Former Cal running back Jaivian Thomas, who starred at McClymonds High before moving on to college, is transferring to UCLA, sources told the Bay Area News Group.
Thomas was Cal’s leading rusher in 2024, compiling 626 yards on 100 carries and seven touchdowns. He is an Oakland native who was the 2022 Bay Area News Group Alameda County Player of the Year.
Cal’s running back room has been devastated by transfers within the past week. The Bears lost Jaydn Ott, a former all-Pac-12 running back and face of the program, to Oklahoma last Tuesday.
Running backs Kadarius Calloway, Byron Cardwell Jr. and Justin Williams-Thomas have also entered the transfer portal from Cal within the past few weeks.
The quintet of portal entries comprises all five of Cal’s top rushers last season.
Thomas will be entering his junior season. As a high school star at McClymonds, he rushed for 2,528 yards and 30 touchdowns in his senior season alone.
OAKLAND – McClymonds running back Jaivian Thomas stiff-arms a defender. McClymonds and Lemoore played in the high school football 2-AA NorCal championship in Oakland, Calif. on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022 (Joseph Dycus/Bay Area News Group)
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Cal hired a new running backs coach, Julian Griffin, in January from Texas-San Antonio.
UCLA has also been in the news recently regarding transfers, landing Tennessee quarterback transfer Nico Iamaleava, a Southern California native who prepped at Warren High School in Downey, after Iamaleava left the Volunteers due to a name, image and likeness compensation dispute.
Bay Area News Group’s Joseph Dycus contributed to this report.
