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Golden Bears Make Huge Decision Over Highly Touted Freshman QB

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nicholas McGee | Last updated Aug 18, 2025 4:37 PM ET

The California Golden Bears are ready to put their faith in Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele for the 2025 season.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel , the Golden Bears have named Sagapolutele as their starting quarterback, the Oregon transfer succeeding Fernando Mendoza after he transferred to the Indiana Hoosiers.

Sagapolutele beat former Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown to the job, the four-star recruit from Ewa Beach, Hawaii handed the keys to the offense of the team to which he initially committed before flipping to the Ducks.

Since returning to Berkeley, Sagapolutele has earned rave reviews, and he will now be tasked with taking Cal to the next level in the ACC after an encouraging 6-7 season in 2024, which saw them lose five games by a one-score margin.

“Jaron, he’s special as a freshman, he really is,” Cal general manager Ron Rivera said of Sagapolutele earlier this month, per Golden Bear Report.

“He throws off platform as well as a lot of people I’ve seen in the NFL. Has the ability to change his arm angles. He can drop his elbow and flick it out there, and at the same time stand tall and bring it over the top. There’s a special ability to him."

Receiver Mark Hamper, a transfer from the Wisconsin Badgers, had even more effusive praise, adding: "He makes plays that 99 percent of people on this earth couldn’t make. And, that’s pretty special."

Sagapolutele has the chance now to vindicate those words. It is crucial for Cal's hopes of taking the next step that he lives up to the billing.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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