Cal Football: Grad Transfer Marqez Bimage Busier in Berkeley Than He Expected

He originally planned to be here just for school; now he's invaluable as backup OLB.

Grad transfer Marqez Bimage is studying the intersection of sport and education within Cal’s graduate school of education.

Football was not part of the plan. Not originally.

A defensive lineman for the Longhorns, Bimage opted out of playing the 2020 season during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent the year researching where he wanted to attend grad school.

“I did not apply to any other university in the country,” said Bimage, who arrived at Berkeley in May, having never previously visited the Bay Area.

By summer, Bimage decided he wanted to resume playing football. He reached out to the coaching staff, which agreed to let him join as a walk-on.

Now on scholarship and coming off his most impactful game in Cal’s 31-24 overtime loss at Washington, Bimage is enjoying the latest chapter in his own intersection of sport and education.

“I’m glad that I’m here,” he said.

So are his coaches. Bimage, at 6-foot-2, 260 pounds, played defensive end for Texas. But he was moved to outside linebacker during fall camp, which he believes better suits his skill set.

Turns out the Bears had a greater need at the position than imagined because of an injury to starter Kuony Deng, who hasn’t played the past two games and won’t dress Saturday for Washington State, either.

Braxton Croteau is starting for Deng, but Bimage is getting more reps with each game. At UW, he recovered a fumble early in the fourth quarter to halt a Huskies drive in Cal territory, then had a tackle for loss in overtime.

“He’s growing more and more comfortable within the scheme. He’s a physical guy. He’s got power and he plays very hard,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “He’s still learning but we’re really glad that he’s with us.”

Marqez describes his style of play in a single word:

“Violent. I try to be as violent as possible. I’ve had people off the field tell me I’m a very calm guy. I don’t know, I’ve always had this mentality since I was a little kid, playing football at the age of 5 in Texas.

“When you get on the field, no one’s your friend. Even though that’s your best friend on the scout team — it’s that simple: you have to play violent.”

Because the Bears did not recruit Bimage, Cal defensive coordinator says they knew very little about him when he showed up.

“We really weren’t exactly sure what his role would be when he joined us,” Sirmon said. “The way he’s worked, the way he’s really learned what we’re doing here defensively . . . and pairing that with some of his skills. He’s a powerful guy. He has some twitch when he’s rushing the quarterback.

“It’s been great to have him. We’ll continue to increase his role.”

During his search for the right grad school, Bimage came across Cal’s offerings in the school of education. He was hooked when he saw the course on intersection of sport and education, taught by Derek Van Rheenen, associate adjunct professor and director of Cultural Studies of Sport in Education.

“I personally believe and professors in my field also believe that sport kind of takes away the fundamentals of a student-athlete, specifically in urban communities or in Black communities,” Bimage said. “It’s seen as a way to get out and that is not the only way to be successful in life. That’s what really brought interest to the program.”

Bimage isn’t yet sure where he wants to take his education. He may pursue a PhD or may venture into something related to sports. “I’m 22 years old, I don’t have it figured out,” he said.

Bimage also is embracing the cultural differences he’s found after growing up in Brenham, Texas, a small town located about 75 miles northwest of Houston.

Asked for his impressions of Berkeley, Bimage said, “It definitely has its viewpoints . . . I’m taking the experience that it is different from Texas in some ways and that’s what I’m really enjoying — the environment just being different.”

Cover photo of Marqez Bimage by Al Sermeno, KLC fotos

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