Less than a month after leaving the ACC, James Looney is officially trading in the East Coast for the West Coast.
In a press release sent out Wednesday evening, Cal confirmed that the defensive lineman has decided to transfer into the Bears’ football program. It was first reported April 22 that Looney had decided to take his leave of the Demon Deacons, and it was speculated at the time that the lineman may be interested in transferring to the other side of the country.
“We are excited that James is joining the Cal football program,” head coach Sonny Dykes said in a statement. “It is important that we critical that we continue to recruit and develop players in the trenches to improve on both sides of the ball. James will help us do that on the defensive line and is also an excellent student that will fit into our program nicely both on the field and off.”
Looney brother is former Wake and current San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Joe Looney.
Last season as a true freshman, played in seven games. Because of the departures of three starters, Looney was viewed as a likely starter along the Demon Deacons’ defensive line before his abrupt and unexpected departure.
Coming out of high school in Lake Worth, Fla., Looney was a three-star member of Wake’s 2013 recruiting class.