Football Position Breakdown: Defensive Line

FB8/18/2025 5:05 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Football Position Breakdown: Defensive Line

Defensive Strength Comes From Experience In The Trenches

The Room: DL Notes:
  • Cal starts the 2025 season with 14 defensive linemen, including 10 returnees in TJ Bollers, BJ Canady, Legend Journey, Aidan Keanaaina, Ike Okafor, Michael-Anthony Okwura, Jack Olyphant, Stanley Saole-McKenzie, R.J. Stephens and Derek Wilkins.
  • Redshirt senior Aidan Keanaaina was named to the Preseason All-ACC team by Athlon Sports and by Phil Steele. Keanaaina appeared in 13 games last season and recorded 45 tackles, 2.5 TFL, one sack and a pass defended.
  • Bollers appeared in 13 games and made one start last season. He registered 23 total tackles, including 1.5 sacks and 4.5 TFL (-9 yards).
  • Saole-McKenzie looks to continue to grow as an every-week contributor. He appeared in all 13 games off the bench last season while recording a career-high 12 tackles, including one TFL.
  • BJ Canady, Legend Journey, Ike Okafor, Michael-Anthony Okwura, Jack Olyphant and R.J. Stephens each enter the season looking to contribute along the defensive line.
  • Since the end of the 2024 season, the Bears have added two defensive line transfers in Tyson Ford and Zaelyn Smith.
  • Ford, who comes to Cal from Notre Dame, played in a pair of games as a freshman for the Fighting Irish. He was rated a 3-star transfer by 247, On3 and Rivals.
  • Smith, who joins the Bears from Houston Christian University, played in 36 games for the Huskies over the course of four seasons. During his time in Houston, he compiled 134 total tackles, 15 TFL, 10 sacks, three passes defended and forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Defensive Line Coach: Andrew Browning, 7th Season
  • Andrew Browning is in his seventh season as the defensive line coach and his eighth campaign overall at California, having served one season in a quality control role on the defensive side of the ball in his first season with the Golden Bears in 2018 before moving into his current role.
  • Browning was promoted to Defensive Line Coach in 2019. Since his promotion, he has helped guide the Bears' defense to 24 or more sacks in five of his six seasons. (The lone season without 24 sacks was during the COVID-19 shortened season).
  • His first full-time coaching role came as the defensive line coach at UTEP (2013-17). With the Miners, he tutored future NFL players James Davidson, Horace Miller and Roy Robertson-Harris.
  • He started his coaching career with three campaigns on the staff at his alma mater Boise State, working in quality control for one season in 2010 and as a graduate assistant from 2011-12.
  • Spent the 2008 season on the roster of the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League before moving into coaching.
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