Cal Football: RB DeCarlos Brooks the Bears' Fifth Player Opting to Transfer

Brooks was backup in limited role this season behind productive freshman Jaydn Ott.

Running back DeCarlos Brooks, who saw action as a backup to freshman Jaydn Ott this season, announced via social media said he will enter the transfer portal and intends to play his final two seasons elsewhere.

A graduate transfer who still has an additional year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 allowance, Brooks is the fifth Cal player and the second running back to enter the transfer portal since the end of the Bears’ season.

Players cannot officially enter the transfer portal until Dec. 5 but are free to make the intentions known before then.

DeCarlos Brooks / Twitter

On Twitter, Brooks 22, thanked coach Justin Wilcox and the staff, adding, “I’ve been friendships and relationships here that will last a lifetime and will truly never forgot.”

Brooks played 21 games in parts of three seasons for the Bears, totaling 309 rushing yards with one touchdown, with 261 of those yards coming this season as the team’s No. 2 back.

The 5-foot-10, 210-pounder climbed the depth chart above Damien Moore, the starter in the season opener, but wasn’t going to dislodge Ott once he became the Bears’ primary ball carrier. Ott rushed for 897 yards and his 170 carries were nearly three times the number Brooks was given.

Moore also has opted to transfer after being given the ball just 22 times all season. He rushed for 517 yards in 2021.

Without Brooks or Moore, the Bears' current roster includes just four running backs: Ott, junior Christ Street (who missed all of this season due to injury), freshman Ashton Hayes (who handled kickoff returns late in the season) and redshirt sophomore Ashton Stredick (who has rushed 10 times for 27 yards in parts of three seasons).

The Bears have no commitments yet from high school running back prospects, but clearly will try to sign at least two players at that position, either as freshmen or transfers.

Others with eligibility left who are headed elsewhere include offensive lineman Ben Coleman, placekicker Dario Longhetto and outside linebacker Orin Patu.

Brooks was rated a three-star prospect out of Chandler High School in Arizona, where he rushed for 3,863 yards and scored 52 touchdowns in three seasons, helping his team to a 34-9 record with three state championships.

Cover photo of running back DeCarlos Brooks by Darren Yamashita, USA Today

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