Football Position Breakdown: Inside Linebackers

FB8/20/2025 6:05 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Football Position Breakdown: Inside Linebackers

Uluave Leads Linebackers; Cal's 2025 Defensive Unit

The Room: ILB Notes:
  • Cal returns 2024 All-ACC Honorable Mention linebacker Cade Uluave after he tallied 71 tackles, three TFL, three passes defended, one interception and a half sack in only nine games. He recorded six games with eight or more tackles and three games with 11 or more last season.
  • BYU transfer Harrison Taggart comes to Berkeley having appeared in 27 games in his collegiate career between his two seasons at BYU and his lone season at Oregon.
  • In 27 collegiate games, Taggart has compiled 97 total tackles, three TFL and pass breakups along with one sack, forced fumble and interception.
  • Buom Jock, a transfer from Colorado State, joins the Bears after he totaled 100 tackles in 2024. He also added a pair of fumble recoveries, forcing one fumble and returning an interception for 10 yards.
  • Aaron Hampton returns after appearing in eight games his freshman season.
  • Beckham Barney, Luke Ferrelli, B.J. Jones, Eze Osondu and Lucas Vanderlind each enter the 2025 campaign looking to work their way into recording their first taste of collegiate action.
  • Inside linebackers coach Michael Bruno returns for his second stint at Cal. 2025 will be his sixth overall season with Bears after also serving as an analyst from 2018-21.
Inside Linebackers Coach: Michael Bruno, 1st Season
  • Michael Bruno is in his second stint at Cal, now working as the inside linebackers coach after serving as an analyst with the group last season.
  • 2025 will be his sixth overall season with Bears after also serving as an analyst from 2018-21. Bruno oversees the defensive breakdowns, opponent scouting and the defensive playbook. He also assists with the recruiting efforts of all defensive prospects for Cal. 
  • He served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Minot State in 2023, leading the defense to the top of the NSiC in defending the pass.
  • He spent the 2022 season at UNLV as the inside linebackers coach where he coached Austin Ajiake, the Mountain West Linebacker of the Year.
  • Prior to his arrival at Cal in 2018, Bruno worked with former Golden Bears' defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon when Sirmon was the defensive coordinator at both Louisville (2017) and Mississippi State (2016).
  • Bruno spent one season at Louisville in 2017 in a defensive quality control role when the Cardinals posted an 8-5 record, reached the TaxSlayer Bowl and employed the nation's No. 14 ranked total defense (322.2 ypg).
  • He was a graduate assistant on the defensive side of the ball at Mississippi State during the 2016 campaign when he connected with Sirmon (then Mississippi State's defensive coordinator) and helped the Rebels establish a red zone defense that tied for ninth nationally by holding opponents to 73.3 percent in red scoring.
  • Began his coaching career with a three-season stint at Division III Worcester Poly (2009-10) of the then Liberty League as a special team's coordinator while also coaching the running backs, defensive backs and defensive line during his tenure.
  • Earned his bachelor's degree from Saint Lawrence in 2009 and his master's in teaching from Mississippi State in 2017.
Print Friendly Version