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Dazmin James didn’t exactly light up the box score in his time with the Arkansas Razorbacks. In fact, the North Carolina native was hardly noticeable, catching just three passes for 137 yards and one touchdown across nine games in two seasons.
James, a former three-star recruit according to 247Sports, clearly wasn’t happy about that fact. So after the 2024 college football season ended, he hopped in the transfer portal and found his way to the Cal Golden Bears.
Now, whether or not James succeeds at Cal remains to be seen. The ACC is widely regarded as an easier conference to play in than the SEC. But one thing is certain: James looks like an entirely different person since heading to Berkeley.
Former Arkansas WR just 6 months after transferring from Arkansas to Cal pic.twitter.com/N2JhcfQWB7
— Hogballburner (@Hogballburner) July 25, 2025
Dazmin James Got Absolutely Jacked After Leaving Arkansas For Cal
X user @Hogballburner posted a pair of pictures that showed James in January and James now. And the difference is downright startling.
He went from looking like Victor Wembanyama to looking like DK Metcalf in a matter of six months. Sure, sometimes before-and-after pictures can be misleading. But it looks as if James put on close to 20 pounds of muscle in those six months.
Arkansas’ roster listed James at 6-foot-2 and 196 pounds. Cal does not have an updated roster for the summer, but James looks well clear of 210 pounds, if not more.
Getting bigger doesn’t necessarily mean that James will be better in 2025. Many times, guys add too much weight and find that they are not as fluid with their movements. But if he can maintain his speed and quickness, he suddenly becomes a much more dangerous weapon on the outside.
The transformation also led several fans to ask what it is the Arkansas strength and conditioning coaches were doing with James.
Maybe they bear some blame. Maybe James just decided to buckle down and commit to adding weight. But one thing is certain, he looks like a whole new player with Cal.