For eons in recruiting, the timeline has gone like this: first there’s the offer, then the commitment, then signing day, and afterward you knew that player was probably going to be yours for the next three to five years. Now there’s a new milestone in the journey of every player: the re-commitment. 

And perhaps the most notable re-commitment in the very recent history of the term went down this week, when Cal true freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele reaffirmed his commitment to the Golden Bears beyond this season.

“For sure, this is where I want to be. Obviously, one of my biggest goals is to be three-and-out and go to the NFL, but ultimately it’s just on God’s timeline, whenever God says I’m ready… I just want to stay here at Cal and also get my degree here, because it’s probably the most prestigious degree you can get for public schools,” he said.

When asked in a follow-up if he planned to stay at Cal, JKS responded simply, “Yes.”

The re-commitment is notable for two interconnected reasons: 1) Sagapolutele established a new land speed record for the fastest a player has ever sparked the ever-annoying “So, where’s this guy playing next year??” conversation. In his very first game as a college football player, JKS went 20-of-30 for 234 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in Cal’s 34-15 win over Oregon State. Not only did Sagapolutele play well, he played well in front of a national audience — the game was played in ESPN’s Pac-12 (RIP) After Dark window, meaning everyone in the country who was watching college football in that moment was watching him.

2) Related to that, as a true freshman, JKS could shatter the record for the highest guaranteed salary ever earned by a college football player. It’s well known that quarterback is the most valuable position on the field, and that transfer portal prospects command higher prices than high school recruits due to the fact they’ve already established themselves at the college level. Sagapolutele would be a unicorn in that he’d be a transfer portal quarterback with two or three years still to play. 

Should he so desire, JKS would enter true “name your price” territory for the right, money-rich, QB-poor program with eyes on contending for a national championship. 

The irony here is that Sagapolutele is not, technically, “home grown.” The 65th-ranked overall prospect in the class of 2025 out of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Sagapolutele was actually a part of Oregon’s 5th-ranked class, but transferred to Cal in January. He originally committed to Cal in July of last year, flipped to Oregon in December, and then flipped back a month later. Sagapolutele has been up-and-down this season — as one would expect of a true freshman on a 6-4 team — but he sparkled in the Bears’ upset of No. 15 Louisville last week, hitting 30-of-47 passes for 323 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

After losing Fernando Mendoza to Indiana, Cal can breathe easy knowing it has stability at the most important position in the sport. At least until the next time Sagapolutele is asked to re-commit.Â