2026 schedule begins eight weeks from tonight when Cal kicks off against UCLA at Memorial Stadium.

The pundits don’t have much of a handle on how the Bears will fare, in part because there are questions that won’t be answered until the games begin.

Here are six of those we think will determine how much success the Bears can expect this fall:

How good will Sagapolutele be as a sophomore?

Aside from Lupoi, Sagapolutele (talking back during spring ball in the video above) is the face of the program. He was a revelation as a freshman last season, but more will be expected of him this season. More will be needed from him.

Can he continue to grow as a leader? With new pieces around him, will he find a rhythm to allow the Cal offense to approach elite status? Can he handle the attention and the pressure that comes with this assignment?

It’s a lot, all of it.

Will Cal’s touted new receivers be as advertised?

Adding to Cal’s receiving corps was a recruiting priority and the Bears pulled wide receivers Ian Strong (Rutgers) and Chase Hendricks (Ohio U) and tight end Dorian Thomas (New Mexico) from the transfer portal.

None of them is likely to match the extreme productivity that Jacob De Jesus provided last season, when he set Cal’s receiving record with 108 catches, but the Bears intend to field a bigger, faster and more diverse set to passing targets.

Will team’s weakest position be improved?

Offensive line, for several years, has been the Bears’ Achilles’ heel. Last fall, the group allowed Cal to rush for just 81.7 yards per game while surrendering 32 sacks. That cannot happen again.

Cal plucked six O-linemen from the transfer portal in an effort to give an immediate boost to that position group. The success of the offense hinges on how well that unfolds.

Can the defense rise again?

Cal’s defense generally was at least adequate during former coach Justin Wilcox’s nine seasons. Often it was far better than that. In particular, the Bears have been superb in the secondary, where for seven consecutive seasons they have had a DB taken in the NFL draft.

The Bears must replace cornerbacks Hezekiah Masses and Paco Austin, along with linebackers Cade Uluave and Luke Ferrelli, their two leading tacklers, who both transferred out.

Can Bears take advantage of favorable schedule?

This is potentially Cal’s secret weapon. The Bears can win all three of their non-conference games — UCLA, Wagner and at UNLV — and they don’t face Miami or Louisville, regarded as two of the ACC’s top teams. A challenging matchup vs. Clemson will be played in Berkeley.

The toughest stretch of the schedule features three consecutive road games (with a bye included) against SMU, NC State and Virginia. With one victory among those three and closing wins at home vs. Stanford and Pitt, an eight-win season is within reach.

What is the overriding unknown?

Lupoi and his staff have done great offseason work, headlined by their recruiting success. What arrives next is the part they have never done in their current roles: Opponent prep and game-day play-calling and adjustments.

Lupoi is a first-time head coach. Jordan Somerville (offense) and Michael Hutchings (defense) are first-time coordinators. We don’t know how they will perform. Even they cannot know, for sure.

There is no reason to doubt they can handle it, but it’s worth watching to see how it plays out.

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