Reviewing and Assessing Cal Football Transfers In and Out

The Golden Bears remade their roster at key positions by way of the transfer portal this offseason

Running back Kendrick Raphael played for North Carolina State in 2024 / Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Our heads are still spinning from the number of football players who transferred in and out at Cal since the 2024 season ended. Even though Cal could add a transfer or two during the summer, it’s time to assess how Cal did in the transfer market.

A total of 36 players who were not on Cal’s 2024 roster transferred in to the Golden Bears program.  Only four FBS schools – West Virginia, Southern Miss, Marshall and Memphis -- brought in more transfers than Cal this offseason. There were actually 38 players who transferred into Cal this offseason, but two players – long snapper Caleb Johnston and kicker Kyle Cunanan – transferred into Cal during the winter and transferred out in the spring

A total of 37 players left Cal by way of the transfer portal this offseason.  This does not include three players – defensive back Matthew Littlejohn, quarterback CJ Harris and quarterback Chandler Rogers – who entered the transfer portal during the winter even though they apparently are out of college eligibility.

It’s pretty obvious which players are Cal’s most significant transfer losses, but picking out the Bears’ most significant transfer additions is difficult. Some experts suggest that four of Cal’s five starting offensive linemen in 2025 will be players who transferred to Cal after the end of the 2024 season.  Others expect just one of two transfers to man those starting spots on the offensive line.

We’ll first try to rank this offseason's top incoming and outgoing Cal transfers, then list all the Golden Bears’ transfers in an out, and finally we’ll look at how the three main sites that report those transactions rate Cal’s success in the portal.

Ranking Cal’s Eight Most Significant Transfer Acquisitions

--- 1. Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele

--- 2. Quarterback Devin Brown

--- 3. Running back Kendrick Raphael

--- 4. Outside linebacker/edge TJ Bush

--- 5. Linebacker Buom Jock

--- 6. Wide receiver Jacob De Jesus

--- 7. Linebacker Harrison Taggart

---8 (tie). Outside linebacker Jayden Wayne or Defensive back Tristan Dunn

.

Ranking Cal’s Eight Most Significant Transfer Departures

--- 1. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza

--- 2. Running back Jaydn Ott

--- 3. Tight end Jack Endries

--- 4. Running back Jaivian Thomas

--- 5. Wide receiver Nyziah Hunter

--- 6. Outside linebacker/edge David Reese

--- 7. Wide receiver Tobias Merriweather

--- 8. Wide receiver Mikey Matthews

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Winter 2024-25 Transfers (pre-spring practice)

Acquisitions (19)

All Winter acquisitions (with previous school in parentheses)

– Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (from Oregon)

– Quarterback Devin Brown (from Ohio State)

– Inside Linebacker Buom Jock (from Colorado State)

– Wide Receiver Jacob de Jesus (from UNLV)

– Outside linebacker Jayden Wayne (from Washington)

– Defensive back Tristan Dunn (from Washington)

– Wide Receiver Dazmin James (from Arkansas)

– Defensive Back Dru Polidore (from Montana State)

– Offensive Lineman Lamar Robinson (from Georgia State)

– Offensive Lineman Leon Bell (from Mississippi State)

– Offensive Lineman LaJuan Owens (from New Mexico)

– Defensive Lineman Tyson Ford (from Notre Dame)

– Kicker Kyle Cunanan (from Charlotte)

– Cornerback Hezekiah Masses (from Florida International)

– Offensive Lineman Tyson Ruffins (from Nevada)

– Offensive Lineman Jordan Spasojevic-Moko (from Charlotte)

– Tight End Mason Mini (from Idaho)

– Long Snapper Caleb Johnston (from Washington)

– Punter Brook Honore Jr. (from Arkansas State)

Also:

– Cornerback Jaden Mickey (from Notre Dame, committed from Cal, then de-committed from Cal and committed to Boise State)

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Departures (12)

All Winter Departures (new committed school in parentheses)

– Quarterback Fernando Mendoza (committed to Indiana)

– Wide receiver Nyziah Hunter (committed to Nebraska)

– Wide receiver Mikey Matthews (committed to UCLA)

– Outside linebacker David Reese (committed to Syracuse)

– Offensive lineman Matthew Wykoff (committed to Houston)

– Wide receiver Josiah Martin (committed to Oklahoma)

– Tight end J.T. Byrne (committed to Georgia Tech)

– Tight end Nate Rutchena (committed to UC Davis)

– Defensive back Brooklyn Cheek (committed to Wyoming)

– Punter Bobby Engstler (committed to Arkansas State)

– Long-snapper David Bird (committed to Alabama)

– Kicker Derek Morris (committed to University of Massachusetts)

Also entered transfer portal:

---Defensive back Matthew Littlejohn (withdrew from portal and apparently out of eligibility) 

– Quarterback Chandler Rogers (apparently out of eligibility)

--Quarterback CJ Harris (Apparently out of eligibility)

Spring 2025 Transfers (post-spring practice)

Acquisitions (19)

All Spring Additions (previous school in parentheses)

– Running back Kendrick Raphael (from North Carolina State)

– Outside linebacker TJ Bush Jr. (from Liberty)

– Inside linebacker Harrison Taggart (from BYU)

– Wide receiver Mark Hamper (from Wisconsin, played for Idaho in 2024)

--- Punter Michael Kern (from Texas)

– Wide receiver Quaron Adams (from South Dakota)

– Running back LJ Johnson Jr. (from SMU)

– Running back Brandon High Jr. (from Texas-San Antonio)

– Defensive back Jordan Sanford (from Texas Tech)

– Cornerback Brent Austin (from South Florida)

– Outside linebacker Chris Victor (from Chattanooga)

– Long-snapper Rino Monteforte (from Notre Dame)

– Cornerback Quimari Shemwell (from Utah)

– Offensive lineman Daveion Harley (from Jacksonville State)

– Kicker Chase Meyer (from Penn State)

– Defensive lineman Zae Smith (from Houston Christian)

– Kicker Abram Murray (from Miami)

– Wide receiver Jayden Dixon-Neal (from Purdue)

– Tight end Landon Morris (from Temple)

.

Departures (24)

All Spring departures (new committed school in parentheses)

– Running back Jaydn Ott (committed to Oklahoma)

– Tight end Jack Endries (committed to Texas)

– Running back Jaivian Thomas (committed to UCLA)

– Wide receiver Tobias Merriweather (committed to Utah)

– Inside linebacker Hunter Barth (committed to Stanford)

– Wide receiver Jonathan Brady (committed to Indiana)

– Defensive back Ryan Yaites (committed to TCU)

– Outside linebacker Myles Williams (committed to Nevada)

– Outside linebacker John Gayer (committed to Utah State)

– Running back Justin Williams-Thomas (committed to Marshall)

– Wide receiver Mavin Anderson (committed to Texas State)

– Running back Byron Cardwell Jr. (committed to San Diego State)

– Running back Kadarius Calloway (committed to New Mexico State)

– Cornerback Marcus Scott II (no new school)

– Offensive lineman Trent Ramsey (committed to Appalachian State)

– Wide receiver Mason Starling (committed to San Jose State)

– Center Dylan Jemetegaard (committed to Montana)

– Kicker Kyle Cunanan (committed to Nebraska)

– Long-snapper Caleb Johnston (committed to Rutgers)

– Tight end Simon Mapa (committed to New Mexico)

– Quarterback Andrew Maushardt (no new school)

– Tight end Camden Jones (no new school)

-- Outside linebacker Elijah Diaz (no new school)

-- Defensive back Julian Womack (no new school)

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Ranking Cal’s Transfers

Finally we look at how the three main sites that track transfers rate Cal’s transfer class. It should be noted that these sites simply rank the talent of the individual players who change teams, not how those players will fit into the schemes or needs of their new teams.

The 247 Sports site ranks Cal’s transfer class the 38th-best in the country based on total ranking points assigned to its transfers, but 46th on the average points of its incoming transfers.

On3 ranks Cal’s class 60th in the nation, giving its incoming transfer players an average rating of 66.18 and assigning its departing transfers a slightly higher average rating of 67.82.

Rivals ranks Cal incoming transfer group as the 20th-best in the country based on total rating points assigned to its new players and ranks Cal 65th based on the average rating points of its incoming transfers.

Four players (Fernando Mendoza, Jaydn Ott, Nyziah Hunter, Jack Endries) who were ranked among the top-100 transfers by ESPN left Cal, and nobody from that top-100 list transferred into Cal.

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