Jaron Sagapolutele, 5-star quarterback, on flip to Ducks: 'I never told Oregon'

Andrew Nemec | Dec 4, 2024

Five-star quarterback Jaron Sagapolutele on a visit to Oregon / Courtesy of Jaron Sagapolutele

The Oregon Ducks are unquestionably one of the winners of the early signing period, having flipped by five-star quarterback Jaron Sagapolutele and five-star cornerback Na'eem Offord.

Committed to Cal since the summer, Sagapolutele took a late visit to Oregon, canceled a visit to Georgia and then returned to Cal before shutting down his recruitment.

So, where would he end up.

Sagapolutele said he didn't even know himself until Tuesday night - and never told the Oregon coaches he intended to flip to them.

"I never told Oregon," he said. "They just ended up finding out when I announced. Lanning called me. They're excited."

The recruiting battle was fierce, and multiple factors were at play.

But Sagapolutele admitted that one major shift played a role.

This week, Cal coach Justin Wilcox announced that there would be a change at offensive coordinator, leaving the future of Mike Bloesch very much in doubt.

Sagapolutele said that announcement was a factor - but not necessarily "the factor" - in his decision to flip.

The dynamic left-handed quarterback is rated as highly as a five-star recruit, the nation's No. 19 overall prospect and No. 4 quarterback in the country by On3.

Here's what 247Sports had to say about him as a prospect:

"Keawe Sagapolutele has clearly established himself as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks this off-season. He has really had a great spring and summer including a recent top 11 finish at the prestigious Elite 11 Finals. You can make an argument he has the strongest arm in the country but doesn’t just throw all fastballs and has really improved in his ability to change speeds and throw with touch. His deep ball accuracy is among the best in the country as well and he can really layer the football in to tight windows. His release is smooth and tight and he has improved in his ability to make quick decisions and get the ball out on time. The next big jump we want to see this fall is improving his mobility, avoiding sacks and being more of a threat running the ball when the pocket breaks down. All the physical tools are there and Keawe Sagapolutele has a very high ceiling and NFL potential if he continues to develop at his current rate."

With its newest additions, Oregon's 20-man recruiting class jumps to No. 2 nationally, but is No. 1 on both 247Sports and On3 in terms of "rating per commit."

Of course, there's still more time to add to the class...

Stay tuned!