Jackson Brousseau’s first start for California came with all the trimmings: a late comeback, a winning drive and a personal crowd member in the stands who knew exactly how much work went into it.
Brousseau went 29 of 43 for 321 yards, threw one touchdown and did not turn the ball over in last Saturday’s 25-20 win over visiting Virginia Tech. He helped finish it, too, steering a six-play, 75-yard march in the final 1:15 that ended with Ashten Emory’s 2-yard touchdown run and 18 seconds left on the clock.
Among the 40,170 people at California Memorial Stadium was Brousseau’s wife, Jordyn, who had a front-row seat to the latest step in his rise. Speaking during a joint interview Wednesday afternoon, she said, "I do get really excited" watching him play. "I know the amount of time he puts in and … just how he hard he works, so every time he's out there, I'm so proud of him."
The two both grew up in Utah, and their relationship traces back to high school, when they started dating during her senior year at Maple Mountain High and his junior year at Lehi High. Jordyn, who played soccer at Utah Tech for three seasons including a redshirt year in 2022, stayed with Jackson through the years she was at Utah Tech and later when he went to Colorado State. She graduated early, joined him in Fort Collins, and the couple got married in Utah in July 2025.
Asked why they decided to get married when they did, Jordyn pointed to the distance they’d already handled. "Three years is a long time to do long distance with somebody, so I feel like we knew that we wanted to be married after that and we just wanted to be together."
Jackson put it even more directly: "Being apart, it confirmed what we really wanted. There was just no point to waiting."
Jordyn’s own college-athlete background gives her a clear read on the daily grind. She said, "I definitely understand all the ins and outs of it, the highs and lows, for sure," and added, "How quickly it can change."
That understanding, Jackson said, helps him keep football in its place. "She understands how important it is, that time away from the sport, and how crucial that is for you as an athlete," he said.
"You need time away. And so, I think she knows when it's time away from football, it's got to be no football.
It's just us."
The football connection runs deeper than that. Jordyn’s father, Clay Denton, played at Southern Utah and has coached high school football for years, including at Lehi and Maple Mountain, though he did not coach Jackson. Her brother, Jaxson, also played football at Maple Mountain and in college.
"I basically grew up on the football field," Jordyn said.
Jackson fired back with a grin: "She knows when I'm screwing up."
The natural debate in a household like that is obvious: who’s the better athlete? Jackson said Jordyn wins the competitiveness battle.
"She is a lot more competitive than me. When we play little games like pickleball or basketball, she gets after me because she's more competitive."
Jordyn’s own self-assessment was a little different. "I'm a little bit more expressive of my emotions than Jackson is."
On the field, Brousseau has looked composed since stepping in for Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele late in the first half of Cal’s 39-31 loss at UNLV on Oct. 3, after Sagapolutele left with a concussion. In six-plus quarters, Brousseau has completed 48 of 75 passes, a 64% clip, for 521 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
He said his calm comes from knowing he’s put the work in. "I feel calm.
I feel ready to go because I know (how) I've prepared," Brousseau said. "I know what's going to happen.
I know what the play caller's thinking. I know what the defense is going to do."
Jordyn said that same steadiness shows up everywhere. "He's just calm, patient," she said, adding that how "he is on the field is how he is at home."
Before landing at Cal, Brousseau spent last season as a redshirt sophomore at Colorado State, where he completed 63.7% of his passes for 1,354 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. He entered the transfer portal and chose Berkeley even though Sagapolutele was coming back after his standout freshman season.
Two things stood out to him about Cal. One was Nick Rolovich. "Coach Rolovich was completely honest with me with everything that was happening," Brousseau said, "and that's rare."
The other was the chance to earn a degree from what he called the nation’s No. 1 public institution. He expects to graduate in the spring with a B.A. in American Studies, and he already had an internship in commercial real estate last summer. Another one could be on the table next summer.
For now, he and Sagapolutele are pushing each other. On Thursday, Sagapolutele was listed as questionable for Saturday night’s game against visiting Wake Forest.
"I think we've both grown so much as players and as people," Brousseau said. "It's really special to be around a kid like that every single day. I've learned more about being a good person than I have (about being) a football player from him because he's so awesome to be around."
At home, though, it sounds like the real competition is a little more personal. Jordyn works in digital marketing for a property-management company and plans to become a nail technician. She already has her license, but she’s waiting to commit to that full time until Jackson’s playing career is over.
And yes, there’s one tiny source of friction. When asked whether either spouse gets on the other’s nerves, the room went quiet for about 30 seconds before Jackson finally answered.
"Oh, I've got one. I figured it out," he said.
"She's very, very protective of our dog, and I think he'll be OK. He's a dog."
That dog is a Bernese Mountain dog named Maui. The three of them live in an East Bay condo, and both Jackson and Jordyn describe themselves as outdoorsy. They’re hoping to make time for the redwoods, Alcatraz and Yosemite when they can.
In Other News...
Cals QB Outlook Just Shifted At A Crucial Time
Cal got a significant boost under center heading into Saturdays home game against No. 21 Wake Forest, with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolotele upgraded from questionable to probable. The quarterbacks status suggests he is likely to return after missing last week with a concussion, a timely shift for a Bears offense that needed clarity at the position as it prepares for a ranked opponent.
The rest of the availability report brought a mixed bag for Cal. Running back Adam Mohammed was downgraded to doubtful, while safety Kingston Lopa moved up to probable, giving the Bears a better look on defense even as the backfield remains unsettled. Wake Forest also got encouraging news of its own, with wide receiver Carlos Hernandez and defensive end Langston Hardy upgraded to probable. [Read more 🡒]
Cal May Have Found A Clutch Scorer As Offense Still Looks Shaky
Cals preseason tune-up against Loyola Marymount did little to hide the bigger offensive questions, but it did offer a glimpse of a player who might thrive when the game tightens late. Nojus Indruaitis delivered the decisive bucket in the closing moments of a 60-59 win, giving the Bears a needed bright spot in a game that was ugly in stretches but still ended with a confidence-building finish.
Mark Madsen pointed to Indruaitis and others who helped Cal hang around despite the rough shooting night, which is the part that matters most this early in November. The Bears still have another exhibition left before the regular season begins, and for a team searching for more reliable scoring, the final seconds provided at least one encouraging answer while the broader offensive picture remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Brings A Major Depth Question Into Berkeley
Wake Forest is heading into Berkeley with its injury report carrying plenty of weight, and California has reason to keep an eye on it. The Demon Deacons have six players listed as out, leaving their depth thinner than usual in spots that matter most, especially up front where line rotations can shape both protection and the run game. For a Cal defense that will be watching how the visitors handle pressure, the availability of the players listed as probable could end up being part of the early-game story.
Among the names to watch are wide receiver Carlos Hernandez and defensive lineman Langston Hardy, both listed as probable heading into the matchup. Wake Forest will need to sort through personnel issues on both sides of the ball, and that makes the health of those key contributors even more important as the week unfolds. If the Deacons can patch together their offensive and defensive fronts, theyll give themselves a chance to keep the game manageable, but the margin for error is already looking slim. [Read more 🡒]