The mystery that is the 2025 Cal football team will begin to reveal itself Saturday night when the Bears open their season at former Pac-12 rival Oregon State.
The Bears have undergone seismic change since their 2024 season ended with a 6-7 record after a 24-13 defeat to UNLV at the LA Bowl.
Cal will take the field in Corvallis with 57 players new to the team, including 13 starters who weren’t part of the program a year ago. Golden Bears legend and former NFL head coach Ron Rivera came on board as general manager, and coach Justin Wilcox’s staff has six new assistants, including both coordinators.
Wilcox, looking to generate the Bears’ first winning campaign since 2019, was asked if this team has a greater range of unknowns than any of the previous eight he’s coached in Berkeley.
California Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox gestures to his players during the first quarter of their game at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
“That’s a really good question and I would say . . . yes,” he answered after a brief pause. “However, very optimistic because of the practice that we see. Each time we play and every experience we have out there together, we’re going to get better and better and better.
“Are there more unknowns? Potentially, but I’m very optimistic about what we can accomplish together.”
Until kickoff, that will be a mystery.
Cal closed practices throughout fall camp, including for both scrimmages, so no one outside the offices at Memorial Stadium knows what the Bears can be.
The biggest question is how will five-star Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele respond to becoming the first Cal freshman quarterback to start the season opener with a road game.
Sagapolutele, who passed for 10,653 yards at Ewa Beach-Campbell High to set the all-time Hawai’i prep record, beat out Ohio State transfer Devin Brown for the No. 1 spot. He succeeds Fernando Mendoza, who emerged as a potential star last season but then entered the transfer portal and went to Indiana.
The challenge for Sagapolutele includes succeeding on road in front of what is sure to be a hostile crowd.
Related Articles
As football season begins, UCSF announces study aiming to diagnose CTE in living people
What to know before San Jose State kicks off against Central Michigan
San Jose focusing on resident, fan experiences with Super Bowl, March Madness and World Cup approaching
Cal football: Boosters, chancellor brighten revenue picture as Bears enter 2025 season
With returning QB, San Jose State begins quest for new school record
“I think that’s the best place to start, especially as my first game in college, just to experience it for the first time,” Sagapolutele said this week. “You get everything. You get to go against a great team. You get the background, you get the noise. You get to experience that for the first time. And I just think, once you experience that, it’s only up from there.”
Wilcox is not concerned that the moment will be too big for the collegiate rookie.
“It’ll be a lot of firsts for him: first college game, first start, first time on the road, gonna see a new defense for the first time,” Wilcox said. “But again, he’s a very sharp kid, he learns, he communicates well, he’s got a lot of ability. He’ll improve from series one to series two, and quarter one to quarter two.”
As crucial as it is, quarterback play is only one piece of the Bears’ new equation.
California Golden Bears linebacker Cade Uluave (0) hits North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers (20) after making a catch during the second quarter of their game at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Transfer running backs LJ Johnson Jr. (Texas A&M), Kendrick Raphael (NC State) and Brandon High Jr. (UTSA) were recruited to replace the departed duo of Jaydn Ott (Oklahoma) and Jaivian Thomas (UCLA).
Six offensive line transfers were brought on board after the Bears surrendered 49 sacks last season. Jacob De Jesus is expected to be a difference-maker as both a slot receiver and kick/punt return specialist after totaling more than 2,600 all-purpose yards in two seasons at UNLV.
A defense that was stout returns linebacker Cade Uluave and defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina, but the Bears hope to get a better pass rush off the edge from junior Ryan McCulloch and Liberty transfer TJ Bush Jr.
Cal’s secondary boasts three NFL rookies that have made a 53-man roster, so there are new faces everywhere, including at safety where Aiden Manutai gives the Bears a second freshman from the state of Hawaii to earn a starting role.