Cal’s linebacker room looks nothing like it did a year ago.
The Bears took the heaviest hit of their offseason portal losses at that spot, with Cade Uluave and Luke Ferrelli gone along with Harrison Taggart, Eze Osondu and Buom Jock. That’s a brutal drain on both production and identity, especially after Uluave earned first-team all-ACC honors for 2025 and Ferrelli was named the ACC Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2025.
Now Cal is trying to rebuild the second level quickly, and it has done so with a mix of portal additions and one high school pickup. With only three returning linebackers, the group has to come together fast if the Bears are going to carry out Tosh Lupoi’s defensive plan.
Among the new faces, Tristan Jernigan may be the most intriguing. The redshirt sophomore from Texas A&M arrived with serious recruiting pedigree, drawing 23 offers from programs including Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Oregon, Kentucky and Arkansas before landing with the Aggies.
The Mississippi native played seven games as a true freshman, mostly on special teams, then earned Texas A&M’s Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year award before redshirting in 2025. At 6’0” and 230 pounds, he brings the kind of physical, fast-moving style that can fit right into the middle of a defense.
He also has the kind of communication skills that matter in the middle of the field, and he has a real chance to push for a starting job while helping replace what Uluave left behind.
Aaron Hampton is the familiar piece in the puzzle. The junior from Anchorage, Alaska is one of the returning linebackers and is coming off his best year, finishing with 41 total tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack.
His most notable outing came in Week 9 against Virginia, when he stepped in for an injured Uluave and delivered 15 total tackles, including seven solo stops. That kind of experience matters here, and Hampton is already in position to compete for a starting role.
Cal also brought in JD McKinley, a freshman from Centennial High School in Corona, California. A three-star recruit, McKinley had 10 FBS offers, with schools such as SMU, Utah, Arizona State, Washington State, Arizona and Boise State involved.
His high school production was strong, too: 39 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hurries as a sophomore, then 57 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 21 quarterback hurries as a junior. He spent most of that time on the edge or at outside backer, but Cal is trying him at middle backer for the first time.
At 6’2” and 250 pounds, he brings the kind of speed and raw athleticism that could make him a sideline-to-sideline force if the move clicks.
AJ Tuitele adds another layer of versatility. The redshirt freshman appeared in three games for USC as a true freshman before redshirting, and he made one assisted tackle in the Alamo Bowl.
On3 ranked him as Nevada’s top prospect, and his high school tape showed plenty of downhill violence - including 39 tackles for loss in 13 games during his senior season. At 6’2” and 220 pounds, Tuitele has a lean frame that lets him play fast and physical, with the range and coverage ability to hold up against spread looks.
He gives Cal a three-down interior linebacker who fits Lupoi’s energy and scheme.
Kamar Mothudi rounds out the new additions. The redshirt sophomore played in six games for Oregon last season and made four total tackles, while also getting a taste of the Ducks’ playoff run to the Peach Bowl.
A consensus four-star recruit and the No. 3 inside linebacker in the country coming out of high school, Mothudi arrived with a reputation as a true multi-sport athlete, having played football, basketball and track. He brings strong hands, physicality and the ability to attack blockers at the point of attack, and he is expected to compete at weakside linebacker.
Replacing players like Uluave and Ferrelli is not something Cal will do overnight. But the Bears have clearly gone after length, athleticism and versatility in the portal, and if this group comes together the way the staff hopes, it has the tools to keep the defense rolling in 2026.
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