California football fans will get to experience a rare sight — a freshman starting quarterback — when the Golden Bears make their 2025 home debut against Texas Southern in a nonconference game Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif.

Making the first season-opening start for a Cal freshman quarterback since Jared Goff in 2013, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele passed for 234 yards and three touchdowns when Cal opened its campaign with a 34-15 win at Oregon State last Saturday.

The Hawaii-born left-hander, originally an Oregon commit, went 20-for-30 passing in what some services labeled the most impressive start of any freshman quarterback in the country on opening day. That’s lofty praise in that several bowl-projected teams, including Michigan, BYU and Maryland, also started freshmen quarterbacks.

See Full Page