Cal's New Offensive Line Coach Has Lofty Hopes For His Group

Famika Anae's O-line at New Mexico was one of the most effective in the country last season

Famika Anae / Photo by Jeff Faraudo

Cal’s new offensive line coach has big ambitions for the 2025 football season.

“I expect to be the No. 1 rushing offense in the country and I expect to give up the least amount of sacks in the country,” Famika Anae said after Friday morning’s second spring practice at Memorial Stadium.

“That is a hard standard to accomplish but you’ve got to be willing to put your mind and your body in that arena in order to do it. It’s hard work, it’s a grind. But I do think these guys are willing.”

It’s not just idle talk. As O-line coach at New Mexico last season, Anae's unit allowed just five sacks all season and rushed for 6.7 yards per attempt — ranking No. 1 among 133 FBS teams in both categories.

By contrast, the Bears surrendered 49 sacks and managed just 3.6 yards per rush.

Changing that is Anae’s task. He likes what he’s seeing so far.

“They’re willing to do the work. How skilled we are in that? Not good enough yet. How resilient we are in that? Not good enough yet,” he said. “They’re willing to try. That’s where you start. That’s where we started last year in New Mexico and it developed over time.

“You just can’t get tired of climbing that mountain. I can’t as the coach holding them accountable. And they cannot themselves. That’s been the challenge and that will continue to be the challenge moving forward.”

Cal currently is carrying 17 offensive linemen on its roster, including five who arrived on campus this offseason via the transfer portal. 

One of those is LaJuan Owens, who has some history with Anae as New Mexico’s starting left tackle for the final 10 games last season.

“Coach Anae operates on a straight physicality mentality,” Owens said. “He’s going to put you through a lot of adversity in practice. When you get ready for the regular season, it’s going to help you mentally and physically.”

Here are Anae’s early impressions of the Bears' O-linemen currently competing for spots in the rotation: 

The newcomers

— LEON BELL (6-8, 315, RS junior) appeared in two games last season at  Mississippi State. He previously played a Kilgore JC. “A long, rangy tackle. He’s got a lot of ability, he’s very athletic. He also has really good football savvy.”

— LaJUAN OWENS (RS sophomore, 6-4, 355 pounds) started 10 games as a redshirt freshman at New Mexico last season and did not allow a sack. LaJuan Owens: “LaJuan’s a quiet guy. Very cerebral, very smart. Extremely athletic. Just has good football savvy. I’m just excited he’s here.”

— LAMAR ROBINSON (6-3, 300, senior) started every game at left guard the past two seasons at Georgia State. Missed practice Friday with illness but expected back soon. “He’s a very smart football player. Played a lot at Georgia State. I’m really excited about what he’s going to bring to the table.”

— TYSON RUFFINS (6-2, 310 pounds, junior) was a freshman All-America left guard last season while making 10 starts at Nevada. He did not allow a sack in 585 snaps. The Bears are moving him to center: “His ability to be prepared has been the thing that separated him from other guys we were looking at in the portal. Played guard, transitioned to center. He’ll probably play all over. There’s been no drop-off, so that’s been really good.”

— JORDAN SPOSOJEVIC-MOKO (6-5, 335, RS senior) made 10 starts for Charlotte last season after spending three seasons at Texas A&M and one at Snow JC in Utah, where Anae first scouted him. He’s playing left guard for the Bears:  "He got a lot of major recruiting action coming out of junior college. I had already evaluated him and I knew what the contribution would be with his mindset and mentality. He brings life into that room. He’s a funny guy. He’s a rapper. But more so he’s a really hard worker and the guys love him.”

The returnees

— AKILI CALHOUN (6-4, 300 senior) is an often-injured ex-defensive lineman who has been flipped to the O-line and is working at left guard: “I love D-linemen who play O-line. I don’t have to work as much on the mentality piece — they’ve got it. Akili’s exactly that. He’s healthy. He’s been running with our 2s at left guard. Mentality wise, it’s every day. I don’t have to dig it out of him. He’s hungry for an opportunity.”

— BRADEN MILLER (6-6, 315, RS junior) arrived at Cal last season as a transfer from Michigan State but was injured in fall camp. He’s working as the starting right tackle in practice so far. “Braden has done a really good job acclimating to the offense. These schemes are similar to what he’s played in (at Michigan State) before transferring here. Stuff that we’re trying to do here at Cal is very familiar to him, which has created n advantage.”

— NICK MORROW (6-8, 315, RS sophomore) is still rehabbing this spring after starting the first 11 games at left tackle last season, then missing the final two due to injury: “He does all of our non-contact drills. Very athletic. Excellent feet. More than that for me has been his buy-in and his intentionality to be a part of the group. That part stands out to me more so than his football ability. So I’ve got a lot of confidence in his return.”

— TRENT RAMSEY (6-5, 320, RS junior) was a backup guard for the Bears last season but has been moved to center: “I evaluated him in our offseason training and he’s done a really good job acclimating to (center). The reality is, there is not a center here at Cal. So we are establishing one.”

— BASTIAN SWINNEY (6-6, 300 RS junior) made 10 starts in 2024, one at left guard, two at center and seven at right guard, where he is working this spring: “Bastian’s played some center so we’ll continue to unravel that as spring goes.”

— SIOAPE VATIKANI (6-4, 330, RS junior), who played just five games with three starts last season due to injury but has started 23 games over three seasons at left guard and right guard: “I think he’s done a phenomenal job bouncing back, getting his body right and prepared. I tried my hardest to establish the ground rules and what to expect. I thought those guys really took to heart what they were going to have to do to their bodies to get them ready for it. He’s done a phenomenal job doing that. He’s been able to do full participation and looks really good.”

— FREDERICK WILLIAMS III (6-5, 300, RS sophomore) started three games at right tackle last season (for injured TJ Session) and two at left tackle (for injured Nick Morrow), where he has been playing this spring:  “He’s done a really good job acclimating to the offense. Very athletic. We are just scratching the surface of his potential. The more connected he becomes, the more dangerous he can become. That’s the project.”

Anae said no team can develop a good offense without fielding a good O-line. He feels the responsibiity to make that happen.

“That’s how it’s always been,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how good the quarterback is, the skill guys are. You have to have a level of competency up front to allow everything to begin. That is the task every waking moment of my life.”