Cal Sports Report

Quarterback Jaron Keawe Sagapulotele Commits to Cal

QB Sagapolutele was impressive in the Elite 11 Finals, and he plans to come to Cal in the class of 2025

Jake Curtis

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele /
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Cal picked up a player who could have a significant impact on the Bears’ football program when Hawaiian quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele announced his commitment to Cal for the class of 2025 on Monday.

Sagapolutele is rated as a three-star prospect, but his status rose considerably when he wowed coaches and scouts in the recent Elite 11 Finals quarterback camp. He went from a virtually unknown quarterback to a standout at the Elite 11 Finals, impressing onlookers with his skills.

He ultimately chose Cal over Oregon State, Boise State and Utah State, but he recently picked up offers from Washington, SMU, Washington State and Colorado.

Sagapolutele made his commitment announcement on a live video Monday afternoon:

"For the next three or four years I'll be committing to the University of Cal-Berkeley. Go Bears."

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound, left-handed Sagapolutele attends James Campbell High School in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Last fall, as a junior, Sagapolutele threw for 3,757 yards and 37 touchdowns to lead the Sabers to a 9-4 record and No. 4 ranking in Hawaii’s open division.

He explained why he chose Cal:

"I would just say it's everything, they checked a lot of boxes for sure. The coaching staff is great -- Coach [Justin] Wilcox, Coach [Mike] Bloesch [offensive coordinator}, Coach [Sterlin] Gilbert, [quarterbacks coach]. When I finally first got that offer, they were hard on me, they just continued to recruit me.

"And, of course, their offense is great. It's a place I know I'm going to develop, a place I'm going to get ready for the NFL, of course, and I'm going to get a great degree."

Sagapoluatele did not get an offer from Cal until he participated in the Cal camp on June 2. He called that experience "surreal."

"When I took my official visit, they made me feel like I was home," he said. "They didn't try to sell me anything they weren't; they just showed me who they were."

He has already thrown more than 800 passes in high school career and will no doubt surpass 1,000 pass attempts this coming season.

The 247 Sports website ranks him as the 27th-best pocket passer in the class, and ESPN ranks him 28th.

Here is a Tik Tok video report on Sagapolutele:

This is what ESPN said about Sagapolutele on June 27:

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Ewa Beach, Hawaii/Campbell High School)

Ranking: Three-star, No. 28 pocket passer

Scouting report: At a moment in the cycle where just about every high-profile passer has found a destination, no uncommitted quarterback has more buzz surrounding him than the 6-2 lefty from Hawaii.

Sagapolutele arrived at last week's Elite 11 Finals as the second-lowest ranked invitee to the nation's premier quarterback event. Across three days, Sagapolutele flashed his arm strength, threw alongside Oregon quarterback and fellow Hawaii native Dillon Gabriel and wowed the coaches and scouts on hand with the surprise breakout performance of the week.

A steady, year-to-year improver, Sagapolutele threw for 3,757 yards and 37 touchdowns in his junior season last fall. With a big arm and under-the-radar athleticism, Sagapolutele already had the attention of several West Coast programs who see him as a future starter, and he's already drawing additional interest after his head-turning effort at the Elite 11.

Recruitment: Sagapolutele went straight from the Elite 11 to an official trip to Cal over the weekend. Sagapolutele told ESPN that he "enjoyed every part" of his visit with the Golden Bears, and Cal now joins Oregon State, Boise State and Utah State among the leaders for his commitment.

Sagapolutele visited Trent Bray and his first-year staff at Oregon State earlier this month. The three-star quarterback noted a particular connection with Beavers offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson, pointing to the program's pro-style offense as an ideal system for his development.

"It's a place where I'm their guy -- they're waiting on my decision," Sagapolutele said. "It just feels like a great place where I'd want to be."

At Boise State, where Sagapolutele visited on the second weekend in June, there's a connection with first-year coach Spencer Danielson and a potential path to playing time.

"They were real," Sagapolutele said. "They really showed us who they truly were. [Danielson] is really spiritual. He's a Christian and that kind of spoke to me, as well."

Sagapolutele's first visit of the spring was to Utah State in late May.

The latest: Oregon State leads the race for Sagapolutele's commitment, but Boise State and Cal have each left a strong impression and his commitment would represent a major recruiting victory for either school.

New interest has followed Sagapolutele's Elite 11 showing with SMU among the newcomers to enter the picture with an offer this week as the Mustangs seek to land quarterback after top dual-threat prospect Keelon Russell flipped to Alabama earlier this month.

Sagapolutele has not set a commitment date but could announce a decision in July.

"I'm looking for a place where I can play and a place that will get me ready for the NFL and the next level because that's the goal," Sagapolutele said. "But I want to be somewhere that won't just develop me as a football player but as a person outside of football."

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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