California football pulled off two massive offseason wins after the 2025 season. The first involved hiring Tosh Lupoi away from Oregon. Number two involved Lupoi delivering this recruiting win: Retaining quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

The five-star passer reportedly fielded NIL offers from other powers amid the coaching change. Sagapolutele faced going down the path of predecessor Fernando Mendoza, who famously left Cal to win both the Heisman Trophy and national title at Indiana.

Yet the former Ducks defensive coordinator and past Cal defensive lineman hopped on a plane and flew to Hawai’i. All to ensure JKS that Cal is still his team.

Lupoi’s flight to Sagapolutele’s house after his coaching hire produced one of the biggest offseason moves during College Football Transfer Portal season. Plus got Lupoi squashing the narrative that Cal is a launching pad for talent who want to thrive elsewhere.

“That was one more great statement,” Lupoi said to Antonio Morales of The Athletic regarding that move.

Lupoi then dropped this defiant truth bomb involving the direction he wants the Golden Bears going in.

“We’re not going to be a feeder school here,” Lupoi said, implying that talent will be there to stay in Berkeley. “We’re going to be a developmental school and start changing things here.”

The past Dan Lanning and Nick Saban assistant now believes the narrative started shifting off Sagapolutele’s decision.

“I think Jaron made a huge statement for us by reaffirming his commitment to Cal Berkeley,” Lupoi said.

Cal even is building around JKS for the 2027 class. The Golden Bears landed a pair of four-star defensive backs including Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth, Ca., safety Myles Baker. Lupoi isn’t ignoring the offense, though, after reeling in four-star 2026 tight end Taimane Purcell from Sagapolutele’s home state.

California football pulled off two massive offseason wins after the 2025 season. The first involved hiring Tosh Lupoi away from Oregon. Number two involved Lupoi delivering this recruiting win: Retaining quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. The five-star passer reportedly fielded NIL offers from other powers amid the coaching change.