Way-too-early Virginia Football 2026 opponent preview: A California dream, tested at Scott Stadium
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
For the first time ever, Virginia will host California. It is just the second matchup between the two programs, after the Cavaliers won 31-21 at California Memorial Stadium last season. This time around, they play Nov. 14 at Scott Stadium in what could be a crucial tilt in the ACC standings.
Coach Tony Elliott mentioned the importance of the late-season stretch after defeating the Golden Bears in 2025.
"The way we kind of outline our season, [November] is go time," Elliott said. "This is where we got to be trying to to prime up and get rolling on all cylinders."
To preview the matchup, UVA On SI connected with Nick Fletcher, Sports Editor at The Daily Californian. Fletcher expressed a sentiment that Virginia also feels – 2026 is about contending for an ACC championship and beyond.
"Ultimately, there is an expectation from Cal fans – and top brass – that this team competes for the ACC title," Fletcher said.
What is the temperature check on Cal football?
"There has been a seismic shift in California Golden Bears football over the last seven months," Fletcher said.
Yes.
To recap – Cal went 7-6 last year (seventh in ACC), but it fired Coach Justin Wilcox. Formerly a defensive coordinator at Boise State, Tennessee, Washington, Southern California and Wisconsin, Wilcox led the Golden Bears from 2017 to 2025. He went 48-55 in his time at California.
The Golden Bears once again dipped into the elite defensive coordinator pool to find their head coach. Cal hired program alum Tosh Lupoi, who has spent time at Alabama and Oregon, plus NFL assistant gigs with the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Despite his extensive experience, Lupoi had a difficult offseason ahead of him. Many talented returners were considering the transfer portal, including star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. In his freshman season last year, Sagapolutele completed 64.23 percent of his passes for 3,454 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
"The first order of business for Lupoi after his introductory press conference – without even changing out of his navy suit – was immediately purchasing a plane ticket to Hawaii to have a late night meeting convincing Sagapolutele to stick with the Bears," Fletcher said.
Lupoi succeeded – and he now has one of the most promising quarterbacks in the ACC. Sagapolutele is the only Power Four quarterback to begin his career with 13 straight games of 200-plus passing yards. He earned Freshman All-American honors from multiple media outlets. Led by Sagapolutele, Cal finished fourth in the ACC in passing yards.
The Cal file – a transfer frenzy
Lupoi was able to keep Sagapolutele. Other than the quarterback, though, there is a great reshuffling going on. The Golden Bears lost seven All-ACC players this offseason. Cal also lost its top four receivers. However, Lupoi spent ample time recovering through the transfer portal.
"Weapons shouldn't be an issue for Sagapolutele and the Bears this season," Fletcher said. "Lupoi and his staff highlighted their portal haul with Rutgers wideout Ian Strong, coveted New Mexico tight end Dorian Thomas and the standout Husky running back in Adam Mohammed – among a plethora of others."
Securing a strong cast of incoming transfers is essential for Cal, especially because it has lost incredible talents to the portal over the past few years. Starting running back Kendrick Raphael left for SMU this offseason, and running back Jadyn Ott left for Oklahoma the year before.
In addition to losing Ott, Cal also lost coveted quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Indiana after the 2024 season. Mendoza went on to win a national title and Heisman Trophy, then go on to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Mohammed was courted by several Power Four teams – he could be a high-quality successor to Raphael. Strong and Thomas were also highly coveted portal targets for many teams. However, the defense was not replenished as deeply as the offensive side of the ball.
Star linebacker Cade Uluave – a First Team All-ACC member and team captain – left for BYU. His absence leaves an enormous hole in the middle of the Golden Bears' defense. To replace Uluave and several other departed starters, Lupoi reeled in a bevy of transfer backups from Oregon and the SEC. Nearly all of them are unproven, but talented.
The first battle at Scott Stadium
This is Cal's second trip to the Commonwealth. The Golden Bears lost 42-34 in overtime at Virginia Tech last October. This season, they make their maiden trip to Charlottesville, coming off of a bye week.
Virginia is also coming off a bye week after it plays at Wake Forest. Both teams should be prepared for a crucial late-season ACC battle. For the Cavaliers, this is the first of their final three games in the 2026 regular season. Cal could potentially be their most arduous opponent in that ultimate stretch of the campaign.
"With its most talented quarterback since Jared Goff, a revamped supporting cast, a no-nonsense alum coach and unwavering support from both donors and the university, the sky is the limit for this Bears team," Fletcher said.
"On paper of course."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginia as Way-too-early Virginia Football 2026 opponent preview: A California dream, tested at Scott Stadium.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos