Derek Wilkins

UCLA

Sep 5 (Sat)

7:30 PM

June 23, 2026; Berkeley, CA, USA; FB: Cal Football Headshots California Memorial Stadium. (Photo credit: Al Sermeno/KLC fotos)

Position:
Defensive Line
Height:
6-5
Weight:
310
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Irvine, CA
High School:
Santa Margarita Catholic HS

Accolades - Academic

2025 ACC Academic Honor Roll

Redshirt Senior (2025)

Appeared in all 11 games and made two starts.
Made his first collegiate start against Louisville.
Started against Stanford in Big Game.
Made 12 tackles and added a QB hurry.
Had a season-high three tackles against Hawai'i in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.
Had two tackles against Virginia.
Added at least one tackle in nine games.
Had eight pass breakups, the most by a Cal defensive lineman in history.
Had two pass breakups each in consecutive games at Louisville and Stanford.

Redshirt Junior (2024)

Appeared in all 13 games off the bench.
Recorded career-high 12 tackles, including one TFL.
Blocked a field goal attempt by Oregon State.

Redshirt Sophomore (2023)

Earned a spot on the Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Played in eight games off the bench.
Contributed a career-high eight tackles, as well as 2.0 tackles for loss (-7 yards) and 1.0 sack (-4 yards).

Sophomore (2022)

Did not play due to injury

Freshman (2021)

Played in three games all off the bench and all coming over the final four contests of the season.
Finished with two tackles.

Prep

Played at Santa Margarita Catholic HS -- Class of 2021.
Combined for 76 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks (-48 yards), four quarterback hurries, two passes defended, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three blocked punts in 22 career contests over the last three seasons before his 2020 campaign was canceled/postponed due to COVID-19.
Headed into his senior campaign ranked as the No. 32 overall player in California according to 247Sports.
Exploded onto the scene as a 2019 junior when he earned first-team All-Southern Section and All-Trinity League recognition as well as Team MVP honors after playing 11 games and recording 54 tackles, 15.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks (-48 yards), four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two passes deflected, one quarterback hurry and three blocked punts for a team that reached the first round of the Southern Section Division 2 playoffs.
Played in nine games as a 2018 sophomore and contributed 21 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, two quarterback hurries and one blocked punt.
Played in two games and contributed one tackle as a 2017 freshman at Woodbridge High School with a team that was 8-4 overall and reached the second round of the Southern Section Division 9 playoffs, contributing one tackle in two games … named Offensive Player of the Year for a team that was 8-4 overall.
Played four sports during his prep career including a pair of baseball seasons as a 2018 freshman and 2019 sophomore, one basketball campaign in 2017-18 and track in 2019-20.
Earned a spot on his school’s first honors honor roll during the 2018-19 academic year after being on the second honors honor roll as a 2017-18 freshman.

Personal