- - Cal QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele announces return to Golden Bears

John Leuzzi, USA TODAY December 7, 2025 at 12:02 AM

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Tosh Lupoi has only been on the job at California football for a few days, and the former Golden Bear linebacker has already landed his biggest recruit.

Cal star freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele announced on Saturday, Dec. 6 that he is returning to the Golden Bears for the 2026 season and will play for Lupoi, who was recently hired away from his post as Oregon's defensive coordinator.

"God is Good. Mahalo to #CoachLup for coming to visit me and my family in (Hawaii). I believe in Cal and what this football program is capable of," Sagapolutele wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

God is Good. Mahalo to #CoachLup for coming to visit me and my family in HI. I believe in Cal and what this football program is capable of. #ComeToCal #GoBears #SmartAndTough https://t.co/Rzhb2EtmZh pic.twitter.com/y7nrifBNd4

— Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele (@JaronKeawe) December 6, 2025

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In his first season at Cal, Sagapolutele led the Golden Bears to their first seven-win season in the regular season since 2018. Cal went 7-5 under former head coach Jason Wilcox and interim head coach Nick Rolovich.

Sagapolutele won the starting job at Cal over Ohio State transfer Devin Brown, making the Ewa Beach, Hawaii native the first Cal true freshman quarterback to start the season opener since Jared Goff in 2013. In that first career start against Oregon State, Sagapolutele threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns.

In 12 games this season, Sagapolutele has thrown for 3,117 yards and 17 touchdowns. He threw for a career-high 330 yards and four touchdown passes in Cal's Week 14 upset win over SMU, a win for the Golden Bears that sent five-loss Duke to the ACC championship game against Virginia.

"For sure, I want to stay here, this is where I want to be at," Sagapolutele recently told Hawaii News Now on wanting to stay at Cal compared to entering the portal. "I just want to stay here at Cal and also get my degree here, because it's probably the most prestigious degree you can get for public schools."

Cal is set to finish the 2025 season on Wednesday, Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. ET in the Hawaii Bowl against Hawaii.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cal QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele announces return to Golden Bears

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