California Golden Bears
ACC
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #80
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- -3.2 (#80)
- SP+ Offense
- 25.6
- SP+ Defense
- 27.9
- SRS
- -4.1
- FPI
- -3.4
- Elo
- 1360
- Talent
- 726
- Recruiting
- 203 (#56)
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
5.7p10 4.0 — p90 8.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 0.1% | |
| Make CFP | 0.0% | |
| Quarterfinal | 0.0% | |
| Semifinal | 0.0% | |
| Natl. final | 0.0% | |
| Natl. champ | 0.0% |
Schedule
proj record 5.8–6.2
Schedule
67th
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
80th
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
60th
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+ · 1 FCS game.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsUCLA | -8.7 | 32-26 | +6.2 | 64% | — |
| 2 | @Syracuse | -13.1 | 29-26 | +3.4 | 58% | — |
| 3 | vsWagner | FCS | 44-4* | +39.4 | 99% | — |
| 4 | vsClemson | +9.5 | 23-32 | -8.8 | 30% | — |
| 5 | @UNLV | +4.3 | 26-30 | -3.8 | 41% | — |
| 6 | vsVirginia Tech | -10.1 | 30-25 | +4.9 | 62% | — |
| 7 | vsWake Forest | +5.7 | 26-27 | -0.8 | 48% | — |
| 8 | @SMU | +13.4 | 20-35 | -14.5 | 19% | — |
| 9 | @NC State | +4.8 | 24-36 | -12.3 | 23% | — |
| 11 | @Virginia | +11.1 | 21-32 | -11.9 | 24% | — |
| 12 | vsStanford | -11.8 | 31-23 | +7.3 | 67% | — |
| 13 | vsPittsburgh | +8.4 | 25-27 | -2.5 | 44% | — |
* FBS-vs-FCS estimate from the SP+ gap — no per-game model for FCS opponents.
Quarterbacks · 2
2026 · 76
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele | FR | 6'3" | 225 | — |
| QB | 2nd | Jackson Brousseau← Colorado State | SO | 6'4" | 220 | ★★★ |
Running Backs · 7
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Adam Mohammed← Washington | SO | 6'0" | 215 | ★★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Ashten Emory← UTEP | FR | 5'11" | 203 | ★★★ |
| RB | 3rd | LJ Johnson Jr. | SR | 5'10" | 215 | — |
| RB | 4th | Anthony League | FR | 6'0" | 215 | — |
| RB | 5th | Dean-Taylor Chapman | SO | 5'9" | 175 | — |
| RB | 6th | Jayden Parker | FR | 5'10" | 180 | — |
| RB | — | Carter Vargas← UC Davis | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Wide Receivers · 13
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Jacob De Jesus | SR | 5'7" | 170 | — |
| WR | 2nd | Chase Hendricks← Ohio | JR | 6'0" | 200 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Ian Strong← Rutgers | JR | 6'3" | 211 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 4th | Trond Grizzell | SR | 6'4" | 205 | — |
| WR | 5th | Jordan King | JR | 6'2" | 220 | — |
| WR | 6th | QuaRon Adams | JR | 5'7" | 170 | — |
| WR | 7th | Mark Hamper | SO | 6'2" | 210 | — |
| WR | 8th | Cole Boscia | JR | 6'3" | 215 | — |
| WR | 9th | Jayden Dixon-Veal | SR | 6'0" | 190 | — |
| WR | 10th | Cooper Perry← Oregon | FR | 6'1" | 194 | ★★★ |
| WR | 11th | Kyion Grayes | SO | 6'0" | 190 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 12th | Isaac Torres | SR | 6'4" | 215 | — |
| WR | 13th | Carson Perry-Smith | FR | 5'11" | 195 | — |
Tight Ends · 4
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Dorian Thomas← New Mexico | SO | 6'4" | 239 | ★★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Mason Mini | SO | 6'4" | 240 | — |
| TE | 3rd | Rico Walker← Purdue | JR | 6'3" | 250 | ★★★ |
| TE | 4th | Jeffrey Johnson | SR | 6'5" | 250 | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | Tyson Ruffins | SO | 6'2" | 310 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Mykeal Rabess← Florida International | SO | 6'8" | 320 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Kahlee Tafai← Minnesota | SO | 6'5" | 340 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Jimothy Lewis Jr.← Mississippi State | FR | 6'6" | 320 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Jacob Arop← South Dakota | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Defensive Line · 14
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 1st | Aidan Keanaaina | SR | 6'3" | 320 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 2nd | T.J. Bollers | SR | 6'2" | 305 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 3rd | Jayden Williams← North Texas | SO | 6'2" | 298 | ★★★ |
| DL | 4th | Stanley Saole-McKenzie | SR | 6'2" | 335 | — |
| DL | 5th | Derek Wilkins | JR | 6'5" | 305 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 6th | BJ Canady | FR | 6'5" | 285 | ★★★ |
| DL | 7th | Zae Smith | SR | 6'1" | 310 | ★★★ |
| DL | 8th | Ashun Shepphard← Mississippi State | SR | 6'3" | 295 | ★★★ |
| DL | 9th | Jericho Johnson← Oregon | FR | 6'4" | 342 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 10th | Michael-Anthony Okwura | FR | 6'3" | 300 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 1st | Joshua Pierce← North Texas | SO | 6'4" | 250 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 2nd | Justin Beadles← Louisville | SR | 6'5" | 270 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 3rd | Solomon Williams← Texas A&M | FR | 6'1" | 250 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 4th | Emmanuel Okoye← Tennessee | SO | 6'5" | 243 | ★★★ |
Linebackers · 8
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Aaron Hampton | SO | 6'1" | 230 | — |
| LB | 2nd | Jayden Wayne | JR | 6'5" | 255 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Chris Victor | SR | 6'4" | 245 | — |
| LB | 4th | Odera Okaka | JR | 6'4" | 240 | — |
| LB | 5th | Kamar Mothudi← Oregon | FR | 6'3" | 244 | ★★★ |
| LB | 6th | Tristan Jernigan← Texas A&M | SO | 6'0" | 230 | ★★★ |
| LB | 7th | Serigne Tounkara | SO | 6'2" | 245 | ★★★ |
| LB | — | AJ Tuitele← USC | FR | 6'2" | 215 | ★★★ |
Defensive Backs · 17
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Ricky Fletcher← Ole Miss | JR | 6'3" | 200 | ★★★ |
| CB | 2nd | Daniel Harris← Georgia | JR | 6'3" | 195 | ★★★ |
| CB | 3rd | Marquis Groves-Killebrew← Arizona | JR | 6'0" | 179 | ★★★ |
| DB | 1st | Dru Polidore Jr. | SR | 6'2" | 195 | — |
| DB | 2nd | Cam Sidney | JR | 5'11" | 185 | — |
| DB | 3rd | Aiden Manutai | FR | 5'11" | 200 | — |
| DB | 4th | Brent Austin | SR | 5'11" | 180 | — |
| DB | 5th | Isaiah Crosby | JR | 5'10" | 185 | — |
| DB | 6th | Jasiah Wagoner | SO | 5'11" | 180 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 7th | Ja'ir Smith | SR | 6'1" | 185 | — |
| DB | 8th | Jordan Sanford | JR | 6'0" | 195 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 9th | Tristan Dunn | JR | 6'5" | 205 | ★★★ |
| DB | 10th | Quimari Shemwell | SO | 5'11" | 175 | — |
| DB | 11th | Khamani Hudson | FR | 6'0" | 185 | ★★★ |
| DB | 12th | Dayday Aupiu | FR | 6'2" | 170 | — |
| S | 1st | Kingston Lopa← Oregon | FR | 6'5" | 210 | ★★★★ |
| S | — | Michael Hurst← Northern Arizona | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Special Teams · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | — | Towns McGough← Auburn | SO | 6'0" | 200 | ★★★ |
| LS | — | David Bird← Alabama | JR | 6'0" | 205 | — |
| P | 1st | Angus Davies← Tulsa | JR | 6'1" | 205 | — |
| P | 2nd | Brook Honore Jr. | JR | 6'0" | 190 | — |
| PK | 1st | Chase Meyer | JR | 5'10" | 180 | — |
| PK | 2nd | Michael Luckhurst | SO | 6'1" | 180 | — |
Projected Season
2026 · win prob / game
Exp. Wins
5.8
Exp. Losses
6.2
Toss-ups
4
bars: model win probabilityfav / toss-up / dog
2025 · pct vs FBS
SP+ Off
25.644
Off PPA
+0.1232
Pass PPA
+0.2347
Rush PPA
-0.045
Success
41%35
Explosive
1.2454
PlayerMedian (50th)percentile vs league
SP+ Trend
points vs avg team
— Overall— Offense— Defense
SP+ = opponent-adjusted points vs an average team. Overall & Offense higher = better; Defense lower = better.
Advanced
2025 · opponent-adjusted PPA / play
| Split | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | +0.12 | +0.16 |
| Passing | +0.23 | +0.14 |
| Rushing | -0.04 | +0.19 |
| 1st Down | -0.11 | +0.02 |
| 2nd Down | +0.23 | +0.10 |
| 3rd Down | +0.51 | +0.47 |
Scoring Trend
2025 · pts/game
PPG For
24.8
PPG Against
26.5
Differential
-1.7
— Points for— Points against
dots: W / L2025
- Overall
- 7-5
- Home
- 4-2
- Away
- 3-3
- Conference
- 4-4
- Non-Conference
- 3-1
- One-Score (≤8)
- 4-1
- Avg Margin
- -1.7
Situational Splits
2025 · record · pts
| Split | Record | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | |||
| Home | 4-2 | 27.2 | 24.3 |
| Away | 3-4 | 23.7 | 29.6 |
| Competition | |||
| vs Ranked (SP+ 25) | 2-0 | 33.5 | 30.5 |
| Conference | 4-4 | 25.3 | 31.5 |
| Non-conference | 3-2 | 25.4 | 20.2 |
Season History · last 12
0 AP top-10 · 6 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7-5 | 4-4 | #80 | — | 0-1 |
| 2024 | 6-6 | 2-6 | #55 | — | 0-1 |
| 2023 | 6-6 | 4-5 | #67 | — | 0-1 |
| 2022 | 4-8 | 2-7 | #77 | — | — |
| 2021 | 5-7 | 4-5 | #68 | — | — |
| 2020 | 1-3 | 1-3 | #53 | — | — |
| 2019 | 7-5 | 4-5 | #74 | — | 1-0 |
| 2018 | 7-5 | 4-5 | #55 | — | 0-1 |
| 2017 | 5-7 | 2-7 | #74 | — | — |
| 2016 | 5-7 | 3-6 | #62 | — | — |
| 2015 | 7-5 | 4-5 | #28 | — | 1-0 |
| 2014 | 5-7 | 3-6 | #71 | — | — |
Recent Form · last 5
2-3 SU · 2-2 ATS · O2/U2
Betting Profile
2025 · 12 w/ line
| Straight up | 7-6 |
| ATS | 5-742% |
| Over / Under | 4-8 O-U |
| — ATS splits — | |
| As favorite | 0-4 |
| As underdog | 5-3 |
| Home | 2-4 |
| Away | 3-3 |
vs closing line · splits show cover–no cover
Recruiting Classes
avg #50 · 24 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★127 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #56 | 203 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| 2025 | #69 | 180 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 2024 | #55 | 190 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 2023 | #79 | 163 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 2022 | #59 | 176 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 2021 | #28 | 209 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| 2020 | #39 | 198 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 2019 | #43 | 196 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 2018 | #42 | 197 | 0 | 2 | 17 |
| 2017 | #70 | 160 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 32net -4Out 36
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.2 / 3.1
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Chase Hendricks | WR | 4★ | ← Ohio |
| ▲ | Adam Mohammed | RB | 4★ | ← Washington |
| ▲ | Ian Strong | WR | 4★ | ← Rutgers |
| ▲ | Kingston Lopa | S | 4★ | ← Oregon |
| ▼ | Cade Uluave | LB | 4★ | → BYU |
| ▼ | Kendrick Raphael | RB | 4★ | → SMU |
| ▼ | Luke Ferrelli | LB | 4★ | → Ole Miss |
| ▼ | Devin Brown | QB | 4★ | → Weber State |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
20 items
- USC Trojans Commit Pursuing California Four-Star Recruit Jordan HicksUSC four-star safety commit Gavin Williams is pushing for his childhood friend to join him in Los Angeles.
- USC's Recruiting Machine Gains Momentum at California Passing TournamentColorado Buffaloes JUCO safety commit Drew Molinari can develop into a versatile player in defensive coordinator Chris Marve's system.CAL1d
- USC Trojans Making Strong Impression on California Four-Star RecruitThe USC Trojans have made Servite (Calif.) four-star linebacker Allen "Cinco" Kennett V a priority target.CAL3d
- ACC Media Day: Tosh Lupoi `Pleased But Absolutely Not Satisfied' With ProgressGolden Bears open their first season under new coach on Sept. 5 at home vs. UCLACAL3d
- Dabo Swinney says he ‘did his part’ in Clemson-Ole Miss tampering situationClemson head coach Dabo Swinney shared an unpleasant update on the Ole Miss-Luke Ferrelli tampering situation.
- Which California High Schools Are Featured the Most on USC's RosterThe USC Trojans have built several local recruiting pipelines over the past couple of years.CAL4d
- USC Trojans Freshmen and Commits Actively Recruiting California ProspectsMultiple USC freshmen and commits are pushing to continue stacking the Trojans roster with California recruits.CAL6d
- USC Making California Four-Star Cornerback Recruit Priority TargetThe USC Trojans eye continuing their Santa Margarita (Calif.) pipeline with four-star cornerback Ca'ron "Prime" Williams.CAL6d
- Rivals300 recruiting intel: More thoughts on top California prospectsThe new 2027 rankings were released Monday and there were a lot of changes after all the big summer events. Here’s the latest intel and some thoughts on the top players in California heading through July: Donte Wright – Miami commit When Wright was committed to Georgia, a lot of the talk around him was […]CAL7d
- Where USC Trojans Stand for California Runnning Back Recruit Malaki DavisCorona Centennial (Calif.) running back Malaki Davis is a top recruiting target for the USC Trojans.CAL7d
- Michigan lands elite OL recruit out of CaliforniaMichigan has added another 4-star high school recruit to its growing 2027 class, this time landing an OL from California.CAL9d
- Four-star California OL chooses Michigan over Washington, UtahThe Washington Huskies were among the finalists for one of California's top offensive linemen in the 2027 class, but he chose another Big Ten program.CAL9d
- Dog Day Afternoon: Corner Picks Huskies Over BulldogsCensere Gaylord plays for Florida's IMG but is originally from Southern California.CAL9d
- College football recruiting: Top 2027 commits in the ACCRecruiting in the ACC looks a little different in 2026. Not all of the usual suspects are building elite classes and “local” recruits can now come from California and Texas. It’s Miami that’s dominating on the trail so far in the 2027 cycle. The Hurricanes currently have the No. 4 class in the nation, according […]CAL11d
- Counting Down Cal's Top-50 Transfer Athletes: No. 8 Davis WebbWe rank the mid-career arrivals in Berkeley who have had the greatest impact on the Golden BearsCAL17d
- Three-Star California QB Names Washington Football Among FinalistsThe Washington Huskies already have one quarterback secured for the 2027 class, but are one of three finalists for another talented signal-caller.CAL17d
- 3-star California CB Evan Mack commits to ArizonaThird Crean Lutheran HS player to commit to Arizona in 2027CAL18d
- Washington Football Among Finalists For Coveted Southern California CBThe Washington Huskies are among three finalists for Irvine (Calif.) Crean Lutheran cornerback Evan Mack ahead of his Thursday commitment.CAL18d
- UCLA Flips 4-Star Safety From In-State Foe CaliforniaBob Chesney continues to add to the 2027 secondary.CAL18d
- Recruiting boost: A top 5 prep receiver in California just picked BYU over the likes of Utah, Ohio State, UCLA and OregonRecruiting rebound: A day after four-star athlete Bode Sparrow spurned BYU for Oklahoma, the Cougars got the commitment of four-star WR Blake WongCAL23d