According to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Cal Golden Bears linebacker Cade Uluave plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Uluave was one of the best players in college football this past season after being a tackling machine during the 2025 season. Now, the plan is to hit the open market and see what is out there moving forward.

Uluave played in 12 games this past season, recording exactly 100 tackles. Of those, 42 were solos, and the remaining 58 were assisted. No matter how you spin it, Uluave usually finds himself around the football and bringing people to the ground.

Elsewhere, 12 tackles for a loss and three sacks also pop up on the stat sheet. Uluave also recorded five quarterback hurries and five pass breakups when dropping into coverage. No interceptions came during the 2025 season but Uluave does have three throughout his career.

“Invaluable,” former Cal head coach Justin Wilcox said of Uluave preseason. “I mean, when you have a guy who’s got the character traits that Cade has, I mean, he is a solid guy. He’s the real deal human being. And then, I mean, that guy’s a baller. He is a baller. I’ve been around a little while now and seen defensive football players.

“He’s had a couple things that kept him out of games last year with some injuries. But when he’s healthy, like, I don’t know that there’s a lot of guys better than him as a defensive football player. He’s incredibly explosive. He’s got great instincts and he’s a great human being. So, yeah, I’m a big believer in Cade.”

In the end, Uluave is another example of Wilcox developing a quality defensive player. Uluave was just a three-star recruit coming out of Herriman (UT) Mountain Ridge. He finished as the No. 926 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Cal’s official roster bio for Uluave listed him as a junior during the 2025 season. Wilcox continually used Uluave throughout his tenure in Berkley, meaning no redshirt was ever taken. One year of eligibility is expected to remain at whatever school the linebacker ends up at.

You have to imagine plenty of schools are going to be interested. Uluave might wind up having multiple options at his disposal, while new Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi will work hard to bring him back.