ACC Analyst Rates Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele No. 1 Returning QB in FBS

Max Browne says he spent 200 to 300 hours this summer evaluating the top returning quarterbacks in college football.

The best of them plays at Cal, he said.

“This one might surprise you,” he told viewers on his recent YouTube podcast, “but it will not surprise people in the NFL scouting world. It will not surprise people that have been chatting with college defensive coordinators and the true ball knowers who are in the weeks because Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is the best quarterback returning to college football.”

Browne may be familiar to Cal fans as a former USC quarterback. These days, he serves as analyst alongside play-by-play man Wes Durham calling the ACC Network’s prime-time football games.

He narrowed his list to the top 25 quarterbacks, then unveiled his top-10. His rankings are not intended to reflect the best NFL prospects or the best quarterback on the best team.

“I’ve got some contrarian takes,” he said. “It’s not just hot take to have a hot take, but I see the quarterback landscape for a few of these guys much different than my peers in the industry.

“This list is if we rolled the ball out right now and everyone had the same offensive coordinator, the same offensive line and skill players around them. All the factors are equal. Who would you want leading your team in the 2026 college football season?”

A lot of names you’d expect are high on the his: Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss is No. 2, Oregon’s Dante Moore is No. 3, Arch Manning of Texas checks in at No. 4 and Miami’s Darian Mensah is No. 5. Notre Dame’s CJ Carr does not make the cut for the top-10.

The Bears won’t face any of Browne’s top 10, but will see three of the top 25 over the final five weeks of the regular season: No. 11 Kevin Jennings of SMU on Oct. 24 in Dallas, No. 16 CJ Bailey of N C State on October. 31 in Raleigh, NC, and No. 21 Mason Heintschel of Pitt on Nov. 28 at Berkeley.

JKS tops them all, according to Browne, who wartched him in person three times last season.

Browne said Sagapolutele assembled the best freshman performance he’s seen since Caleb Williams, who played his debut college season at Oklahoma in 2021 before following coach Lincoln Riley to USC.

“Keep in mind this is a Cal offense that has had struggles at the quarterback position pretty much ever since Davis Webb left the Cal Bears (after 2016),” he said, while also giving some love to Chase Garbers, who threw 50 touchdowns over four seasons through 2021.

JKS’s performance last season — 3,454 yards, 18 touchdowns and at least 200 passing yards in each game — came despite obvious shortcomings elsewhere in the offense.

“Usually, if you have a terrible offensive line and no run game, there’s no shot that you’re going to have an explosive passing game because defenses are just sitting with two high safeties all day,” Browne said. “That’s what they tried to do against Cal last year and JKS was still explosive.

“This dude is elite in all three main categories that you need: arm strength, accuracy and throwing with anticipation. His mobility, he’s not a dual threat guy but he’s got plenty enough mobility to navigate in the pocket. People rave about his leadership.”

Bottom line: Browne said JKS checks all the boxes.

“If he was wearing a Notre Dame uniform or an Ohio State uniform, we would be talking about him like he’s the best quarterback in the country,” Browne said.

“As long as this kid keeps his head on straight and stays healthy. this dude is an absolute baller.”

Max Browne’s Top-10 Returning Quarterbacks

1. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Cal

2. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

3. Dante Moore, Oregon

4. Arch Manning, Texas

5. Darian Mensah, Miami

6. John Mateer, Oklahoma

7. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA

8. Jayden Maiava, USC

9. Sam Leavitt, LSU

10. Josh Hoover, Indiana

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