BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — California football general manager Ron Rivera sought to ease the concerns of a worried fan base after star running back Jaydn Ott and several other key players entered the transfer portal this spring.
“We’re not the only team in the NCAA that is going through this portal situation right now,” Rivera said Monday. “You can’t name a team right now that doesn’t have a player that they wish didn’t go in. We understand all it and we all understand fan favorites. There will be other favorites.”
Cal has been hit hard this spring after losing starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Indiana earlier this year. The biggest loss was Ott, who left for Oklahoma earlier this month after three stellar years at Cal.
Ott led the Pac-12 with 1,315 yards rushing in 2023 and was expected to be a key part of the offense in 2025 after being hampered by injuries last season.
“Did we give Jaydn Ott a great shot? I believe we did,” Rivera said. “Sometimes an athlete just thinks I’ve accomplished all I can here and it’s time to move on. … The hard part about him leaving early is here’s a young man that had an opportunity to really create the type of legacy that you could be proud of. But again, it was his decision that he felt was best for himself.”
The Golden Bears also saw leading rusher Jaivian Thomas enter the portal last week and reportedly three other scholarship running backs went into the portal.
Cal also lost star tight end Jack Endries to Texas in the portal, leading to several big holes on offense.
“It was something that was anticipated,” Rivera said. “If there is one guy that we wished didn’t go in, yeah, there was at least one that we wish didn’t go in. But for the most part when you look at what we’re doing, we have a plan. We went out and we’ve identified a number of guys that we like and a number of guys that if we can get these guys we’re pretty much where we were a month ago. Are we concerned? Yes. We have to get those guys in.”
Rivera made clear that he will have his “hands in every facet of Cal football” and answer directly to Chancellor Rich Lyons instead of athletic director Jim Knowlton. Rivera said he consults with Lyons on every major decision and is working closely with coach Justin Wilcox and his staff with the major goal of making Cal football “relevant again.”
Wilcox is entering his ninth season in charge of the Golden Bears and has a 42-50 career record. Cal went 6-7 last season in its first year in the ACC, losing to UNLV in the LA Bowl.
The Bears haven’t finished with a winning record since 2019, haven’t finished a season ranked in the AP poll since 2006 and haven’t played in a top-tier bowl game since the 1959 Rose Bowl.
Rivera said it has been “cool” to work with Wilcox through spring practice and the two are intent on sparking the program.
“What I have with Justin is a working relationship,” Rivera said. “It’s an opportunity for he and I to get together, discuss, collaborate and talk about the things we need to do as a university to help this football program become a very successful program that thrives for excellence.”
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Josh Dubow, The Associated Press
