Cal QB `Pretty Sure' He's Coming Back; Ron Rivera `Very Confident'

Freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele stopped short of making a definitive promise to return next season, but Cal football general manager Ron Rivera said he is “very confident” the Bears will retain their 19-year-old star.

Sagapolutele, who is sure to be a player in demand in the offseason transfer portal, said his attention right now is not on his 2026 plans. He's more concerned with rival Stanford and the 128th Big Game.

“My main focus is winning this game on Saturday, but I’m pretty sure, yeah,” he said of potentially coming back for his sophomore season.

Pressed on whether he is committed to being in Berkeley next year, Sagapolutele said, “Uh . . . yeah, I mean, yeah.”

Sagapolutele and the Bears will face the Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Kickoff is 4:30 p.m.

Rivera, whose job as football GM includes player retention, said alumni support toward that end has been strong.

“We’ve been very fortunate. We’ve had some very good alumni engagement,” Rivera said. “These are people that are stepping up and wanting to make the commitment to the university.

"This isn’t just about football, it’s about the university. Players like Jaron, great players that you have, help elevate the profile of the university. Sports is quickly becoming the front porch to a lot of these college experiences for students.

“What we’re trying to do is create a culture and atmosphere of sustaining winning. So this game’s very pivotal for us. It speaks a lot to where we can go going forward. If we can win this football game and get ready next week and pull one off there, it elevates our opportunity to go to a super high-quality bowl.”

The Bears (6-4, 3-3 ACC) already have earned bowl eligibility.

Sagapolutele is not thinking that far ahead. “I’m just ready to take in the (Big Game) experience.”

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele behind the wheel of his new truck | Livermore Toyota

He already has reaped benefits available to college athletes in this era where universities can pay players. He made a TV commercial for an East Bay Toyota dealership during which he accepts the keys to a new Tundra pickup truck.

Asked about his performance in the ad, Sagapolutele joked, “I won’t be expecting the Oscar pretty soon. I think I’ll just keep the truck in the parking lot.”

Sagapolutele actually got his first taste of the Big Game rivalry a year ago when he visited Cal from his family’s home in Hawaii and took in the game at Memorial Stadium. He spent time on the sidelines with former Golden Bears stars Aaron Rodgers and Marshawn Lynch.

“I’d say it’s a full-circle moment,” he said. “Being able to watch it last year and seeing the impact it had on not just the football team but the fans in general, it was really a blessing to be able to watch that.”

Cal beat Stanford 25-21 to secure its fourth straight Big Game victory. “Our plan is to keep the Axe,” Sagapoutele said, referring to the trophy that goes to the winning team in the ancient Bay Area rivalry.

Sagapolutele said he feels like his game has progressed this season, and thanked his coaches and teammates for aiding in the process.

Coach Justin Wilcox said the Bears have been pleased with Sagapolutele’s freshman performance.

“He’s a special person, first and foremost, then he’s obviously an extremely talented young man,” he said. “For a 19-year-old kid to start and play the whole season and go through things for the first time, I think he’s handled it exceptionally well.”

Rivera agrees and says in the video above that Sagapolutele has lived up to expectations “and in some cases gone beyond.”

Senior wide receiver Trond Grizzell said he got his first sense of how good Sagapolutele might become during his campus visit last fall.

“I’d go back maybe before the Big Game last year to when he came out and threw with us as a high schooler,” Grizzell said. “It was pretty special watching him throw the ball. It was always on the money. I’d go back to the first time I played catch with him.”

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