Projected $580,000 Highly Touted Freshman QB May Be Named Starter for ACC Program

Projected $580,000 Highly Touted Freshman QB May Be Named Starter for ACC Program originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The California Golden Bears lost quarterback Fernando Mendoza to the Indiana Hoosiers after he caught their eye in Cal's first season in the ACC. However, in response to that setback, the Golden Bears may have unearthed an even more exciting quarterback prospect.

Cal went 6-7 in 2024 and, while the Golden Bears were 2-6 in conference play following their move from the Pac-12, they lost five one-score games, coming up short against the Florida State Seminoles, Miami Hurricanes, Pitt Panthers, NC State Wolfpack and Syracuse Orange.

Their performance spoke to a program on the rise and, after seeing Mendoza move on, the Golden Bears' hopes of taking another step may well rest on the shoulders of a freshman signal-caller.

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Ewa Beach, Hawaii) flipped to Cal from the Oregon Ducks in January. That decision delivered him to Berkeley, having initially committed to the Golden Bears before switching to Oregon.

And the four-star could be on the field for the Golden Bears as their starting quarterback in 2025.

Matt Moreno of Golden Bear Report wrote of Sagapolutele:

"It’s not typical of a freshman to get that opportunity this early in his career. However, Sagapolutele is proving not to be the typical freshman.

"The lefty from Hawaii made it to Berkeley in the winter and went through spring practice with the Bears. He looked to be ahead of schedule at that time, and nothing has changed now into August camp. Sagapolutele continues to compete alongside Devin Brown for the starting quarterback job."

Cal's staff and Sagapolutele's teammates are adding weight to the argument that he could be a special quarterback talent.

"Jaron, he’s special as a freshman, he really is,” Cal general manager Ron Rivera said of Sagapolutele, who has a NIL valuation of $580,000, per On3.

"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, added: "He makes plays that 99 percent of people on this earth couldn’t make. And, that’s pretty special."

Yet it still remains to be seen whether those special plays will be enough to earn him the job over Brown, a transfer from the Ohio State Buckeyes, though it appears a decision as to whether Sagapolutele will be put in the rare position of freshman starter is not far away.

"We’re close, we’re getting there," offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin said. "We gotta get through the first scrimmage, and then we’ll reevaluate.

"There will be a timeline of when we make a decision of what we’re gonna do. And, I understand that’s a big thing. Everybody wants to know who that’s going to be. … We’re not there yet, but we’re getting closer to it."

Related: California Football: 2025 Golden Bears Season Preview and Prediction

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.