The California Golden Bears football team has released an overview of its defensive backs ahead of the 2025 season. The roster features a mix of experience and new talent, with five true freshmen, three redshirt freshmen, two redshirt sophomores, and nine upperclassmen.
Several players joined the program through the transfer portal during the spring window. New additions include Brent Austin from USF, Tristan Dunn from Washington, Hezekiah Masses from Florida International University (FIU), Dru Polidore Jr. from Montana State, Jordan Sanford from Texas Tech, and Quimari Shemwell from Utah.
Cam Sidney, a redshirt junior, returns as the most productive defensive back in terms of tackles last season with 29. He also recorded 2.5 tackles for loss (TFL), forced two fumbles, had one sack and one interception. Senior Ja’ir Smith played in 12 games last year and contributed 12 tackles along with a TFL, sack, interception and a defended pass.
Brent Austin started all 13 games for USF in 2024 and registered 48 total tackles (36 solo), two interceptions and led his former team with ten pass break-ups. Tristan Dunn spent three seasons at Washington before transferring to Cal; he totaled 20 tackles over two years with the Huskies and was considered a four-star recruit out of high school by 247Sports.
Hezekiah Masses arrives after recording 105 tackles across three years at FIU. His totals include 4.5 TFLs, two interceptions and fourteen passes defended in thirty-six games played. Dru Polidore Jr., who previously played at Montana State (FCS), started the final ten games last season for the Bobcats and made interceptions against Eastern Washington and UC Davis.
Jordan Sanford comes to Berkeley after playing twenty-two games over two seasons at Texas Tech on both defense and special teams; he logged significant snaps in multiple positions in the secondary according to Pro Football Focus statistics.
Quimari Shemwell appeared in all twelve games for Utah last season on both defense and special teams.
Among incoming freshmen is Aiden Manutai from Waipahu, Hawaii—a four-star recruit according to ESPN—who chose Cal over several other major programs including Oregon, Washington, Miami and Tennessee.
The Bears will need to replace three defensive backs selected in the recent NFL Draft: Nohl Williams (Kansas City Chiefs), Craig Woodson (New England Patriots) and Marcus Harris (Tennessee Titans). Since 2020, seven Cal safeties have been drafted into the NFL: Camryn Bynum (Minnesota Vikings), Ashtyn Davis (New York Jets), Jaylinn Hawkins (Atlanta Falcons), Elijah Hicks (Chicago Bears), Patrick McMorris (Miami Dolphins), Daniel Scott (Indianapolis Colts) and Craig Woodson (New England Patriots).
Terrence Brown enters his fourth season coaching Cal’s defensive backs—and was named Co-Defensive Coordinator on April 10th this year—after previously serving as passing game coordinator as well. Brown brings more than ten years’ experience coaching on the West Coast at programs including Cal, Washington twice, Vanderbilt and Stanford where he graduated in 2013.
Brown has coached seventeen defensive back draft selections across his FBS career stops. In his time at Cal so far he has co-led improvements such as leading the ACC by allowing only a total of 290 points during the previous season; ranking third in total defense within conference play while being one of just two ACC teams surrendering fewer than five yards per play over that span.
In his earlier role as assistant defensive backs coach during the Pac-12 era in 2023 Brown helped guide Cal’s defense to lead nationally with sixteen fumble recoveries while tying for first place nationally with twenty-eight turnovers gained that year. The unit also ranked among leaders for touchdowns scored by defense as well as interceptions within their conference.
Before joining Cal’s staff Brown worked at Washington where he coached four future NFL draftees—including Kyler Gordon now with Chicago Bears—and previously spent time at Vanderbilt where he helped develop Joejuan Williams into an All-SEC player later drafted by New England Patriots.
As a player himself between 2009–2012 Brown started every game during his final two collegiate seasons at Stanford amassing more than one hundred career tackles.
“Brown has accumulated more than a decade of experience as a coach and player on the West Coast.”
“Brown has coached at Cal, Washington (twice) and Vanderbilt after graduating from Stanford in 2013.”
“He was named to 247Sports’ 30Under30 coaches list in both 2019 and 2020.”
“Brown has coached 17 defensive back draft selections in his four stops at the FBS level.”
“At Cal, Brown has made an immediate impact co-leading the defensive unit.”
Cal’s defense showed improvement last season under Brown’s guidance by limiting opponents’ scoring output within ACC competition while maintaining strong overall rankings among conference peers.
