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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
Three-star passer Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, the No. 1 prospect in Hawaii, committed to Cal on Monday evening as Justin Wilcox and the Golden Bears secured a pledge from the top uncommitted quarterback in the 2025 class.
Sagapolutele, the 6-foot-2 pocket passer from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, picked Cal over Oregon State, Boise State and Utah State following visits to all four schools this spring. His recruitment drew increased attention following a breakout performance at last month’s Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles.
Sagapolutele now heads to Cal as the program’s second-highest-rated prospect in the 2025 class behind only Chatsworth, California cornerback Jae’on Young.
“It was really just at the end of the visit,” Sagapolutele told ESPN. “They had checked off all the boxes. It’s a place I’m going to develop. I know I’m going to succeed there. Outside of football, I know I’m going to get a good degree and that was really important to me as well.”
Sagapolutele has charted a steady progression in his time under center at Campbell High School, where he threw for 3,757 yards and 37 touchdowns as a junior last fall. Those performances garnered offers from the likes of Colorado, Oregon State and Boise State, among others, earlier this year.
Oregon State and Boise State emerged as front-runners for Sagapolutele’s pledge after a pair of early June visits. His eye-catching showing at the Elite Finals prompted an offer from SMU and interest from USC and Oregon, but it was a visit to Cal directly after the quarterback showcase that sealed Sagapolutele’s decision in the final weeks of a tight recruitment. He says his relationship with passing coordinator and quarterbacks coach Sterlin Gilbert proved a difference-maker.
“I know I’m going to be developed very well over there with coach Gilbert,” Sagapolutele said. “It’s just a great environment. We’re going to win football games over there. We’re going to play great competition as well. And the offense is great.”
With Sagapolutele gone, only five of the 89 quarterbacks across ESPN’s pocket passer and dual-threat quarterback rankings for the 2025 class remain uncommitted.
