Cal Football: Ex-Golden Bears Duo Headed Home to Play at Arizona State
Two former Cal players who entered the transfer portal in recent days are headed home.
Reserve running back DeCarlos Brooks and long snapper Slater Zellers will return to their home state to play for Pac-12 rival Arizona State.
Both made their announcements via social media.
Brooks and Zellers will play for new ASU coach Kenny Dillingham, hired last week after serving as offensive coordinator at Oregon.
They will get one more chance to visit Cal’s Memorial Stadium next season when the Sun Devils face the Bears in Berkeley. A date for that game has not been announced.
DeCarlos Brooks
Brooks spent most of this past season as the Bears’ No. 2 running back behind freshman Jaydn Ott. He is one of three Cal running backs who entered the portal, joining Damien Moore and Chris Street.
Brooks played 21 games in parts of three seasons for the Bears, totaling 309 rushing yards with one touchdown. He rushed for 261 yards this season. Brooks arrives at ASU with two remaining years of eligibility.
Brooks was rated a three-star prospect out of Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona, where he rushed for 3,863 yards and scored 52 touchdowns in three seasons, helping his team to a 34-9 record with three state championships.
Chandler is a suburb of Phoenix, just 14 miles from ASU’s campus in Tempe.
Slater Zellers
Zellers was Cal’s primary long snapper since the 2019 season but has one remaining season of eligibility because of the COVID-19 exemption of 2020.
He will be reunited at ASU with new special teams coach Charlie Ragle, who served in that role at Cal for Zellers' first four years on campus.
Zellers graduated from Cal last spring with a degree in legal studies.
At Notre Dame Prep in Scottsdale, another Phoenix suburb, Zellers was an Under Armour All-American snapper and first-team all-state selection as a senior. He contributed to his team’s 13-1 record and runner-up finish in the Arizona 5A state playoffs.
Cover photo of former Cal running back DeCarlos Brooks
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
