Can Tristan Dunn Be the Next Great Cal Safety?

Five former Golden Bears are safeties on active NFL rosters currently, and that number could grow to six if Craig Woodson get drafted

Tristan Dunn played against Cal in 2023 while with Washington / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Is Tristan Dunn next?

Cal has been feeding safeties to the NFL in rapid succession in recent years, with five former Golden Bears currently on active NFL rosters as safeties. Those five – Cam Bynum, Ashtyn Davis, Jaylinn Hawkins, Elijah Hicks and Daniel Scott – have combined for 123 regular-season NFL starts – and Bynum recently signed a four-year $60 million free-agent contract with the Colts.

Cal’s total of NFL safeties is likely to increase to six in 2025 with Craig Woodson expected to be taken in the NFL draft later this month.

But there is no star safety on the immediate horizon for Cal, and the Bears’ spring football practices have been focusing on sorting out the talent in the secondary to determine which players will fill the huge void left in Cal’s defensive backfield.

The starters at all five secondary positions in 2024 are gone. Three of the five departed players – Woodson, Nohl Williams and Marcus Harris -- could be taken in the upcoming NFL draft, and the two others – Miles Williams and Matthew Littlejohn – have run out of eligibility.

So maybe Dunn can lock down one of the two starting safety positions, even though he doesn’t have the body type of a typical safety.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised in terms of what he brings to the table: his football IQ, his discipline, his work ethic.” defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator Terrence Brown said on Wednesday.

And Dunn brings one other element seldom found in safeties – height. Dunn is 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, which is why some thought he would be a linebacker coming out of high school in the class of 2023 as a four-star recruit.

“He’s been able to help us out and give us some length, something we haven’t necessarily had at the safety position,” said Brown.

Is that size an advantage at the safety position?

“Depends on who’s looking at it,” Brown said.

Dunn spent his first two college seasons at Washington. He played in the 2023 national championship game on special teams, but his playing time, which was expected to increase the next year under head coach Jalen DeBoer, remained limited in 2024 when head coach Jeff Fisch came on board to replace the departed DeBoer.

So now, after transferring to Cal in the offseason, Dunn is trying win playing time for his third head coach in three years. Dunn said playing for three different head coaches has its positives and negatives.

“Honestly, I think it’s a blessing in disguise,” he said. “I’ve been able to go through the ropes of college basketball, see a bunch of different schemes . . . . Honestly, it does suck sometimes, not having a scheme set each year and getting better on top of it, but it’s also a blessing in disguise with the many things I’ve learned from each coach.”

Now Dunn enters the competition for the spots in the secondary that are up for grabs.

“It’s a younger, more wide-open group,” Dunn said.

It would be difficult to project Cal’s 2025 starting lineup at the five secondary positions at the moment, but because starting nickelback Littlejohn missed about half of the 2024 season with injuries three players on the current Cal roster got meaningful playing time last season.

Redshirt junior Cam Sidney made four starts in 2024 and collected 29 tackles and an interception. Senior Ja’ir Smith started three games and had 12 tackles, one sack and an interception. And junior Ryan Yaites made one start and recorded 16 tackles.

However, there are a number of newcomers vying for playing time in the secondary, and that includes Dunn, whose versatility makes him appealing.

“Realistically, I think I can play four-plus positions on the defensive side,” he said.

So what does he do best?

“I’m a cover guy, but I can also play in the run fit, play in the box,” Dunn said. “I think my strength is my athletic ability.”

Will he be the next standout Cal safety? As Brown says, “Time will tell.”

Recent articles: 

Cal lands the son of a pretty good sidekick of Michael Jordan

TV info and tee times for the 4 Cal alums playing the Masters

Speed and one spectacular play while at Arkansas, make new Cal WR Dazmin James intriguing

Here's what you need to know about Saturday's Cal Spring Showcase scrimmage

Follow California Golden Bears on SI on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport