At first glance, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele’s spot in On SI’s quarterback rankings might look like a slight to Cal. Look a little closer, though, and the No. 16 ranking for the Bears sophomore is actually a strong nod to what he brings to the table.
That’s because quarterback rankings usually track team expectations as much as individual talent. The top six passers on the On SI list all belong to teams projected to chase a national championship, while quarterbacks from No. 7 through No. 15 are tied to programs viewed as conference-title or playoff-level threats.
Sagapolutele sits just outside that group, and that makes his placement stand out even more. Cal was picked to finish 12th in the 17-team ACC in Tuesday’s conference media poll, so seeing its quarterback land in the top 20 suggests real respect for his ability, even if the Bears aren’t expected to be near the league’s top tier.
ACC Network football analyst Max Browne made that case bluntly:
Here we go again with these QB rankings. Every defensive coordinator in college football would rather face Julian Sayin (No. 2) or CJ Carr (No. 3) than JKS (No.
16). But Cal's just not OSU or ND, I know I know. https://t.co/68Z7n5xJRP
Sagapolutele’s standing is even more notable within the ACC. He is the conference’s second-highest ranked starting quarterback, trailing only Miami’s Darian Mensah, who checks in at No. 5 overall.
Cal also figures to have the higher-ranked quarterback in every game it plays this season. The Bears do not face Miami, and their three nonconference matchups come against UCLA on September 5, UNLV on October 3 and Wagner on September 19.
UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava is ranked No. 26.
UNLV has not yet settled on a starter between Jackson Arnold and Alex Orji. Wagner’s Jack Stevens is expected to be the FCS team’s starter after throwing eight interceptions and two touchdown passes in 2025.
The Athletic is even higher on Sagapolutele, placing him No. 14 among all 138 FBS starting quarterbacks. Other preseason college football outlets, however, have him ranked much lower.
In Other News...
Cal Fans Are About To Notice Familiar Bay Area QBs All Over The ACC
The first training camps under Tavita Pritchard at Stanford and Tosh Lupoi at Cal are already giving the Bay Area a familiar feel at quarterback, even as both programs settle into new eras. Cal enters camp with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele already established as its starter, while Stanford is leaning toward transfer Davis Warren, who missed last season because of injury before arriving from Michigan.
And the ripple effect does not stop there, because the ACC is suddenly full of quarterbacks with Bay Area ties or Bay Area familiarity. Duke, Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech, SMU and NC State all have notable situations unfolding at the position, which means Cal fans are likely to keep seeing names they know pop up well beyond Berkeley as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Just Got Another Harsh Reminder Of Where It Stands In The ACC
The preseason All-ACC football team offered a blunt snapshot of where Cal stands in its new league hierarchy. When the conference team was announced Wednesday, no Golden Bear made the list, leaving Cal among six ACC programs without a single representative while Miami led the way with eight selections and players from 11 of the 17 schools were honored.
It is another reminder that the Bears are still trying to prove themselves against a conference that has not exactly handed them much respect in the preseason. Miami quarterback Darian Mensah was voted preseason ACC player of the year, and Cal was already picked to finish 12th in the media poll, so the Bears head into the fall with little outside belief and plenty to play for. [Read more 🡒]