Home / Sports / Freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele Named Cal's Starting QB
Freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele Named Cal's Starting QB
18 Aug
Summary
- Freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele beats out Ohio State transfer for Cal's starting QB job
- Sagapolutele is the most heralded QB recruit for Cal since Jared Goff in 2013
- Bears haven't had a winning season since 2019, coach says Sagapolutele won't be expected to carry the team alone
In a significant move for the California Golden Bears football program, freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has been named the team's starting quarterback for their season opener against Oregon State on August 30th. Sagapolutele beat out Ohio State transfer Devin Brown for the coveted starting role, impressing the coaching staff with his strong play during fall camp.
"We felt like he earned it," said head coach Justin Wilcox. "We also feel like Devin is a really good football player. I think Devin has the ability to be a winning starter at this level but Jaron earned it."
Sagapolutele, a left-hander from Hawaii, is the most heralded quarterback recruit for the Bears since Jared Goff arrived on campus 12 years ago. Goff went on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft after a standout career at Cal.
The Bears are hoping Sagapolutele can help turn around their fortunes after failing to post a winning record since 2019. However, Wilcox cautioned against placing too much pressure on the young signal-caller, stating that "he'll have enough on his plate" as a first-year starter.
"He doesn't have that luxury of experience. I'm sure he won't be perfect. We're not expecting him to be perfect. We just expect him to be Jaron and get a little better every day."
