Cal’s path to a cleaner 2026 offense starts up front, where the Bears are trying to turn a major liability into a workable strength.
The numbers from 2025 make the assignment plain enough: Cal allowed 32 sacks, a total that left the offensive line tied for No. 111 in the 138-team Football Bowl Subdivision. Not every hit on the quarterback can be pinned entirely on the line, but protecting Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has to begin with the five players in front of him doing their jobs better and more consistently.
That challenge falls, in part, to offensive line coach Famika Anae, one of the few staff members who stayed in place through the overhaul that followed Tosh Lupoi’s arrival as head coach. Anae arrives with real credibility.
At New Mexico State, he coached a line that allowed only five sacks in 2024, the best mark in the country. That same year, Cal was tied for last in FBS with 50 sacks allowed.
There was progress in 2025, and Anae believes the group is ready for another step.
“Consistency and chemistry are the two things that will determine the success of our offensive line,” Anae said in a press conference.
The projected starting five gives Cal a mix of experience, size and some clear pressure points.
At right tackle, Jimothy Lewis Jr. is expected to handle the most important pass-protection job for a left-handed quarterback. Because Sagapolutele throws left-handed, the blindside shifts to the right side, making Lewis’ spot especially critical.
A redshirt sophomore transfer from Mississippi State, Lewis comes in at 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds. Cal beat Alabama for his commitment, and he figures to see the opponent’s top edge rusher every week.
Right guard remains unsettled to some degree, but Sioape Vatikani brings the kind of steady presence that helps a line hold together. The redshirt senior has appeared in 41 games over four seasons and has built chemistry with the other veteran pieces around him. That experience matters in a group trying to keep moving away from the chaos of 2024 and 2025.
The center spot belongs to Bastian Swinney, who has become the anchor of the unit. He joined Cal in 2021 and had trouble finding a consistent role early in his career, even while playing plenty and bouncing around the line during the rough 2024 season. Last year, he finally settled in at center and formed a strong connection with the quarterback.
“That’s my brother,” Sagaolutele said in a press conference. “Sometimes when I’m not seeing things he’ll pull me over to the side and we’ll talk about it, even on the field. He’s really the engine that gets things going on the offense.”
Anae was just as effusive about Swinney’s growth.
“Can’t say enough about that kid. When we started our journey together last year, things were not going his way,” Anae said.
“I think he’s found a new love for football because of how his mind has persevered. I think it’s unlocked a new level to him, and what he’s been doing for our unit and for our team has been really, really rewarding to watch.”
Tyson Ruffins gives Cal another reliable piece on the interior. The Nevada transfer started all 13 games in 2025 and quietly became one of the Bears’ most effective linemen.
Now heading into his redshirt junior year, he has another season under Anae to keep building. He also carries the highest rating among Cal offensive linemen in College Football 27, checking in at 87 overall, two points above Sagapolutele.
The most unproven starter is Frederick Williams III at left tackle. He played in all 13 games last season but started only six, and he heads into 2026 as the least experienced returning starter in the group.
He has the physical tools and a high ceiling, but the Bears need him to keep developing if they want the left side of the line to hold up. Behind him are South Dakota transfer Jacob Arop and FIU transfer Mykeal Rabess, which makes that spot one opposing defenses could try to attack if the backups are forced into action.
Anae should get a second year to keep shaping Williams, and the coach believes the group is moving in the right direction. The question now is whether the Bears can make that improvement show up when the season starts.
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Cal Fall Camp Is Exposing Two Crucial Position Battles
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The other key decision is at backup quarterback, where the Bears are using camp reps to sort through the pecking order while freshmen and veterans rotate through drills and absorb coaching from Nick Rolovich and Keith Bhonapha. The staff has treated the session structure as a real evaluation tool, and that should make the coming practices especially telling as Cal keeps building toward the opener. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Football Just Earned Recognition That Speaks To Its Identity
Californias offseason buzz picked up a bit of meaningful recognition this week, with three Bears landing on the 2026 Polynesian College Player of the Year Preseason Watch List from the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, linebacker AJ Tuitele and offensive lineman Sioape Vatikani were included on a list that spans 68 players from 35 Division I programs, a nod that reflects both the programs profile and the identity it continues to build.
For Cal, the watch list placement is more than just an individual honor. It puts three important pieces of the roster in the same national conversation as the season approaches, with the awards finalists and winner due in December 2026. Vatikanis presence on the list also carries some familiar weight for the Bears, adding a layer of continuity to a recognition that already says plenty about the group around him. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Fans Have A New Reason To Believe In Sagapolutele
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Sagapoluteles freshman year was packed with production and records, the kind of start that can change how a program is viewed at the position. The award will unfold through a series of key announcement dates later this season, with fans also getting a say along the way, and Cal will be watching closely to see whether its young quarterback can keep turning that promising debut into something even bigger. [Read more 🡒]