Nearly every season, Cal finds somebody who climbs out of the pack and turns into a real piece of the puzzle. That kind of rise is what makes the 2026 season worth watching closely, because the Golden Bears have a group of players who may not begin the year as starters but have a path to becoming much more than that.
One of the most intriguing names is tight end Mason Mini. He caught 35 passes for Cal last season after managing just five receptions the year before at Idaho, and that jump already says plenty about where his game is headed. He is part of a tight end room that could give Cal plenty of options, and his role should only keep expanding.
Linebacker Luke Ferrelli also fits the breakout profile. He went from not playing as a true freshman to becoming a surprise starter as a redshirt freshman, then was named ACC defensive freshman of the year at Cal in 2025 before transferring. That kind of path usually means a player has already shown he can handle more than people expected.
Cornerback Hezekiah Masses is another example of how quickly things can change. He was not a first-team or second-team All-Conference-USA selection in 2024 and did not even get honorable mention while at Florida International. Then he turned into a second-team All-America selection at Cal in 2025 and is now bidding for a starting spot with the Raiders as a rookie.
The group extends well beyond those three. Inside linebacker Ryan Hampton started only one game last season, and he may not be in the opening lineup this year as a junior, but he flashed real ability when he came off the bench for 15 tackles against Virginia. With Cade Uluave and Luke Ferrelli gone, Cal has work to do in the middle of the defense, and Hampton looks like a player who is trending up.
At running back, Adam Mohammed is expected to take the lead role, but Jaivian Thomas Vargas could still carve out a meaningful piece of the offense. Transfers from UC Davis are not supposed to make a major splash at the Power Four level, yet Teddye Buchanan did exactly that before becoming an NFL starter as a rookie in 2025 after his standout 2024 season at Cal. Vargas averaged 6.6 yards per carry for UC Davis last season, and his versatility gives him a chance to matter in the backfield.
True freshman tight end Mason Purcell is the young name to keep in mind. Cal already has Mini and Dorian Thomas ahead of him, but Purcell has the athletic profile to force his way onto the field. If the offense uses two or three tight ends together at times, there could be room for him to contribute sooner rather than later.
Inside linebacker Daniel Tuitele also looks like someone who could get pushed into a bigger role. He played in only three games at USC last season as a true freshman, but he is expected to see significant snaps for Cal and could even become a starter at a position that needs answers.
Defensive end Korey Foreman is another player who could step forward. He played in just three games as a redshirt freshman at Texas A&M last season, but this could be the year he becomes a starter for the Golden Bears and shows what he can do as a pass rusher.
Then there is defensive lineman Aidan Okoye, who might be the most fascinating wild card of the bunch. He is not expected to start this season and may not play much at all, but his athletic profile is impossible to ignore.
Okoye, who is from Nigeria, had never seen a football until he was 17. He did not play in his first two years at Tennessee in 2023 and 2024, beginning as a tight end before moving to defense.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic ranked him No. 9 on his list of the top 30 freak athletes in college football, and the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Okoye says he has a 45.5-inch vertical jump and an 11-foot, 6-inch broad jump. Once he learns how to play football, watch out.
The passing game could also help another receiver break through. Ian Strong and Chase Hendricks are getting most of the attention, and for good reason, but Jaron Perry could be a beneficiary of the Sagapolutele passing game after catching 10 passes as a freshman at Oregon last year.
On the other side of the ball, cornerback Jamar Harris is competing for playing time opposite Ricky Fletcher. Harris started seven games for Georgia over the past two seasons, and Cal has had at least one eventual NFL defensive back in its secondary in each of the past 10 years.
Harris could be the one in 2026. The one difference is that Justin Wilcox was the head coach the previous 10 seasons.
And there may still be someone else who surfaces later in the year, maybe because of need, maybe because of opportunity. Cal opens the season on Saturday night at home against UCLA on September 5.
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When College GameDay came to Berkeley for the first time in 2024, it carried the kind of buzz Cal had been chasing for years. ESPNs pregame show was even charged a $4,500 fee by the University of California, Berkeley, to set up its broadcast equipment for the matchup with Miami, a game that was supposed to be a showcase moment for the Bears and the campus.
Instead, the on-field memory from that weekend tilted toward Miamis comeback, and the season that followed only deepened the sense that Cals spotlight moment belonged to another version of the program. Since then, the Bears have gone through a coaching change and watched their starting quarterback transfer, leaving that GameDay appearance looking less like a turning point and more like a snapshot from a very different time. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Is Suddenly Chasing A Massive Recruiting Win Against Heavy Odds
A major recruiting test is closing in for Cal, with highly ranked 2027 linebacker Brayton Feister nearing his decision and putting the Bears in a final group that also includes Ohio State, Oregon and Georgia. For a program always looking for elite defensive talent, just getting into this kind of company matters, and it speaks to the kind of national-level chase Cal is making on the trail.
Feister is expected to make his college commitment on August 14, and the Bears will be watching closely as the suspense builds. The race still appears steep, with analysts and insiders leaning elsewhere for now, but Cal remains in the mix long enough to keep hope alive until the announcement comes. [Read more 🡒]