Ron Rivera Gives Straightforward Take on Cal Keeping QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele
The Cal Golden Bears have found their quarterback of the future in true freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who’s quickly become one of the breakout stars of college football. The real challenge for Cal in today’s NIL and Transfer Portal-driven landscape is figuring out how to keep him long-term.
However, Cal general manager Ron Rivera isn’t sweating it. When recently asked about the plan to retain Sagapolutele beyond this season, Rivera kept it simple and direct.
“At the appropriate moment,” Rivera said. “We’ll get it ready to go… I’m confident. I really am.”
While other schools often struggle to hold on to top talent, Rivera made it clear that he believes Cal has what it takes to keep Sagapolutele. “This is the University of California,” he added, signaling his confidence in the program’s ability to compete.
With the rise of NIL deals and the freedom offered by the Transfer Portal, athletes now have more opportunities—and more incentives—to move between schools. That’s created a tough environment, especially for programs without deep financial resources. The pressure is only increasing with the House settlement paving the way for revenue sharing with student-athletes.
Cal knows that pain firsthand. Less than a year ago, the Bears lost nearly their entire running back corps to the portal, with Jaydn Ott headlining a group that also included Kadarius Calloway, Byron Cardwell Jr., and Justin Williams-Thomas. That exodus raised concerns about whether the program can hold on to rising stars like Sagapolutele.
A former four-star recruit in the 2025 class, Sagapolutele was ranked 47th nationally and was the No. 6 quarterback in the cycle. Originally from Hawaii, he began his college career at Oregon before transferring to Cal—where he’s now made an immediate impact.
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