Cal Football: CB Jeremiah Earby Enters Transfer Portal; WR Brian Hightower Preps for Draft

Originally posted on Cal Bears on SI | By Jeff Faraudo | Last updated Dec 5, 2023 7:17 PM ET

Sophomore cornerback Jeremiah Earby is the latest Cal player to enter his name in the transfer portal.

Earby played in all 12 games this season, starting twice, and had 26 tackles, one interception and six pass breakups.

He joins inside linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr, backup quarterback Ben Finley, reserve offensive linemen Brayden Rohme and Eveertt Johnson, placekicker Mateen Bhathani and cornerback Tyson McWilliams as Golden Bears who will explore playing elsewhere.

Meanwhile, senior wide receiver Brian Hightower, who spent just one season with the Bears as a transfer from Illinois, announced he will forgo the Independence Bowl against Texas Tech to prepare for the NFL draft.

Earby, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound native of East Palo Alto, delivered a promising freshman season in 2022.

He started seven of the Bears’ final eight games and earned second-team Freshman All-America honors from College Football News and honorable mention All-Pac-12 from the league’s coaches.

Earby had 36 tackles, one interception, 10 pass breakups and two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned 33 yards for a touchdown against Oregon State.

A two-way player at Menlo-Atherton High School, Earby was a 3-star prospect according to 247Sports Composite.

Hightower, who spent time at Miami and Illinois before arriving in Berkeley last spring, is a 24-year-old who played six seasons of college football.

A 6-3, 215-pound native of Los Angeles, he did not play in the Bears’ two most recent games and hasn’t caught a pass since the Oregon game on Nov. 4.

He finished this season with 10 receptions for 101 yards and no touchdowns. Over his career at three schools, Hightower totaled 70 catches for 910 yards and six touchdowns.

This article first appeared on Cal Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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