Category: California Golden Bears

California running back Jaydn Ott to return for 2024

Ott made a joke about entering the transfer portal on social media on Friday but quickly revealed his intention to stay.

California running back Jaydn Ott will return to the Golden Bears for the 2024 season, he announced on social media on Friday.

Ott initially started somberly into the camera and announced he would enter the transfer portal, but he revealed the joke and his intention to remain with the program just a few seconds later.

The California running back was named First-Team All-Pac 12 this past season after he led the conference with 1,260 rushing yards despite only playing in 11 games. He scored 11 touchdowns, second only to Washington’s Dillon Johnson in the conference, and he broke off five different 40-yard runs this season. Only six running backs in the nation had more.

Ott’s breakout game came against USC when he rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns in California’s near-upset. Ott rumbled for a 43-yard touchdown and a 61-yard touchdown in the first quarter alone.

The California running back ended the 2023 season with five 150-yard games in 11 appearances

Ott finished 13th in the country in rushing yards this season, and he was fifth among underclassmen. He’ll be one of the best backs in the country as the Golden Bears adjust to life in the ACC.

The sophomore is only 1,089 yards away from California’s career rushing yard, a program with names like Marshawn Lynch and Jahvid Best on the all-time list.

Cal quarterback Sam Jackson V enters transfer portal

The sophomore will transfer look for a third home after he spent 2020-21 with TCU and 2022 with the Golden Bears.

The 2024 quarterback transfer cycle added another Power 5 starter on Monday, with California quarterback Sam Jackson V entering his name in the portal according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.

Jackson started his career with the TCU Horned Frogs. He threw six passes across two seasons with the team, but he completed all of them for 125 yards.

The sophomore began the year as the Golden Bears’ starter, but he only appeared in California’s first five games. He completed 51 of 96 passes (53.1%) for 556 yards and five touchdowns, also throwing a pair of interceptions.

Jackson is also considered a dangerous dual-threat with his legs. He’s run for 138 yards and three touchdowns across his college career, including a 2022 season when he averaged 7.1 yards per carry with TCU.

The departure likely signifies that freshman Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who played the majority of California’s final seven games, has the lead in the quarterback room as the Golden Bears transition to the ACC for 2024.

Texas Tech transfer Jaylon Tyson commits to Cal

The California Golden Bears and head coach Mark Madsen picked up a commitment from a Big 12 standout this past season

Texas Tech transfer guard Jaylon Tyson has found his next destination. It will be the third school for Tyson who originally signed with Texas out of John Paul II in Plano, Texas. He announced his decision via Instagram on Monday.

After playing in just eight games in his first college season with Texas, averaging 1.8 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.4 assists; Tatum had a much better year in 2022-23 with Texas Tech, averaging 10.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists over 31 games.

He’ll join a Cal Golden Bears program that was one of the worst Power Six programs in the country this past season. The Bears went just 3-29 including 2-18 in Pac-12 play.

Notably, because Tatum has already transferred once in his collegiate career, he’ll have to apply to the NCAA for a waiver in order to be immediately eligible next season for the Golden Bears.

Since last making the tournament last in 2015-2016, the Golden Bears have consistently struggled, failing to win more than 10 games in four of the last six seasons. Prior to their poor last six seasons, the program didn’t fail to win less than 10 games since the 1987-1988 season.

This offseason, the university fired head coach Mark Fox and hired Utah Valley head coach Mark Madsen. Madsen is coming off a 28-9 season with the Utah Valley Wolverines of the Western Athletic Conference leading them to the NIT Semifinals. The former Stanford star and NBA role player led Utah Valley to two WAC regular-season championships and earned the WAC Coach of the Year honors this past season.

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2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics championships: Everything you need to know

See which eight teams are fighting for the 2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics championship

The 2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics championships will be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, from Apr. 13-15. The women’s gymnastics championships consist of eight teams, four all-around competitors, and 16 event specialists who were not members of a qualifying team.

The eight teams competing are the California Golden Bears, Oklahoma Sooners, Utah Utes, UCLA Bruins, Denver Pioneers, Kentucky Wildcats, Florida Gators, and LSU Tigers. The Golden Bears finished the regular season at the top of the rankings amongst all schools with a 198.075 regional final score.

Denver is the lowest-ranked seed at No. 14 while the Sooners are the highest-ranked at No. 1. LSU advanced via a tiebreaker against Michigan, after a season full of injuries. Oklahoma is looking to defend its 2022 title and win its sixth national title in women’s gymnastics.

Team semifinal and individual competition will be conducted in two sessions on April 13 at 2 and 8 p.m. CT. The top two teams from each semifinal advance to the championship on April 15 at 3 p.m. CT. The semifinals will be broadcast live on ESPN 2 and the championship final will be live on ABC.