Cal Hasn't Worked Out for Adam Mohammed

A year ago, running back Jonah Coleman was hobbled so the University of Washington football team turned to Adam Mohammed as its featured running back and things went well.

The then-sophomore apprentice rushed for 108 yards against UCLA and another 105 against Oregon.

Mohammed looked more than ready to take the permanent handoff that would make him the Huskies' No. 1 running back for his last three seasons.

Yet a not so funny thing happened on the way to the 2026 season -- the young rusher packed up and left for California.

Some said he wanted out of rainy Seattle. Some said he wanted to be closer to his family home in Arizona. Others presumed he had a cash incentive taking him to the Bay Area.

Adam Mohammed rushed for 50 yards in the first quarter alone against Oregon and finished with 105 in 2025. | Dave Sizer photo

However it went, the well-muscled 6-foot, 220-pound running back walked out on a situation made to order for him and left the Huskies in a bit of a lurch, with only young, untested backs remaining in his wake.

Well, Mohammed might be wondering what he got himself into with the Golden Bears. Cal has a losing record (3-6 overall, 2-4 ACC) when significant program advancement was fully expected. New coach Tosh Lupoi and team general manager Ron Rivera appear to be at odds, and this week were forced to call a news conference to say they're fine.

The lead rusher, for that matter, suffered a knee injury that forced him to miss four games.

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So while the transfer portal giveth, it also taketh away.

Lupoi is perilously close to getting fired. I give him a 50-50 chance to make it to Dec. 1 https://t.co/Vee8ka5oqZ
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) November 5, 2026

With so much promise for a breakout season for Cal, Mohammed has appeared in five games and rushed 82 times for 363 yards and 3 touchdowns. Modest numbers for someone projected to be on the verge of football excellence.

Just wondering: If Mohammed was interested in retracing his steps to Montlake, with Berkeley becoming a bigger mess for him than he ever anticipated, would coach Jedd Fisch and the Huskies let him come back?

After all, it was obvious while he was at the UW that this running back had considerable skill and was poised for great things in the Fisch offense.

Yet during his strong sophomore finish, Mohammed apparently let the UW coaches know he was leaving last December before the LA Bowl against Boise State and he drew just two carries for 6 yards in his farewell game.

This is a sometimes goofy kid who once dyed a golden "W" into his hair last season, who seemed to get along well with his Husky teammates, who maybe is prone to making impulsive decisions at times.

The Huskies still need a healthy veteran running back. Mohammed might need a new team when this season is done. All it would take is a few olive branches.

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