Luc Bequette: Officially Back in Berkeley

Sometimes, you can go back home again.

That's what Luc Bequette got to do in 2021, as he returns for an unprecedented seventh year of eligibility. Bequette, after ten practices of fall camp and a whole summer of workouts, got word last night that he was officially eligible to play during the 2021 season. The process to come back to Cal, after transferring to Boston College prior to the 2020 season, started subconsciously for the Little Rock, Arkansas native.

"It started back earlier this year, I literally had two dreams in the same week that I was playing football for Cal," Bequette told media during Cal's Wednesday availability, "coming to the sideline and chestbumping coach Browning. I saw it as a sign and started reaching back out, talking to the coaches about coming back. It was a long process, but I was finally able to find out late yesterday that it was official that I'll be able to play this year. I'm definitely home, it feels like I never left.."

Bequette originally transferred to Boston College after the Pac-12 canceled its season last August, but before the conference announced a comeback in September. Bequette played in 11 games for the Eagles, and had the opportunity to return for a seventh year of eligibility due to COVID-19. There were unelaborated on reasons for the holdup on his eligibility waiver in the wake of his transfer back to Cal, but that's now behind him.

"We're excited that's behind Luc," defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon said, "the uncertainty that is hard on a young man. I'm thankful it turned out the way it did, with the extenuating circumstances, it's the right call."

For Cal, it's like nothing has changed. Bequette slots right back into one of the defensive end spots in the Bears' base defense, and he's going to slide down to defensive tackle in Cal's nickel and four-DL packages. What has changed with Bequette is the mane of hair he's grown in the past year, which he had tied back during the interview session.

"He's got a beautiful haircut right now," Sirmon said, "he's got long flowing hair, he has some curls. I think he's in the infantile stages of NIL with Pert or somebody for a shampoo deal. He runs, he goes back and forth and lets it flow. That's the biggest difference I've seen in Luc. The toughness, the way he's playing and the way he's practicing has been very consistent to what we've see in the past."

Bequette has hopped right back into the Cal scheme after having to learn a new role at BC, where he had essentially two practices before being thrown into BC's opener against Virginia Tech. The same mentality carried over to his year on the east coast.

"Different scheme," Bequette noted of the differences, "I think the same mentality though, they come from another defensive head coach. I think it was a lot like here, where they're focused on physicality, embracing stopping the run and overall it wasn't too different, but I'm happy to be back at Cal."

Now, Bequette returns to a much larger defensive line group, seeing some of the players who had been on recruiting visits in the past up close, especially with Stanley McKenzie, who he's playing next to with the first team.

"I'd known them from visits," Bequette said of the newer linemen. "I remember coach Browning frothing at the mouth over Stanley, 'he's going to be another you someday,' it's fun getting to see these guys through the process and finally getting to see them on the field and going to work."

Even without Brett Johnson, the other defensive lineman Bequette primarily played with the last time he lined up in blue and gold, there's more depth at the position than Bequette has seen in Berkeley over his six years in California

"It's really nice having a whole group of guys," Bequette said, "I remember spring of 2018 we had maybe five guys for the spring game. We went out and dominated that spring game, but our rotation was a little tough, we were getting a little tired out there. It's nice to have a lot of guys and good rotations, full on three sets of groups, then also our size. We have two guys at 340, and if you're not over 300, you're smal now. I think our smallest guy is at 275 or something. I remember a couple years ago, I may have been our second biggest guy at 290. We've really got a lot of beef this year, and it's going to be fun seeing what offenses are going to try to do to move us around, but I don't think they'll be able to."

With fall camp nearly halfway done, Bequette's back in the fold and has gotten to know some of the new faces, but the underlying ethos is the same from his point of view.

"A lot of new faces, new strength staff, I love those guys," Bequette noted. "A lot of new guys on the team, lot of guys that are eager to work hard, eager to really win in this program. There are some subtle changes, but for the most part, it's same old Cal, same old family that I love."