Cal Adds Wisconsin Grad Transfer Running Back Bradrick Shaw

Cal added a running back who will be able to contribute immediately, as Bradrick Shaw, a running back at Wisconsin, announced on social media on Friday that he is coming to Cal at a grad transfer.

A torn ACL in 2017 interrupted his rise at Wisconsin, and the Bears hope a healthy Shaw can help their running game in his one remaining season of eligibility.

Cal was eighth in the Pac-12 in rushing yards per game last season and 10th in yards per rushing attempt at 3.6

Grateful for this opportunity! #GOBEARS pic.twitter.com/fO4sKm2Rxp
— Bradrick Shaw (@bradricks7) May 30, 2020

The 6-foot-1, 216-pound Shaw played in only nine games last season and was fourth on the team in rushing yards per game at just 12.9. But Shaw had a healthy 6.4 yards per carry on only 18 carries in 2019.

None of the backups got many carries for the Badgers, as first-team All-American Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for 2,003 yards last season, got the bulk of the work.

(See highlights of Shaw in action by clicking here.)

Shaw redshirted his first season at Wisconsin in 2015, and his best season was his redshirt freshman year of 2016, when he rushed for 485 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry. In 2017, as a sophomore, he was the Badgers' second-leading rusher, running for 365 yards, while averaging just 3.8 yards per attempts.

He caught one pass for 6 yards in 2016 and had three receptions for 21 yards in 2017.

He tore his ACL in the final game of the 2017 season, and he missed the entire 2018 season. His workload was limited in 2019.

Shaw, who is from Birmingham, Ala., finished his Wisconsin career with 202 carries for 938 yards and 10 touchdwns.

He earned two degrees from Wisconsin.

Shaw entered the transfer portal in January, while requesting a sixth year of eligibility by way of medical hardship.

Wisconsin relies heavily on a power running game, and new Cal offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave has hinted that the Bears will rely more on that kind of attack than it has in recent years. Cal might even use some two-back sets, something it has not run in the past.

Christopher Brown Jr., a 230-pounder, was Cal's leading rusher last season when he rushed for 914 yards. He is the epitome of a power running back, and he is expected to retain his position as the Bears' No. 1 back. But Shaw could provide a solid backup, along with Marcel Dancy and DeShawn Collins. Redshirt freshman DeCarlos Brooks and incoming freshmen Damien Moore and Chris Street will also be in the running back group.

Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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