Cal Sports Report

Cal Football: ILB Oluwafemi Oladejo Is Transferring to UCLA

Six Golden Bears have announced they intend to play elsewhere next season.

Jeff Faraudo

Sophomore inside linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo, who had 17 tackles against UCLA in Cal’s season finale and was among the team's most productive defensive players, is the Bears’ latest player to enter the transfer portal.

Apparently, UCLA coaches were impressed by that showing, because hours after he announced that he was entering the transfer portal, Oladejo announced that he will transfer to UCLA

The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder from Elk Grove announced his plans via social media. He has two years of eligibility remaining. This was his earlier announcement that he was transferring.

Oladejo transfer
Oluwafemi Oladejo / Twitter

Oladejo, who started games at botjh inside linebacker and outside lineback for Cal in 2022, was second on the team with 91 tackles this season, including 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery and 1 forced fumble.

He had 13 tackles vs. Oregon State, 12 vs. Notre Dame and 11 vs. Stanford.

Coach Justin Wilcox spoke glowingly of Oladejo in an interview last spring.

“His demeanor, first and foremost, is very, very impressive. He is a leader by nature,” Wilcox says in the video at the top of this story. "The way he approaches everything, whether it’s meetings, practice, his workouts, his life off the field, he just has a very special way about him.

“On top of that, the physical tools that Femi has . . . he is a big, physical guy. He loves contact, he loves football. He’s going to get better and better the more he plays." 

Still just 19 years old, Oladejo was a three-star prospect out of Cosumnes Oaks High School, where he had 84 tackles his junior season before COVID-19 wiped out his senior campaign.

Oladejo is the sixth Cal player to announce he is transferring.

Also headed elsewhere are offensive lineman Ben Coleman, placekicker Dario Longhetto, running backs Damien Moore and DeCarlos Brooks, and outside linebacker Orin Patu.

Cover photo of Oluwafemi Oladejo courtesy of Cal Athletics

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

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Jeff Faraudo
JEFF FARAUDO

Jeff Faraudo was a sports writer for Bay Area daily newspapers since he was 17 years old, and was the Oakland Tribune's Cal beat writer for 24 years. He covered eight Final Fours, four NBA Finals and four Summer Olympics. 

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