BERKELEY – Sixth-year seniors Matthew Cindric and Jackson Sirmon have been selected as season captains for the 2023 campaign in a vote of their Cal football teammates. Cindric will serve as a season captain for the second consecutive campaign, while Sirmon will be in the role for the first time with the Golden Bears.

Cal opens its 2023 season on Saturday at North Texas in a game to be televised by ESPNU (3 p.m. CT/1 p.m. PT).

The Bears will host perennial national and SEC power Auburn in their home opener Sept. 9 when the Tigers visit Berkeley for the first-ever meeting between the teams. The Saturday night ESPN game and Gold Out contest will kick off at 7:30 p.m. PT under the lights at California Memorial Stadium, which is celebrating 100 years in 2023.

Visit CalBears.com for tickets and more information about Cal's entire slate of 2023 games and check out the Cal Athletic Fund online to support the Cal football program via the Championship CALiber initiative.

Below are notes on Cindric and Sirmon with extended bios available by clicking on their names.
 
Matthew Cindric, OL, 6-4, 295, R-Sr., 6th Season At Cal (Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS)
– Cal's active career leader in games played (34) and starts (33) over the last four seasons since redshirting as a 2018 true freshman with 17 starts at right guard and 16 at center
– 2023 Preseason All-Pac-12 second team (Phil Steele), fourth team (Athlon) and honorable mention (Pac-12 Media) selection
– Named to watch lists prior to the 2023 campaign for the Rimington Trophy, Senior Bowl and Wuerffel Trophy
– Cal's nominee for the 2023 AFCA All-State Good Works Team®, Jason Witten Man of the Year and the William V. Campbell Trophy also known as the "academic Heisman"
– One of Cal's two 2023 Pac-12 Football Media Day representatives (second straight appearance) along with Jackson Sirmon
– Started first six games as a 2022 junior before suffering a season-ending injury at Colorado
– A national semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, Jason Witten Man of the Year and Wuerffel Trophy as a 2022 junior
 
Jackson Sirmon, ILB, 6-2, 240, Sr., 6th Season Overall/2nd Season At Cal (Brentwood, TN/Washington/Brentwood Academy/Loyola HS)
– Has played in 45 games with starts in all 28 possible contests over the last three campaigns of his first five collegiate seasons spanning four at Washington (2018-21) and one at Cal (2022)
– Has compiled career totals of 252 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss (-28 yards), 3.5 sacks (-12 yards), two interceptions that he has returned 21 yards, three pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 37 fumble recovery yards, one fumble recovery touchdown and one safety, while also rushing twice on fake punts for six yards and picking up first downs on each occasion
– 2023 Preseason All-American fourth team (Athlon, Phil Steele, Pro Football Focus) and All-Pac-12 first team (Athlon, Pac-12 Media, Phil Steele, Pro Football Focus) selection
– Named to watch lists prior to the 2023 campaign for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award and Senior Bowl
– A first-team All-Pac-12 pick in a vote of the league's coaches, as well as of the Associated Press and Pro Football Focus as a 2022 junior when he started all 12 games and led Cal with a career-high 104 tackles, while adding career highs of 6.0 tackles for loss (-18 yards), 3.5 sacks (-12 yards), three pass breakups, 37 fumble recovery yards and one fumble recovery touchdown, as well as a career-high-tying one forced fumble
– Ranked third in the Pac-12 in 2022 in both tackles per game (8.7) and tackles

2023 Cal Football Schedule

Date – Opponent (Time, TV)
Sept. 2 – at North Texas (3 p.m. CT/1 p.m. PT, ESPNU)                                                                                    
Sept. 9 – Auburn (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
Sept. 16 – Idaho (1 p.m., Pac-12 Bay Area)
Sept. 23 – at Washington (TBA, TBA)*
Sept. 30 – Arizona State (TBA, TBA)*
Oct. 7 – Oregon State (TBA, TBA)*
Oct. 14 – at Utah (TBA, TBA)*
Oct. 28 – USC (TBA, TBA)*
Nov. 4 – at Oregon (TBA, TBA)*
Nov. 11 – Washington State (TBA)#*
Nov. 18 – at Stanford (TBA, TBA)*
Nov. 25 – at UCLA (TBA, TBA)#*
Dec. 1 – Pac-12 Football Championship Game (5 p.m., ABC)+
Home Games In Bold At California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA; All Times Pacific Unless Noted; *Pac-12 Game; #ESPN Platform (Channel To Be Determined At Later Dates); +At Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV; All Games On Saturdays Other Than The Pac-12 Football Championship Game On Friday; Remaining Kickoff Times And Broadcast Television Networks To Be Announced Six Or 12 Days Prior To Game; Listen To Cal Football Games Live On 810 AM, The Free Varsity Network App For iPhone And Android, And SiriusXM

STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Cal football, follow the Bears on X, Instagram and Facebook.