Cal Football: ILB Ryan Puskas Joins the Parade Into the Transfer Portal

Puskas has two years' eligibility left but plans to graduate from Cal before exiting.

Inside linebacker Ryan Puskas, who saw action in seven Cal football games last season, announced via social media he has entered the transfer portal and will complete his college career at a new school.

A redshirt junior from Peoria, Ariz., Puskas played in 16 career games, totaling 15 tackles and one sack.

Ryan Puskas / Twitter

“First off, I would like to thank God for putting me through such an amazing journey during my four years at Cal,” Puskas wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to all of the coaches and staff for the opportunity.

“To my teammates, I will forever be grateful for the friendships we have created along the way. I will spend my last semester at Cal earning my degree in landscape architecture. With that being said, I will be entering the transfer portal as a grad transfer with 2 years of eligibility remaining.

“Thank you Cal Family!”

Puskas, 22, becomes at least the 19th member of the 2022 Cal football roster to announce he will transfer. Six of those players are linebackers, including fellow inside linebackers Oluwafemi Oladejo and Trey Paster.

The Bears have re-stocked with 21 new players, 12 of them transfers who have enrolled mid-year and will begin training with the team in spring practice. Four of the program’s newcomers are linebackers, including inside linebackers Sergio Allen, formerly of Clemson, and Cade Uluave, a high school prospect from South Jordan, Utah.

Ryan Puskas / Photo by Stan Szeto, USA Today

A 6-foot-3, 235-pounder, Puskas arrived at Cal in the fall of 2019 and played four games while retaining a redshirt year. He sat out the 2020 season before playing in 2021 and ’22.

Puskas was a consensus 3-star prospect out of Liberty High School in the Phoenix suburb of Peoria. He had 251 career tackles and 11 interceptions, earning first-team all-state honors in 2018.

Cover photo of Cal linebacker Ryan Puskas

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