Cal QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele on Maxwell Award Watch List

Cal sophomore quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is one of 81 players across the country who was named to the Maxwell Award watch list on Monday.

The Maxwell Award, presented by the Maxwell Football Club, is awarded after the season to the top college football player in the nation and is often an indication of which player will win the Heisman Trophy.

Sagapolutele is one of 11 ACC players on the Maxwell Award watch list, which includes Duke running back Nate Sheppard, Louisville running back Isaac Brown, Florida State wide receiver Duce Robinson, Georgia Tech running back Justice Haynes, Miami quarterback Darian Mensah, Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney, Miami running back Mark Fletcher, North Carolina State quarterback CJ Bailey, Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel and SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings.

Cal is scheduled to face only three of those players this season -- Bailey, Heintschel and Jennings.

Sagapolutele was the second true freshman ever to start a season opener for Cal, joining Jared Goff. Sagapolutele finished the 2025 season with 3,454 passing yards and 18 passing touchdown passes, both of which are the second most by a Cal freshman, behind only Goff’s marks in 2013.

Sagapolutele and the Bears begin preseason practice this week and will play their 2026 opener in a night game against UCLA on September 5 in Berkeley.

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