Does Aidan Keanaaina Have Another Year? Will He Spend It Elsewhere?

It’s unclear whether Cal sixth-year protect lineman Aidan Keanaaina has immoderate assemblage eligibility remaining.

But he apparently believes he tin unafraid different year, and nan Bears’ champion D-lineman of nan past 2 seasons reportedly has indicated he wants to usage that twelvemonth elsewhere.

The recruiting websites On3 and 247Sports reported Friday that Keanaaina has entered nan transportation portal pinch nan volition of playing 2026 astatine a 3rd schoolhouse aft stints astatine Notre Dame and Cal.

Tough and bright, Keanaaina played 26 games for Cal nan past 2 seasons, totaling 101 tackles. A 6-foot-3, 320-pound four-star precocious schoolhouse imaginable from Brighton, Colorado, had 56 tackles this past season, tied for ninth among each protect linemen nationwide and nan astir by a Cal protect lineman since Cameron Jordan had 62 successful 2010. 

Keanaaina was named honorable mention All-ACC this season. 

He besides completed a Master’s programme astatine Cal aft earning his undergrad grade astatine Notre Dame.

With nan Irish, Keanaaina played successful conscionable 11 games complete 4 seasons, including 1 each arsenic a existent freshman successful 2020 and arsenic a redshirt sophomore successful 2022. His astir productive play astatine Notre Dame was successful 2023, erstwhile he had 7 tackles successful six games.

Players who were progressive during nan COVID-19 era opening successful 2020 were fixed an further twelvemonth of eligibility. Redshirting for improvement purposes aliases wounded besides tin supply further eligibility, and modern assemblage sports has seen its stock of seven- and moreover an occasional eight-year player.

Linebacker David Reese began his profession astatine Florida backmost successful 2018, transferred to Cal to play for nan Bears successful 2023 and ’24 and closed retired his assemblage days this past play astatine Syracuse. He redshirted successful 2018, received nan COVID waiver for 2020 and did not play successful immoderate games successful 2019 aliases ’21 owed to injury.

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