Cal’s quarterback room enters the season with a clear hierarchy and a lot of confidence wrapped around it.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is the center of everything. After throwing for 3,454 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a freshman, he heads into his sophomore year with the job secured, more help around him and a better setup than he had a year ago.
Last season, he was a 19-year-old adjusting to life on the mainland while trying to make throws from crowded pockets and working with limited support. Now, he’s back in a system run by pro-style offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville, with a deeper group of targets and, ideally, a stronger offensive line in front of him.
“I'm just excited to put it all together,” Sagapolutele told Bear Insider. “I'm excited for UCLA. I'm excited for every game we're going to play.”
The buzz around him is obvious. Cal has the quarterback it wants, and that shapes everything else about the room.
Behind Sagapolutele, the battle for QB2 includes three names: Jackson Brousseau, EJ Caminong and Dominic Ingrassia.
Brousseau may have the inside track because of his experience. He spent three seasons at Colorado State and got meaningful action in 2025, finishing that year with 1,354 passing yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. The staff has praised his leadership and maturity, and that kind of presence matters in a room where the backup spot still has value.
Caminong, a redshirt freshman in his third year at Cal, has already seen game action once in 2025 and had a rough showing in the LA Bowl loss to UNLV in 2024 when his biggest opportunity came. Even so, he has stood out in practice with quick decisions and accuracy, enough to give the defense quality work.
Ingrassia brings a different profile. The Bay Area JUCO product from San Marin High has made progress this offseason and offers athleticism, size and arm strength.
At College of San Mateo in 2024, he passed for 1,590 yards and 13 touchdowns during a title run. He has yet to take a snap under center for Cal in a game, but he remains part of the conversation.
There’s no shortage of buy-in from the group either.
“It’s a huge blessing to be around guys who care a lot,” Brousseau said. “There’s a huge urgency in our room to be great. We want to be the best quarterback room in the country; that’s what we strive for every single day.
The staff has also made sure the competition stays productive. Quarterbacks coach Nick Rolovich said the practice setup has allowed the group to get a lot of work without wasting any of it.
“The way Coach Tosh has set up practice has made this very effective, when you’re talking about a battle like that,” Rolovich said. “The amount of reps a guy gets - including Dom and Jackson and EJ - you get a huge (body) of work to be able to make decisions off of.
“Everyone feels like they’re a part of it. Everyone feels like they have a chance.”
After those four, the room drops to Nainoa Lopes and Alonzo Esparza. Neither is expected to play much, if at all, this season, but both are part of what Cal sees as a connected group. Esparza helped emcee the Golden Buddies Camp for children with and without disabilities this past spring and spent long nights making sure the event was inclusive.
“It was totally rewarding to get to see this happen,” Esparza said. “Made a lot of kids' days and just really, really fun.”
Lopes, meanwhile, keeps Cal’s Hawaiian pipeline going and has impressed with the look of his spiral while learning behind Sagapolutele.
At the top, the picture is easy to read: Sagapolutele is the starter, and everyone else is chasing. But the room also reflects the culture around him - one built on support, competition and a group that seems to enjoy putting in the work together.
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