Bryan Harsin was a disastrous hire for Auburn when the program made him Gus Malzahn’s replacement in 2021. While there are certainly other factors at play, hiring Harsin as offensive coordinator this offseason is proving to be a big mistake for the Cal Golden Bears.
Harsin was brought onto Justin Wilcox’s staff in December, and since then, Cal has seen a mass exodus on that side of the ball. Starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza departed in the winter cycle along with multiple other passing game weapons, and when the portal re-opened for the spring window on Wednesday, Cal running backs flooded the market.
Since Bryan Harsin has arrived at Cal, the team's starting quarterback, top five running backs, five of its top seven wide receivers, and top tight end have all entered the transfer portal.
— Avinash Kunnath (@avinashkunnath) April 17, 2025
You can say he's building his own team in his image. Or you can say some other things.
Cal running backs flee Bryan Harsin’s offense
Following a fantastic 1,305 yard sophomore season in 2023, Jaydn Ott battled injuries last season, finishing with just 385 yards on 116 carries as the Golden Bears fought to bowl eligibility with a 6-6 regular season record in their first season in the ACC. In his stead, Jaivian Thomas emerged as the team’s leading rusher, and both entered the portal on Wednesday, along with Kadarius Calloway and Byron Cardwell Jr.
Ott quickly committed to Oklahoma, joining receiver Josiah Martin, who caught 12 passes for 112 yards from Mendoza last season. Of Cal’s 26 outgoing transfers since the end of the 2024 season, 20 are on the offensive side of the ball, including three quarterbacks, five running backs, five wide receivers, and two tight ends.
Cal is not exactly flush with NIL dollars to compete in the open market for top-end talent, but such a mass exodus clearly shows a lack of faith in the coaching staff and newly hired offensive coordinator. With a blank slate, Harsin has the opportunity to build the offense in his vision, but Auburn fans know that won’t end well for the Golden Bears.
It didn’t even take two years for Auburn to move on from Harsin, and after just a few months with no games played, Cal should already be considering a different option to run its offense.