Cal Football: Defensive Lineman Luc Bequette is Back in Berkeley and `Hair' to Stay

After one season at Boston College, he has been cleared to play a seventh college season.

Cal defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon sees one significant difference in Luc Bequette, who has returned to Berkeley after one season at Boston College to play his seventh (!!!) season of college football.

Sirmon recognizes the same strength and toughness, experience and versatility — all of which will help bolster a Cal D-line that is other somewhat youthful.

“He has a beautiful haircut right now,” Sirmon said in the video below, citing the change he sees. “He’s got long, flowing curls. I think he’s in the infantile stages of the NIL with like Pert or somebody, some kind of shampoo deal. I think he’s working on that, which would be a heck of a deal.

“He runs and he kind of lets it go back and forth and lets it flow. That’s the biggest difference I’ve seen in Luc.”

Bequette met with reporters Wednesday after getting word the previous afternoon that, as expected, the NCAA approved his eligibility to play for the Bears. Bequette spent five seasons at Cal before transferring late last summer to BC when the Pac-12 announced short-lived plans to shelve the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bequette noted that when his hair is wet, as it is after spending a couple hours in a helmet at football practice, it curls up and doesn't appear as long as it does when dry.

He said he appreciates Sirmon’s efforts on his behalf to cash in on his longer locks now that the NCAA is allowing players to create sponsorship deals.

“I’ve kind of made a list of companies I’d like to reach out to. Hopefully I’ll be able to make some deals, make a little money,” Bequette said in the video above. “That’s my path.”

Bequette, who turned 24 last month, first arrived at Cal from Little Rock, Arkansas in the fall of 2015, redshirting that first season. He has played in 49 college football games and his path back to Berkeley came to him in back-to-back night-time visions.

“It really does feel great. It kind of started back earlier this year and the way it kind of happened is I literally had two dreams in the same week that I was playing football at Cal,” he recalled. “Coming to the sideline and chest-bumping coach (Andrew) Browning.

“It just kind of saw it as a sign and reached back out and talked to the coaches about the possibility of coming back. I’m definitely home. It feels like I never left.”

As he did when last here in 2019, Bequette figures to play various roles on the Bears’ defensive line. In 2019, he was voted the team's most outstanding lineman.

“He’ll continue to bring leadership, toughness,” Sirmon said in the video above. “He does have quite a bit of versatility. He’s been a guy who’s been around the ball.”

The Bears expect to play the season without junior defensive lineman Brett Johnson, who fractured his hip in a car accident in February and needed surgery.

Even so, Bequette likes what he sees in a D-line room that is deeper and bigger than in recent years. Here’s his evaluation on what Cal brings on the defensive line: 

Cover photo of Luc Bequette

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo