Cal Football: Impact of Transfer Portal on the Bears

A year ago, Cal opened its season against UC Davis with a lineup fortified by talent plucked from the transfer portal. Four starters, including quarterback Jack Plummer and All-Pac-12 linebacker Jackson Sirmon, were fresh off the bus from other four-year programs, and three more key reserves used that route to Berkeley.

It turns out, the Golden Bears were just getting their feet wet in the transfer portal in 2022.

Coach Justin Wilcox revealed the depth chart for Cal’s opener a week from Saturday at North Texas, and there are nine newcomers listed as at least sharing a starting role and eight more portal participants on the second unit.

“Significant” is how Wilcox describes their impact.

“It’s just a new era — it’s different,” he said. “You have so many new faces from where we were a year ago. But it’s exciting, too, because the dynamics change, the competitiveness certainly increased at a number of spots. And then the personalities and you kind of learn who you’re going to be.

“It’s not dull. It’s been enjoyable to watch those guys come in and work and gain the respect of their teammates. There’s a bunch of them that are going to help us.”

It starts at quarterback, where TCU transfer Sam Jackson V has won the starting job and North Carolina State defector Ben Finley currently shares the No. 2 slot with returnee Fernando Mendoza.

Two transfers are in the rotation at running back, led by Isaiah Ifanse, an FCS-level star at Montana State, who is the backup to Jaydn Ott. Oregon transfer Byron Cardwell is out for the season but the Bears are hoping that ex-Tennessee player Justin Williams-Thomas gets healthy enough to contribute.

Brian Hightower, who began his career at Miami and played the past three years at Illinois, is listed as a co-starter with walk-on Trond Grizzell and Washington transfer Taj Davis at the “Z” wide receiver spot.

Two of Cal’s tight ends are newcomers, and on the offensive line Barrett Miller (Stanford) is starting at left tackle and Matthew Wykoff (Texas A&M) is listed as the No. 2 left guard.

Australian Lachlan Wilson (Tulsa) locked down the punter position.

“We’ve been very fortunate to find some real good players, and also just good guys who have really taken to the team,” Wilcox said.

Defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon — who talks in the video at the top about how Cal intends to approach the transfer portal going forward — is equally encouraged by how newcomers have remade the lineup on his side of the ball entering this season.

Florida transfer David Reese is listed as a co-starter at outside linebacker and Clemson’s Sergio Allen is a No. 2 at inside linebacker.

There are four new players in the secondary, including starting safety Patrick McMorris (San Diego State), starting cornerback Nohl Williams (UNLV) and starting nickel back Matthew Littlejohn (Citrus College).

“That was a big challenge. We thought we needed to bring in an infusion of talent to offset some of the departures and play at a higher level,” Sirmon said.

Sirmon believes NIL, the recent NCAA legislation that allows players to profit off their name, image or likeness, has contributed to players sticking around in college longer in some cases.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, the NIL keeps talented quarterbacks in college,” he said. “The colleges are keeping them and they’re not moving onto the NFL so we get to play against them for another year.”

McMorris, the 2022 Mountain West Conference co-Defensive Player of the Year, said the prospect of facing quarterbacks Caleb Williams (USC), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), Bo Nix (Oregon) and Cam Rising (Utah) — all of them regarded as future NFL draft material — was a motivating factor his decision to come to Cal.

“It’s definitely a transition from the Mountain West to the Pac-12,” he said. “You see all these guys who can really throw the ball. It’s not daunting — definitely it’s exciting. Being able to prove that you belong.”

Senior safety Craig Woodson said the newcomers are adjusting nicely.

“The way they’re playing out here, I think they’re ready. I’m not worried about those guys at all,” he said. “They’ve got confidence and we’ve got confidence in them.”

Woodson believes the newcomers will help Cal’s defense regain its place among the Pac-12’s best after a drop-off in 2022.

“Last year just wasn’t good enough for us. We weren’t good enough at imposing our will on offenses we played,” Woodson said. “This year’s going to be really big, trying to get that brand back.”

Asked if he expects the Bears to dive so deep into the portal next spring, Wilcox wasn’t sure how to answer.

“That’s a great question. I think that’s one we’ll always be evaluating, now, during the season and after the season. I think it’s something you’ll constantly be monitoring,” he said.

“I think it would be hard to speculate right now. There’s so many dynamics in play.”

Cal's first-year transfers:

Offense - Starters

QB Sam Jackson V - TCU

WR Brian Hightower - Illinois

WR Taj Davis - Washington

LT Barrett Miller - Stanford

Offense - Second Team

QB Ben Finley - NC State

RB Isaiah Ifanse - Montana State

WR Marquis Montgomery, Independence CC

TE Asher Alberding, North Texas

LG Matthew Wykoff - Texas A&M

Offense - Reserves

OL Martin Tine, East Los Angeles JC

TE J.T. Byrne, Oregon State

RB King Doerue - Purdue

RB Justin Williams-Thomas - Tennessee (injured)

RB Byron Cardwell - Oregon (injured - out for season)

Defense - Starters

OLB David Reese - Florida

CB Nohl Williams - UNLV

Saf Patrick McMorris - San Diego State

NB Matthew Littlejohn - Citrus JC

Defense - Second Team

LB Sergio Allen - Clemson

NB Kaylin Moore - Colorado

Special Team - Starter

P Lachlan Wilson - Tulsa

Special Team - Second Team

P Thomas Lee, Cal Poly

Cover photo of Cal safety Patrick McMorris by Al Sermeno, KLC fotos

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo