Five-Star QB Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele Flips Back to Cal

@ Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Exemplifying the volatile, unsettled dynamics ushered into college football by the Transfer Portal, five-star recruit, quarterback Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele, who originally committed to Cal (6-7), but flipped to No. 1 Oregon (13-1) on Dec. 4, 2024, flipped back to the Golden Bears just one month later.

Sagapolutele is the crown jewel of the Golden Bears' 2025 recruiting class. Rated by On3 the No. 19 overall prospect and the No. 4 quarterback in the 2025 cycle, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound gunslinger grew up on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu.

Cal's quarterbacks coach Sterlin Gilbert, who is a candidate to be the team's next offensive coordinator, was the primary Golden Bears representative involved in Sagapolutele's original commitment and his re-commitment.

Scouting Report on Sagapolutele

"Sagapolutele has a very high ceiling and NFL potential," according to 247Sports. At the prep level, he has been primarily a pocket passer. "His deep ball accuracy is among the best in the country," and he excels at fitting the ball into tight windows. As a high school sophomore, he completed 73.5 percent of his passes for 3,522 yards and 31 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. In his junior campaign, he threw for 3,757 yards and 37 TDs. He also plays basketball and is a star in track and field, competing in shot put and discus events.

Sagapolutele's football pedigree is impressive. His uncle, Pio Sagapolutele, played seven seasons in the NFL.

@ Peter Brouillet-Imagn Images

During his brief stint in the Portal, Sagapolutele was the highest-rated QB eligible to transfer.

Golden Bears' 2025 Class

Adding Sagapolutele to the Golden Bears' 2025 recruiting class gives Cal a major boost. He is the highest-rated prospect in the class, and his addition will substantially raise the current No. 57 class ranking. Other promising 2025 prospects signed by Cal include four-star cornerback Jae'on Young, rated by Rivals as the No. 18 CB in the cycle, and four-star safety Aiden Manutai, rated by ESPN as the No. 34 safety in the class. The average disclosed value of the NIL deals of Cal's new batch of recruits, excluding Sagapolutele's undisclosed NIL package, is $32,000.