Cal’s inside linebackers group for the 2025 football season features a mix of returning players, transfers, and newcomers aiming to make their mark. The roster includes Cade Uluave, who was named 2024 All-ACC Honorable Mention after posting 71 tackles, three tackles for loss (TFL), three passes defended, one interception, and half a sack in nine games last season. Uluave had six games with at least eight tackles and three games with 11 or more.
Harrison Taggart joins the team as a transfer from BYU. Over his collegiate career spanning two seasons at BYU and one at Oregon, Taggart has played in 27 games, recording 97 total tackles, three TFLs, several pass breakups, one sack, a forced fumble, and an interception.
Another addition is Buom Jock from Colorado State. In the previous season, Jock totaled 100 tackles along with two fumble recoveries. He also forced one fumble and returned an interception for ten yards.
Aaron Hampton returns after appearing in eight games during his freshman year. Players such as Beckham Barney, Luke Ferrelli, B.J. Jones, Eze Osondu and Lucas Vanderlind are seeking their first collegiate playing time this upcoming season.
Michael Bruno returns to Cal as inside linebackers coach for his second stint with the program and his sixth overall season with the Bears. “Michael Bruno is in his second stint at Cal, now working as the inside linebackers coach after serving as an analyst with the group last season,” according to information provided by Cal Athletics. “2025 will be his sixth overall season with Bears after also serving as an analyst from 2018-21. Bruno oversees the defensive breakdowns, opponent scouting and the defensive playbook. He also assists with the recruiting efforts of all defensive prospects for Cal.”
Bruno previously served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Minot State in 2023 where he led the defense to top rankings within its conference against passing offenses. His coaching background includes a year at UNLV where he coached Austin Ajiake—who was named Mountain West Linebacker of the Year—and earlier roles under former Golden Bears’ defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon at Louisville and Mississippi State.
At Louisville in 2017 while working in quality control on defense under Sirmon’s leadership, Bruno contributed to a unit that ranked No.14 nationally in total defense (322.2 yards per game) during a bowl-bound campaign. At Mississippi State in 2016 as a graduate assistant alongside Sirmon again on defense, he helped establish a red zone defense that tied for ninth nationally by holding opponents to scoring on just over seventy-three percent of trips inside the twenty-yard line.
Bruno began his coaching career at Division III Worcester Poly where he worked across special teams and multiple position groups before earning degrees from Saint Lawrence University (bachelor’s) and Mississippi State (master’s).
