Oregon Ducks Transfer Quarterback Earns California Golden Bears Starting Job

Oregon Ducks transfer quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele will be the California Golden Bears starting quarterback when they kick off the 2025 season against the Oregon State Beavers. The true freshman transferred from Oregon to Cal in January.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks transfer Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was named the California Golden Bears starting quarterback. Sagapolutele is a true freshman and was originally an Oregon Ducks after signing and enrolling in the winter. He ended up transferring to California shortly after. 

Former Oregon Ducks Quarterback Gets Cal Starting Job

Nov 16, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox watches his team take on the Syracuse Orange during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

True freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele will be starting at quarterback for the California Golden Bears when they take on the Oregon State Beavers in Week One on Saturday, Aug. 30 per On3. 

NEWS: Cal has named true freshman Oregon transfer Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele QB1 over former Ohio State signal-caller Devin Brown, @PeteNakos_ reports🐻https://t.co/L50TuUyT9B pic.twitter.com/vef7Zbl4mn

— On3 (@On3sports) August 18, 2025

Sagapolutele got the starting nod over Ohio State Buckeyes transfer Devin Brown. 2025 is a huge season for Coach Justin Wilcox and his Golden Bears. Wilcox, a former Oregon Ducks defensive back from 1996-1999, is entering his ninth season at the helm for Cal.

The Bears have been stuck in the five to seven win range for nearly all of Wilcox's tenure. He has an overall record in Berkeley of 42-50.

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Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele Player Profile 

Oregon inside linebackers coach Will Stein leads practice as the Oregon Ducks hit the practice field ahead of Michigan State Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is a 6-3, 225 pound quarterback out of Ewa Beach, Hawaii. He rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 5 quarterback in the class of 2025 per 247Sports. Sagapolutele was evaluated by national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins in July of 2024. 

“You can make an argument he has the strongest arm in the counter but doesn’t just throw all fastballs and has really improved in his ability to change speeds and throw with touch,” Biggins said. “His deep ball accuracy is among the bets in the country as well and he can really layer the football in to tight windows.”

Oregon’s 2025 Quarterbacks 

Combat Ducks quarterback Dante Moore throws out a pass as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the departure of Sagapolutele in the transfer portal, Oregon is left with one quarterback in the class of 2025 with Akili Smith Jr. He is now in a quarterback room led by Dante Moore and Austin Novosad. Moore appears to be the front runner to win the starting job for the Ducks but Novosad is right there as well. 

Dante Moore was a five-star recruit in the class of 2023. He played in nine games during his freshman season for the UCLA Bruins before transferring to the Oregon Ducks prior to thew 2024 season. Moore made five appearances, but just threw the ball a handful of times, going 7/8 for 49 yards overall. Moore was the backup quarterback to six-year quarterback Dillon Gabriel. 

Moore now has the opportunity to take over the offense was the starting quarterback for Coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks.

Austin Novosad on the other hand has been with Oregon since singing out of high school in 2023. He was in the 2023 quarterback room led by Bo Nix that season and then with Moore and Gabriel in 2024. He has appeared in six different games during this time, going 11/13 passing for 59 yards.