Cal heads into Saturday’s trip to North Carolina State with a familiar problem on its hands: the Bears are thin at running back, wide receiver and along the offensive line. This week, though, the injury report adds another layer, with concerns now also at inside linebacker.
The biggest names on the report are starting inside linebacker AJ Tuitele, starting wide receiver Ian Strong and running back Ashten Emory, all of whom are listed as questionable. Tuitele is second on the team in tackles with 36, one behind Isaiah Crosby, and he leads Cal in tackles for loss with 4.5 while tying for the team lead in sacks with three. Another inside linebacker, JD McKinley, is also questionable after starting three games this season and matching Tuitele with three sacks.
Strong has been a key part of the passing game, ranking second on the team with 33 receptions and 467 receiving yards. He has also been dealing with injury trouble lately, missing the Wake Forest game two weeks ago and sitting out part of last week’s loss to SMU.
The receiver room is stretched further by Jordan King being ruled out. King has 11 catches for 108 yards.
Cooper Perry, with eight receptions for 111 yards, and Mark Hamper, with five catches for 60 yards, are both questionable. If that group can’t go, Cal may have to turn again to defensive players on offense, just as it did last week.
The backfield looks even shakier. No. 2 running back Carter Vargas is out for Saturday and is likely done for the season.
Leading rusher Adam Mohammed is questionable after missing the past four games with what appears to be a knee injury. Emory, who has been Cal’s primary ball-carrier over the last three games and is second on the team with 267 rushing yards, is now questionable too.
If Mohammed and Emory are both unavailable, the Bears may again need to patch together snaps with players from other spots. Walk-on Carson Perry-Smith would be next at running back, while freshman Tyree Sams and defensive players Kingston Lopa and Niles Davis could also see offensive work against the Wolfpack.
There is at least one possible boost up front. Starting center Bastian Swinney, who missed last week, is not on the injury report and appears set to return.
But the rest of the line still has issues, with starting offensive tackle Frederick Williams III, starting offensive guard Tyson Ruffins and offensive tackle Jimothy Lewis Jr. all listed as questionable. Lewis has started two games this season.
Cal tight end Dorian Thomas and defensive lineman Nate Burrell have both been ruled out again, and it remains unclear whether either will play again this season.
In Other News...
Cal Walks Into A Wolfpack Spot Bears Fans Know Can Get Dangerous
NC State enters this week in a very different place than it expected to be in when the season began. Dave Doeren was fired after a loss that dropped the Wolfpack to 3-4, and eighth-year assistant Todd Goebbel has been handed the interim job as the program tries to steady itself before Cal comes to town. For the Bears, it is the kind of matchup that can get tricky fast, especially when a team is trying to reset emotionally as well as tactically.
Cal will also have its own important piece back in place. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is set to return as the starting quarterback after dealing with a concussion, giving the Bears a key element of continuity as they head into a game against a Wolfpack team suddenly led by a new voice. With the coaching change fresh and the week shortened by all the upheaval, this has the feel of a spot where the details matter just as much as the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]
Cal In The Hunt For A Recruiting Win Mark Madsen Needs
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Uvwos visit gave Cal a chance to sell more than just playing time. He noted the Bears development plan for him, a point that matters for a prospect with major-program options and plenty of suitors already in the picture. With several blueblood-level programs still involved and a decision expected soon, Cal has positioned itself as a legitimate contender for a commitment that would carry real weight for the programs next phase. [Read more 🡒]
Cals New-Look Roster Faces An Early Chemistry Test Under Madsen
A little more than a week before its home opener, Cals mens basketball team is still learning how the pieces fit after a major roster shuffle. The Bears return nine players and have brought in five newcomers, giving Mark Madsen a group that looks markedly different as it prepares to open the season against Adams State at home after an exhibition loss to Oregon State.
For Madsen, the first real test is less about the opponent than the chemistry. An early-season game like this offers a chance to build rhythm, settle roles and start turning optimism into something more tangible, especially with a roster that is still getting used to playing together. Cal does not need a finished product in November, but it does need signs that the new-look group is beginning to move in the same direction. [Read more 🡒]