Cal's Luke Ferrelli: `Every Time He Goes Out There He Gets Better'

Cal’s game at San Diego State on Saturday night is personal for redshirt freshman linebacker Luke Ferrelli, and not simply because he grew up 25 minutes from the campus or because his mother graduated from the university or because the Aztecs recruited him out of high school.

Ferrelli’s older brother, Anthony, is a starting linebacker at Stony Brook, which plays FCS level football but is rated the No. 1 public university in the state of New York.

The Seawolves made a trip West on the opening weekend of the season for their own game against SDSU. After Stony Brook absorbed a 42-0 defeat, Luke called his big brother.

“Man, they put a whoopin’ on us,’ “ Luke recalled Anthony saying. “You guys got to go put a whoopin’ on them.”

So family pride — and Cal’s unbeaten record — will be on the line Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium.

*** Ferrelli talks in the video at the top of the page about the passion for surfing he shares with his family.

The Bears beat the Aztecs 31-10 a year ago at Berkeley but Ferrelli, redshirting as a true freshman, did not play in the game. At the time, he had not yet envisioned how far he might progress in a year.

He has been a starter in all three games this fall and leads the Bears with 27 tackles.

“Honestly, I would say I’m surprised,” Ferrelli offered.

Cal coach Justin Wilcox has referred to him as perhaps the most improved player on the roster.

“We had hopes for Luke but really didn’t know,” Wilcox said this week. “He has earned the right to start and each time he plays he’s just getting better. It’s really encouraging to see a guy like that put the time in, put the work in and have it show up on the field.”

After Saturday’s 27-14 victory over Minnesota, when Ferrelli had a game-high and career-best 11 tackles, Wilcox said, “Every time he goes out there he gets better. From where he was a year ago to right now, it is really impressive.”

Ferrelli's contribution was more than simply numbers, but included a play that helped turn the game in Cal’s direction.

The Golden Gophers, trailing just 17-14 early in the fourth quarter, faced a third-and-7 play from the Cal 30-yard line. Ferrelli took down running back Cam Davis for a 3-yard loss, requiring Minnesota to attempt a 51-yard field goal to potentially tie the game.

“They missed the field goal by not very much,” Wilcox said, “so that play right there was a key play.”

Cal scored on its ensuing possession to take control of the game at 24-14.

Ferrelli lines up next to junior Cade Uluave, the 2023 Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, who raves about his teammate.

“He’s a baller, man, and it shows. This guy flies around, flies to the ball, having a good time out there.” said Uluave, who had to sit out the first half of the Minnesota game being ejected for targeting the week before. “The growth that he’s had from a year ago to now is unbelievable. I think both of us know we’re going to continue to get better.”

Ferrelli redshirted a year ago, primarily to get bigger and stronger. Just 205 pounds when he graduated high school, he now carries 230 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame.

He wouldn’t have played much last season in any case, with Uluave and Teddye Buchanan at the two inside linebacker spots. Buchanan was chosen in the fourth round of the NFL draft last April and has 10 tackles in two games for the Baltimore Ravens.

Ferrelli said he watched hours of film with Uluave and Buchanan last fall while also picking up tips on diet and preparation from his older teammates.

With Buchanan headed to the NFL, Cal brought in two transfers to help restock the position. Harrison Taggart, who played two seasons at BYU, and Buom Jock, who made 100 tackles last season at Colorado State, were considered co-frontrunners for the position in spring ball.

“They’re both great linebackers, they both have a lot of experience,” Ferrelli said. “I really was just working and working and working.”

His confidence grew during spring ball but he didn’t feel like he’d arrived. It was progress day by day, Wilcox said, not one big leap forward in his performance.

Now he’s part of a defensive unit that is allowing just 10.7 points per game, 19th-best in the nation. “I think we’ve played well,” he said, "but I definitely think there’s a lot of things we can get better at.”

Now Ferrelli returns to San Diego with the Bears to face the team he cheered for as a kid. He expects to have about 60 family members, friends and former players and coaches at the game.

“It’s the best time of my life,” he said.

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