This week ESPN ranked the offseason moves of every Power Four conference football team, and it ranked Cal third-best in the ACC in that category. That high ranking of the coaching changes and gains and losses in the transfer portal suggest success for the Golden Bears, perhaps as soon as the 2026 season. But did ESPN get it right? The ranking of offseason moves involving player acquisitions and departures are more significant that the rankings of incoming freshman classes for two reasons: First, the college-level skills of transfers have been established and are more apparent that the rating of high school prospects, which are educated guesses of their college potential. Second, transfer gains and losses have an immediate impact on a team’s success or failure, while incoming freshmen may take time to develop into contributing players. ESPN considered three factors in its offseason rankings: biggest coaching changes, what went wrong and what went right.…