Freshman QB Propels Cal to Bowl Eligibility Ahead of Schedule

Heading into the 2025 college football season, expectations were low for the California Golden Bears, who were picked to finish 15th out of 17 teams in the ACC preseason poll. However, the team has defied those predictions and now stands at 5-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

A key factor in Cal's impressive start has been the play of freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, a top-100 recruit in the 2025 class. Sagapolutele has thrown for 1,696 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, helping the Golden Bears overcome the loss of former starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is now at Indiana and a Heisman Trophy front-runner.

This Friday, October 24th, Cal will have the opportunity to clinch bowl eligibility when they travel to take on Virginia Tech (2-5, 1-2) at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. The Hokies have weathered a difficult 2025 campaign, leading to the firing of head coach Brent Pry last month. Since then, Virginia Tech has gone 2-2 under interim coach Philip Montgomery, with wins against North Carolina State and FCS Wofford, and losses to Wake Forest and Georgia Tech.

Despite their struggles, the Hokies will be favored at home against the upstart Golden Bears. However, if Cal can pull off the upset, they will secure a bowl berth a full week before Halloween, an impressive feat given their low preseason expectations.