When Cal took the stage for Pac-12 Media Day this summer, two of its veteran players represented the team. Now, both players will finish the year watching from the sideline. Senior inside linebacker Jackson Sirmon will miss the remainder of the season for the Bears after suffering an injury last week against Oregon State.

Sirmon was knocked out of the game and didn't play Saturday when Cal lost a road game to No. 16 Utah in Salt Lake City. After the loss, Bears head coach Justin Wilcox informed the media that Sirmon's season is over.

"He'll be out for the season unfortunately," Wilcox said. "I really feel for Jack. He works really, really hard and he loves football. He's a really important member of our team."

Earlier in the week, Wilcox said Sirmon was "day to day" after suffering his injury last Saturday.

Sirmon, a sixth-year player, is the second team captain to suffer a season-ending following starting center Matthew Cindric's biceps injury that happened in the season opener bringing his Bears career to a close.

The Cal linebacker has been a big part of the defense in his two seasons since transferring from Washington, where he played for four years prior to his arrival in Berkeley.

Sirmon is second on the team with 50 tackles this season, and his absence was clear in Saturday's game against the Utes as they rushed for 317 yards. In his place, Wilcox and defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach Peter Sirmon, Jackson's dad, rotated through a group of players to make up for the loss.

Redshirt junior Blake Antzoulatos earned the start at inside linebacker alongside Kaleb Elarms-Orr, but several others had their opportunities to work at the position as well including Hunter Barth, Muelu Iosefa and freshman Cade Uluave, who finished with tied for second on the team with 9 tackles Saturday.

Uluave has already been learning from Sirmon during his short time on campus, and now the first-year linebacker will be tasked with helping make up for the loss the productive senior.

"Jackson was an incredible leader. He was my mentor, someone I really looked up to. I feel bad that his season is over. That puts everyone else in the linebacker room to be more alert. Next man up, when your number gets called you gotta be ready."

Sirmon was the lone Cal player selected to the preseason All-Pac-12 first team, and he has been highly productive during his time with the Bears. He racked up a career-high 104 tackles leading to an all-conference selection at the end of 2022.

He's second on the team this year with 2 1/2 tackles for loss go with a forced fumble, a sack and a fumble recovery.