Curious who do we all see as the next rival(s) for us in the ACC. Of course rivalries dont just exist out of nowhere. It’ll take time and events to occur before we become rivals with a team. That being said if we were to replace our historical in-conference rivalries with UCLA and $C with anyone, who do you all see as potentially filling that spot?

Personally I can see a potential rivalry between us and UNC develop.

UNC is the ACC version of Cal - top public school, deep rivalry with private school nearby (Duke). Very similar to UCLA. They were also very against us joining the ACC.

Other possibilities—

Duke is similar to $C insofar they are a powerhouse in one sport (basketball). Rich private school kids like Furd too.

UVA - similar top public school for a large state in the Atlantic Coast.

FSU - first ACC matchup. Was also against us joining the ACC. Likely top dog everyone hates similar to $C.

Seven-on-seven season is in full swing and over the next several weeks there will be camps added to the mix as well. The offseason means lots of new offers and March will bring a wave of visits across the country once the current dead period is over. Cal will host its first big offseason junior day in March as well, and there are already several recruits mapping out a trip to stop by Berkeley.

I have recently caught up with a bunch of Cal's targets in the upcoming classes to discuss their offers from the Bears and how the process is going so far as they get to know the staff.

You can read those updates at the link above.

Let’s get to poachin!

Money is heavy to the under which makes sense to me.

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Cal (10-13, 6-6 Pac-12 | last game: 83-77 OT win vs. USC) vs. UCLA (12-11, 7-5 | last game: 82-74 win at Stanford)

When: Saturday, Feb. 10 | 2:30 p.m. PST
Where: Haas Pavilion | Berkeley, California
TV: FOX | Brandon Gaudin (PxP) & Casey Jacobsen (Analyst)
Radio: 810 AM & The Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP) & Theo Robertson (Analyst)

The Bears are riding some momentum after defeating USC in overtime Wednesday night to snap an 11-game losing streak to the Trojans. Jaylon Tyson, Jalen Cone and Fardaws Aimaq all came up big for Cal in that matchup. Today, Mark Madsen's squad will be looking to sweep the LA schools in the final scheduled meeting with both teams as members of the Pac-12.

Cal has already defeated the Bruins in their previous meeting back in early January. UCLA is coming off a victory over Stanford earlier in the week, so both teams should be feeling good about where they stand entering the national TV matchup this afternoon.

As always, we invite you to join the conversation and follow along for updates throughout the matchup.

Who would have thunk it .....

Cal (9-13, 5-6 Pac-12 | last game: 81-66 win vs. Arizona State) vs. USC (9-13, 3-8 | last game: 82-54 win vs Oregon State)

When: Wednesday, Feb. 17 | 8 p.m. PST
Where: Haas Pavilion | Berkeley, California
TV: Pac-12 Network | Ted Robinson (PxP) & Bill Walton (Analyst)
Radio: 810 AM & The Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP) & Theo Robertson (Analyst)

The Bears are back in action and hosting LA schools for the last time as members of the same conference. Tonight, USC is up first this week as Cal will face the Trojans in front of a sold out crowd at Haas Pavilion. @Maria Kholodova has a preview of the two matchups at the link above.

Feel free to join in the conversation later tonight as the Bears open up their home stand.

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Brett Johnson announced Wednesday morning via Instagram that he is medically retiring from football.

“This was a difficult decision but with the multiple injuries I have sustained both on and off the field, I am unable to play football at the highest level and without seriously sacrificing my short and long-term health,” the statement reads.

Here's the full statement:

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Apparently sold out? Let’s go Mad Dog, get the W

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Justin Wilcox is speaking with the media this morning and he broke the news that Khamani Hudson has committed and signed with Cal today. Here's a story from Maria and I with the Houston-North Shore recruit discussing his choice of the Bears.

“I knew Cal was the spot for me when I got on campus and got to experience how the team bonded together on and off the field,” Hudson told Golden Bear Report. “Being in a great program such as Cal and also being around a brotherhood and coaching staff that thrives off the betterment of others around, definitely reminds me of home.”

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It was a mostly quiet day across college football as the regular February signing period has lost some luster since the advent of the early signing period in December. Still, the Bears added a new cornerback Wednesday and signed a punter as well. Justin Wilcox met with reporters to discuss both additions and provide some more insight into the offseason as the Bears work toward spring ball next month.

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Cal flips 2024 punter Bobby Engstler, former Florida commit. He was committed to UF as a walk-on but will join the Bears on scholarship. The Under Armour All-American is set to join the team this year as the Bears continue to add talent on special teams.

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Cal saw some lackluster special teams play in 2023, from kicking struggles to poor production on both kick and punt returns. There’s been some movement when it comes to kicking, as well as a number of new skill position players who have the potential to contribute on special teams.

As the first transfer portal window of the offseason has closed, here is an assessment of where Cal’s special teams stand as the Bears head into spring with practice set to begin March 18.

Before I get to the official visitor news …

We’ve been alerted that someone is taking the recruiting intel we deliver for you all here and posting it on another free public forum, which then gets picked up on Twitter, undermining both the value of the intel we get for you here and also our ability to get that intel. We don’t tweet out this kind of stuff as it can be sensitive information in some cases — it’s here for you on the premium board and only intended for here.

It is absolutely imperative that what is reported on this board stay on this board. We have identified the source of the leaks, I’m reaching out to that person now over DM and reiterating that we’re going to have a no-tolerance policy on such action moving forward.

Any questions as far as that goes?

Moving along, Cal is hosting 2024 CB Khamani Hudson this weekend for an official visit.

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Houston (Texas) North Shore cornerback Khamani Hudson visited Cal and Houston this weekend, and the trip with the Bears certainly left a strong impression. He called it a "once in a lifetime" experience, but it certainly feels like Berkeley and could become his new home. The staff did a good job making him feel comfortable, and now he will have to decide whether or not he wants to stay home in Houston or make the move to the West Coast.

I caught up with him to review the trip, and he had plenty of positive things to say about the Bears and the "warm welcome" he felt in the Bay Area.

“Some of the most memorable parts were getting to see different famous landmarks I’d seen in movies, like Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge, in person,” Hudson said. “But honestly, they were giving me an understanding of how much support I’d have on and off the field. Having a great coaches is one thing but also having mentors and people who thrive off bettering others around them is another, and that plays a big part in things I look for to make my decision.”

Hit the link to read the full update.

In a season that saw some tumultuous quarterback play, Cal’s wide receivers and tight ends proved vital to the offense. Three different starters were used to guide the group through the first half of the season. With some veterans, youngsters and even walk-ons, the receiving corps was crucial in getting Cal into scoring position.

Change has continued into 2024 as Cal’s offense will work under a new coordinator and several new coaches, and that has been accompanied by the typical offseason movement among players in the group.

As the Bears move into spring, here is an offseason assessment of Cal’s wide receivers and tight ends:

Cal (8-13, 4-6 Pac-12 | last game: 91-65 loss vs. Arizona) at Arizona State (11-10, 5-5 | last game: 71-62 loss vs. Stanford)

When: Saturday, Feb. 3 | 12 p.m. PST
Where: Desert Financial Arena | Tempe, Arizona
TV: Pac-12 Network | Jordan Kent (PxP) & Matt Muehlebach (Analyst)
Radio: 810 AM & The Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP)

Cal is wrapping up its road trip with a visit to the Sun Devils after a tough loss against Arizona. The Bears were bested in just about every way against the Wildcats, finishing 91-65, and look to rebound against Arizona State. The Sun Devils are coming into the matchup on a three-game loss streak, last notching a win against USC Jan. 20. Since then, Arizona State was bested by Oregon, Oregon State and Stanford.

Join the conversation and follow along for updates throughout the game in this thread.

Cal has released its spring roster and all the newcomers that were expected to arrived are listed. UC Davis transfer Teddye Buchanan is the lone transfer to not be part of the spring roster.

The defensive back position is pretty full with 16 players among the group including starting cornerbacks Nohl Williams and Lu-Magia Hearns. Matthew Littlejohn and Craig Woodson also return in the secondary for the Bears.

Cal has three true freshmen among the inside linebacker group, and that trio should have a chance to at least get its feet wet this spring. Luke Ferrelli and Eze Osondu are the two newcomers who highlight the group.

As expected, Fernando Mendoza and Chandler Rogers are the only two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster for spring. There are only four quarterbacks total on the spring roster including walk-ons Belay Brummel and Brady Weingart.

Ashton Stredick is not listed among the running back group in a bit of a surprise. In all, the Bears have six backs listed on the roster highlighted by Jaydn Ott.

Cal has 14 receivers on its spring roster including newcomers Mikey Matthews and Tobias Merriweather.

There will be three kickers on the roster for the spring including UNC transfer Ryan Coe, Michael Luckhurst and Spencer Brien.

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Cal do-it-all wing Jaylon Tyson was previously named to the preseason watch list for the Julius Erving Award that goes to the top small forward in college basketball. Wednesday, the Naismith Hall of Fame announced the 10 members of the candidate list, and Tyson is one of the players still in contention for the honor.

Tyson leads the Pac-12 with 20.6 points per game while also averaging 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Bears.

The award will be handed out at a later date and players can be added to the list or removed before that time. Fans are also able to vote for the winner (fan vote will only be part of what decides the recipient) at hoophallawards.com beginning Feb. 2.

Washington's Keion Brooks, Jr. is the only other player from the Pac-12 represented on the initial 10-man list.

Cal (8-12, 4-12 Pac-12 | last game: 73-71 win vs. Stanford) at No. 11 Arizona (15-5, 6-3 | last game: 87-78 win at Oregon)

When: Thursday, Feb. 1 | 5:30 p.m. PST
Where: McKale Center | Tucson, Arizona
TV: Pac-12 Network | Ted Robinson (PxP) & Matt Muehlebach (Analyst)
Radio: 810 AM & The Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP)

Cal is back in action this evening as it heads to the desert for the final time as members of the Pac-12. First up will be No. 11 Arizona, which is coming off a convincing win over Oregon on the road last week. The Bears played fantastic in the second half of the meeting between the two teams early in the season at Haas, but an early 31-point hole was just too much to climb out of for Make Madsen's team.

Above is a preview of tonight's matchup in Tucson, and as always I invite you to join the conversation and follow along for updates throughout the game in this thread.

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Cal has earned a commitment from San Diego-Cathedral Catholic offensive lineman Sam Bjerke today. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound tackle prospect picked up offers from smaller schools and had recently added preferred walk-on offers from the Bears in addition to Houston and FIU. He visited a number of other programs including Oregon and Miami throughout the process.

He'll join Cal as a PWO adding to a solid group in the 2024 class.

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2024 Cal football schedule​

Home games in bold

Aug. 31 – UC Davis
Sept. 7 – at Auburn
Sept. 14 – San Diego State
Sept. 21 – at Florida State
Sept. 28 – BYE
Oct. 5 – Miami
Oct. 12 – at Pittsburgh
Oct. 19 – NC State
Oct. 26 – Oregon State
Nov. 2 – BYE
Nov. 8 – at Wake Forest (Friday)
Nov. 16 – Syracuse
Nov. 23 – Stanford
Nov. 30 – at SMU
Dec. 7 – ACC Championship (Bank of America Stadium | Charlotte, North Carolina)

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Jackson Sirmon has earned a Senior Bowl invite today.