Cal Lands Standout Rutgers Wide Receiver Transfer

Cal has landed an outstanding receiving target for Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele as Rutgers transfer wide receiver Ian Strong has signed with Cal, according to multiple media outlets and confirmed by Cal.

Strong had 52 receptions for 762 yards and five touchdowns in just 10 games, all as a starter, this season for the Scarlet Knights. He was also scheduled to visit Notre Dame but pulled the trigger for the Golden Bears.

There were thoughts that he might enter the NFL draft, and might have been a mid-round pick, but he opted to enter the transfer portal instead.

Respected NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler said this of Strong: "Arguably the best contested catch receiver in CFB. NFL-level play strength + body control"

He is the third transfer Cal has landed this month, joining Texas A&M transfer defensive end/edge Solomon Williams and South Dakota transfer offensive lineman Jacob Arop.

Big-Time Bear headed to the Bay @ianstrong23 🐻#GoBears pic.twitter.com/3xEmWE7a7D
— Cal Football (@CalFootball) January 6, 2026

Strong had four games this season in which he had 100 receiving yards or more, including 151 yards against Iowa, known for its strong defense.

He started 11 games as a sophomore in 2024, when he caught 43 passes for 676 yards and five touchdowns.

Strong played in all 13 games, including two starts, as a freshman in 2023, when he had 16 receptions for 230 yards and two touchdowns.

At 6-foot-3, 211 pounds, Strong is a big receiver who lives up to his name. He has one year of college eligibility remaining.

Cal is losing most of its wide receivers, including Jacob De Jesus, who broke the Cal single-season record for receptions in a season.

However, Strong gives Sagapolutele a viable No. 1 receiving threat.

Pro Football Focus, which grades every player on every play, says Strong is the eighth-highest rated wide receiver in the Big Ten since 2024.

Strong is from Coram, New York, and he played at St. Anthony’s High School, which went 11-1 when he was a senior playing both wide receiver and defensive back.

Players can still enter the transfer portal until January 15, but once a player is in the portal he can commit to another school at any time.

New Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi will continue to serve as Oregon’s defensive coordinator until the Ducks are eliminated from the College Football Playoff. Oregon faces Indiana in the CFP semifinals on January 9. Lupoi was present when Strong made his visit to Cal, so he obviously had an impoact in getting Strong.

Although Lupoi undoubtedly is involved in Cal’s transfer portal dealings, Cal football general manager Ron Ron Rivera and assistant general manager are navigating much of Cal’s work in the portal.

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