Oregon Ducks Lose Safety Transfer to Tosh Lupoi’s Cal Bears

Oregon redshirt freshman safety Kingston Lopa is headed back home to Northern California and has committed to the California Golden Bears through the transfer portal. He visited the Bay Area campus earlier on Monday, Nov. 5.

Kingston Lopa Oregon Ducks California Golden Bears Tosh Lupoi Connor Boyd Eugene Berkeley transfer portal college football | Oregon Ducks on SI's Jake Bunn

Through the NCAA's transfer portal, Oregon Ducks redshirt freshman Kingston Lopa has committed to the California Golden Bears amid the Ducks' College Football Playoff run.

Under defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi in Eugene (and the new head coach in Berkeley), Lopa can play a hybrid safety as well as at the linebacker position. He has familiarity with other Oregon staff members coming down from the Pacific Northwest alongside Lupoi, including Cal's new safeties coach Connor Boyd.

Oregon Ducks defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi before the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions | Oregon Ducks on SI's Jake Bunn

At 6-5 and 210 pounds from Grant Union in Sacramento, Lopa ranked as the No. 6 available prospect at his position, according to 247 Sports. He's placed as a four-star recruit.

After two seasons with the Ducks, he finished with 13 total tackles (seven assisted, six solo), one pass deflection, and one sack.

Lopa has three years of college eligibility remaining and has the opportunity to breakout in a defensive back-centric system inside California Memorial Stadium. The Golden Bears had three NFL Draft picks in their 2024 defensive back room and have had seven safeties selected in the NFL Draft since 2020.

This is a notable acquisition for both Lupoi and Boyd's future secondary in Year 1.

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Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jayden Limar (27) carries the ball against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second half of the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Third Oregon Running Back Enters Transfer Portal

Ducks junior running back Jayden Limar announced on his Instagram that he will enter the transfer portal during the program's College Football Playoff run. He had Oregon's longest gain against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on a 27-yard reception in the quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.

Limar was a starter earlier in the season when redshirt senior running back Noah Whittington was out. Injuries set him back, and then the emergence of the true freshman running back duo of Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. came along. Limar played mostly with special teams after that.

In three seasons with the Ducks, Limar finished with 442 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 92 carries. He acted as a utility man for offensive coordinator Will Stein during his time, having also had 207 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown on 20 receptions.

Oregon Ducks running back Makhi Hughes attempts to break a tackle by Oregon State Beavers defensive back Harlem Howard as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers Sept. 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This is the third running back under coach Dan Lanning to put his name in the transfer portal in the last week. Limar joins redshirt junior Makhi Hughes and redshirt junior Jay Harris in looking for their next home.

Hughes just recently committed to the Big 12 Conference's Houston Cougars. To say there was an overhype around Hughes coming from the Tulane Green Wave is an understatement. The two-time First Team All-American Athletic Conference honoree only had 17 carries with Oregon.

Along with Limar, 16 of the Ducks' 29 signees in the 2023 high school recruiting class have now transferred. That was the first full cycle for Lanning and his original staff.

Will redshirt freshman Da'Jaun Riggs be the next running back to look elsewhere for more snaps? Do Lanning and running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples need to look to the transfer portal for even more talent in the backfield alongside Davison, Hill Jr., and incoming four-star talent Tradarian Ball out of the 2026 high school recruiting class?