Hi friends. I would be honored if you checked out my feature on @CalWGym ‘s Annalise Newman-Achee. She was a delight to speak to about her experience with the Trinidadian national team and her perspective on being a black college gymnast. https://t.co/zs7PkS5EWC

Important journalism: One of the bands is playing Cruel Angel’s Thesis from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

The star of UC Berkeley’s commercial, gymnast eMjae Frazier, isn’t at Cal anymore. To be very clear, she got her degree. But she’s currently using her last year of eligibility with the Florida Gators. I think her ad is still better than “What do you see?”

Jacob De Jesus is 23 yards away from reaching 1000 on the season. He’d be Cal’s first 1000-yard receiver since Chad Hansen in 2016.

This implies that former Cal OL coach Jim Michalczik could be on the market. He developed the likes of Alex Mack, Mitchell Schwartz and Ryan O’Callaghan in Berkeley, as well as 2024 first rounder Taliese Fuaga at Oregon State.

Madsen only needs 17 more wins to exceed the six season total set by Fox and his predecessor, Wyking Jones. It is theoretically possible for him to do that before the end of this season.

Apologies for not pointing this out earlier, but the win over Columbia was Mark Madsen’s 39th as Cal’s head coach. He has won more games a third of the way through his third season than Mark Fox did in four full seasons.

JJ Arrington once scored a 67 yard TD run for the Cardinals against Oakland. Please tell your kids!

Not to toot my own horn, but this — from my dear friend Mia — is still the greatest compliment I have ever received about my writing.

Definitely nothing odd about this picture.

If the rumored hire of Michael Hutchings is a done deal, I’d like to note that both Cal coordinators are younger than Jared Goff.

Assuming Fernando Mendoza goes first overall, Cal’s total record with the first overall pick under center is 40-55-1. Mendoza: 12-14 Goff: 14-23 Bartkowski: 14-18-1

https://t.co/zLRyTeiIGN Latest in the Daily Cal: My column reacting to Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman win. No mention of Harry Kane — too self-indulgent for DC (Daniel Substack maybe?) I certainly don’t speak for anyone but myself, but I hope Cal fans will give my take a shot here.

And, on the subject of underappreciated Cal players, WR Geoff McArthur trailed only Larry Fitzgerald for total receiving yards in 2003, totaling 1504 yards and 10 TD.

2004’s national rushing leader, J.J. Arrington, wasn’t invited to NYC despite rushing for 2018 yards and 15 TD. Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson had 1925 rushing yards and 15 TD.

Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman candidacy reminds me that no Cal player has won it, but one has gotten close. Chuck Muncie finished runner-up in 1975, totaling 17 TD (2 pass) and 1852 scrimmage yards. That year’s winner, Archie Griffin totaled just 4 TD and 1515 scrimmage yards.

All three of the All–MWC First Team wide receivers—Scudero, Braden Pegan and Jackson Harris—are now in the portal. All three have California roots.

Just the shot in the arm this program needs. In all seriousness, the two year timeframe indicates to me that Cal is confident Jaron will declare after year three, and that the Rolovich-Sagapolutele relationship is key to retaining him until then.

She excelled on all four events throughout her Cal career. I’d expect her to be a huge asset to the new staff.

I do not have insider sources, but I’d target Craig Stutzmann for OC. His passing offenses have been consistently productive at SJSU and Texas State, and he’s developed unheralded recruits like Nick Nash and Danny Scudero. Plus, as a Hawaii alum he’d extend the Poly pipeline.

Sources: Cal star true freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has committed to return to Cal. He’s a former 5-star recruit who won the starting job as a true freshman in the opener, joining only Jared Goff to do that at the school.