Linebacker Cade Uluave came onto the scene last season when he finally got his chance to play for Cal football. The Golden Bears desperately needed a defensive leader to step up when linebacker Jackson Sirmon went down with a season-ending injury early in the season. Playing middle linebacker in college is one thing, but to play as well as Uluave did as a true freshman is impressive. Now, Uluave enters his sophomore season as the starting middle linebacker. He hopes to take this defense to the next level in this player spotlight.
Cade Uluave – Cal Linebacker – Early Career
In high school, when coaches have a good athlete on the football team, that athlete is going to play both ways. That was certainly the case for Uluave; he was a stellar running back and linebacker for his high school team.
He came out of high school as a consensus three-star recruit and received interest from other schools like Duke, UCLA, Fresno State, and San Diego State. He signed with Cal in the summer of 2022 as a junior in high school. Uluave had great size coming into Cal Berkeley, standing around 6-feet 1-inch and weighing 240 pounds.
As a freshman, Uluave was expected to be the backup to star linebacker Jackson Sirmon. After Sirmon’s injury, Uluave answered the call.
Uluave earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week three times, and finished as the Pac-12 freshman defensive player of the year. His first action came against Oregon State in the second half of the game. Uluave would finish the season with 67 total tackles, two and one-half sacks, and two interceptions. That goes along with the two forced fumbles, including one he took back for a touchdown. It was quite the impressive start in what Cal fans hope to be a promising career for Uluave.
Becoming a Star
It’s no secret that Cal’s defense struggled last season. The Golden Bears allowed teams to march up and down the field more often than not. Yet if Cal wants to take that next step, the defense has to improve.
Going into his second year, Uluave will have much higher expectations. We all got a glimpse of what he can do in a shorter season, but defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon is going to ask more out of the young linebacker. He will be asked to be the anchor in the middle of this defense and be the leader in the huddle.
Uluave has the opportunity to stuff the stat sheet this season. If he gets better at shedding blocks while being proficient in pass coverage, then he’s going to explode onto the scene. For Cal to be competitive, they need a good defense. Opponents in the ACC will be much different, but there’s confidence that Uluave’s game will translate just fine.
In the ACC, the defense will play teams who rely on the run much more, meaning Uluave should rack up tackles.
Conclusion
Nothing is given in football, it must be earned on the field. Players put in hard work throughout the offseason to be ready for the year. Playing linebacker at the collegiate level can be very taxing on a player’s body. Because of that, Cal needs to control the ball on offense to give the defense much-needed breathers.
Every season a star pops up out of nowhere, and this season, it will be Cade Uluave. It’s already impressive how he carries himself, and how quickly he became a leader on this team. Hopefully, he becomes the x-factor for this defense that helps lead the Golden Bears to victories.
Cody Henderson
I root for teams that only let me down. Talking all things Las Vegas Raiders and Cal Bears football. Follow me on X where I post my dramatic takes.