In a roster churned by the transfer portal, Cal’s biggest names for 2026 won’t be the only ones worth tracking. Yes, quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and the headline skill-position additions like wide receiver Ian Strong and running back Adam Mohammed will draw most of the preseason attention ahead of the opener against UCLA. But there’s a deeper layer to this team, and a handful of players could wind up shaping the Bears’ season in a real way.
Chase Hendricks is the easiest name to spot on this list, and still maybe the one that fits the “under the radar” label best. The Ohio University transfer is already on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List after a 2025 season that produced 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns on 71 catches.
Cal had to fend off a long list of suitors, Alabama included, to land him. Much of that pull came from Tosh Lupoi.
“My relationship with Coach Tosh, it's something that's unexplainable,” Hendricks said in Season 3, Episode 2 of Cal football’s “Inside Fall Camp” documentary. “When I first got on the phone with him, it was high energy, and I’m a high-energy guy … and ever since I got here, the biggest thing is that he hasn’t changed.
From when we first got on the phone, to now, he’s been the same guy.” With Strong in the room, Hendricks may be listed as WR2, but he still looks like the kind of receiver who can own the biggest snaps when Cal needs a conversion.
The Bears also had major work to do at linebacker, and Tristan “Tjaz” Jernigan looks like one of the players most ready to fill that void. With Ryan McCulloch gone to UCLA, Cade Uluave headed to BYU and Luke Ferrelli off to Ole Miss, Cal needed answers fast.
The Mississippi State transfer from Tupelo didn’t get many chances with the Bulldogs, but he has the talent to compete for one of the two inside linebacker jobs right away. He’s also already given fans a memorable line.
Asked in a Cal football Instagram video what was on his Bay Area bucket list, Jernigan said: “Swim to Alcatraz.”
Carter Vargas is another portal addition who could end up mattering more than the headlines suggested at first. Adam Mohammed got most of the running back buzz after arriving from Washington, but Vargas changed the look of the backfield in his own way.
The UC Davis transfer was highly productive in 2025, averaging 6.6 yards per carry, which ranked fifth in the FCS. He also brought value as a receiver, posting 177 yards on just 10 catches.
And he earned praise from running backs coach Keith Bhonapha for his work in protection. “Carter surprised me with how cerebral he is with the pass protection - understanding the checks, understanding what needs to happen and he is physical in the pass game,” Bhonapha said in a press conference.
That kind of skill set should keep Vargas involved on third downs.
There’s a good case that Cal’s tight end room is its strongest since Jack Endries left, thanks to portal addition Dorian Thomas and returnee Mason Mini. But the long-view name to know might be Taimane Purcell.
The true freshman from Aiea, Hawaii, adds another link in the Bears’ connection to the Aloha State. And with the five years, five seasons rule now in place, coaches no longer have to treat every snap like a redshirt calculation.
That opens the door for Purcell to play early, possibly even in week one against UCLA. At 6-foot-5 and now 245 pounds after adding 20 pounds of muscle in Berkeley, he has the size and movement skills to help as both a receiver and a blocker.
Then there’s Towns McGough, who could end up changing the shape of Cal’s kicking game. The Auburn transfer has been a focus of attention since arriving, and for good reason.
Cal didn’t attempt a field goal beyond 50 yards in 2025, and the Bears went 7-of-12 from 40 to 49 yards. That’s a problem if you want to play tight games against high-end competition.
McGough brings the kind of range that can alter that conversation, even if his Auburn stint didn’t go the way anyone hoped. Not many high schoolers are knocking through 60-yard field goals, and Cal may need that kind of leg to give Lupoi the confidence to let the kicking unit take on longer attempts.
If things go right, his No. 33 will show up in highlight reels for all the right reasons.
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For UCLA and its rivals, the issue has become another wrinkle in a messy summer full of legal filings and temporary court protections. Some players remain in limbo because of restraining orders and injunctions in separate cases, which has left programs waiting to see who will actually be cleared to practice and play once the dust settles. Ron Rivera has weighed in on the broader problem, and the dispute is still evolving in a way that could keep changing roster plans well into the season. [Read more 🡒]
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The Bears are hoping that same kind of breakthrough is available in Berkeley, especially with a talented sophomore quarterback and a schedule that does not look daunting by ACC standards. There is still a long way to go before anything like that becomes real, but the setup is there for a team that has spent the preseason hearing more about where it was supposed to finish than where it might actually go. [Read more 🡒]
Ron Rivera Is Suddenly At The Center Of Cals Football Push
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What stood out was how much of the conversation centered on the universitys football identity and the role Rivera is playing in shaping it. He talked about the need to rebuild the connections around the program and stressed the importance of the bigger picture in football-related decisions, which is part of why his presence carries so much weight right now. For Cal, the next stretch is about more than one season, and Rivera has suddenly become central to how those conversations are being handled. [Read more 🡒]