Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele was set to have a big season at Cal this year. He started as a true freshman and proved that even without Fernando Mendoza, the Bears would be in good hands. Unfortunately, he’s the only good thing with that offense right now. The loss to Wake Forest might be the game that makes him rethink where he plays football next season. This year, he has thrown for 1,290 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. You won’t have to wonder if he’ll hit the transfer portal this year, it’s just a matter of where.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Texas Tech whiffed on Brendan Sorsby after a gambling scandal unraveled his college football career. Will Hammond has been a solid quarterback for them considering he wasn’t really their first choice. That said, I don’t think he’s the quarterback to lead the Red Raiders to a national championship and they probably know that too. That’s why Keawe-Sagapolutele could end up in Lubbock this winter. Cal is in shambles and he probably knows by now, he can collect a pay raise and roster upgrade in the transfer portal.  Keawe-Sagapolutele is really talented and is good enough to play on a better Power 4 team. Cal can’t give him what he needs, but Texas Tech surely can. 

Florida Gators

Aaron Philo isn’t quite moving the needle for the Florida Gators amid their offense stalling out the last few weeks. Though the Gators snagged a win over Texas, I’m sure Jon Sumrall realizes if he wants to bring the Gators back to national contention, he’s going to need a better quarterback room. Florida needs to upgrade their defense as well, but if Keawe-Sagapolutele becomes available, Florida has to be in the mix. They have the weapons Cal dreams of and they have the coach that has proven to turn youngsters into stars (Darian Mensah). Florida can’t get out bid for him and Keawe-Sagapolutele can’t miss out on a coach that can actually develop him. 

Texas Longhorns

Amid all the questions around Arch Manning and how poorly he’s been playing, Steve Sarkisian would be foolish not to dip into the transfer portal this upcoming offseason for a quarterback. Keawe-Sagapolutele would be a solid option because he has been a starter for the last two seasons. He wouldn’t be taking a gamble on a player’s potential, he’d be taking one on a player that can handle the pressure of being a starter. The question is whether Keawe-Sagapolutele is truly an upgrade from Manning. He’s good, but he immediately has the pressure of being flawless. If Manning comes back, he’d have to be ready to go in if things go awry. He could also use the season to learn Sark’s system and be fully prepared to take over in two years. 

UCLA Bruins

Bob Chesney will be without Nico Iamaleava the rest of the season after he tore his ACL against Oregon. He could very well bounce back in 2027, by why take that chance if they don’t have to. Keawe-Sagapolutele wouldn’t have to travel far from Berkley to Los Angeles and it would keep him on the west coast. Not that he’s motivated by staying closer to home, it’s one more appeal for UCLA. This would be the perfect situation for him because he gets with a team that’s proven they can compete in the Big Ten. Not only does he get an upgrade, but he gives UCLA more reason to believe they can be championship contenders. 

Oregon Ducks

Keawe-Sagapolutele was committed to Oregon before he spurned them for Cal. With Dante Moore most likely headed to the NFL after this season and Dylan Raiola playing very inconsistent with the Ducks this season, Dan Lanning might look to upgrade the quarterback room. Keawe-Sagapolutele already committed to Oregon once and he could feel a lot more confident about his starting job if he chose them this time around. He could easily beat out Raiola and he’d have an abundance of explosive weapons to get the ball to.