The islands of Hawaii have become a destination not only for vacationing tourists but also for quarterback seekers. Since the turn of the century, Hawaii has produced a surprising number of great signal callers for the college game, and a couple have even enjoyed professional success.
The headliners must be Heisman winner Marcus Mariota (Oregon) and national champion Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama), both still competing at the highest level. However, players such as McKenzie Milton (UCF, FSU), Chevan Cordiero (Hawaii, SJSU), and Taulia Tagovailoa (Alabama, Maryland) were also multi-year college starters for bowl teams. At the moment, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel is one of the most productive college quarterbacks in the game. All hailed from the Aloha state.
The 2025 Class’ QB Sensation
The 2025 recruiting class contains a quarterback who owns more Hawaii prep records than any of the names mentioned earlier. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is now the Hawaiian career leader in passing yards after eclipsing Dillon Gabriel’s 9,848 mark in the regular season. He surpassed Gabriel in fewer games and threw more touchdowns and fewer interceptions.
JKS will now chase down the passing touchdowns record of 127 during the 2024 playoffs. The 6’1 “, 210-pound dynamo led his James Campbell Sabers to an undefeated regular season and has his sights set on a state championship this fall. The Cal commit is shooting up recruit boards with a handful of blue-chip programs, such as Oregon and Georgia, extending offers late.
Trigger warning for Golden Bears fans: you may not want to read the following sentence. Sagapolutele will be taking official visits to those top five programs mentioned. It is not an understatement to say he is one of the hottest names in the 2025 class at the moment.
The Skill Set
Sagapolutele will bring his four years of starting experience and 10,000 career passing yards to some lucky campus next spring. He flashes a live arm, able to challenge defenses anywhere on the field. He boasts a good arm with a maximum ball velocity of 56 mph, but his newfound accuracy has amplified his profile. JKS has always had a decent completion percentage in the 60% range, but as a senior, he’s sitting at 74%, putting him near the top of any list. Additionally, after throwing 25 interceptions over the past two seasons, he has only been picked off twice in 2024.
The Positives
JKS has shown polish and placement with his passes this season, as shown on the stat sheet. He displays poise in the pocket, and the ability to layer passes with touch at all levels. One could nitpick and worry about his throwing motion, which relies heavily on his upper body. JKS could step into the throws more, and sometimes, it even appears he is moving backward while releasing the ball.
On the positive side, he can generate plenty of zip with limited lower body engagement. This also allows for throws when he’s not set in the pocket. However, he should refine the motion and get some additional leverage through his lower body.
The Negatives
One area lacking in his profile before 2024 was his ground game. He was essentially a net zero runner, which makes it difficult to project a lot of NFL success. However, JKS has found his legs as a senior, contributing over 200 yards on the ground. In James Campbell’s pass-happy system, 200 yards are good for about a 27% rushing market share, getting him over the minimum threshold of athleticism to feel good about a fruitful career at the next level.
What’s Next?
What does the 2024 Elite 11 rail-shot champion and top 11 finisher think of all this success? He has been quoted as saying, “The main goal is just to make sure my parents don’t have to pay for college.”
While that sentiment shows he has remained humble throughout the process, JKS has much more to look forward to than a football scholarship. The only player in Hawaii history to average 300 passing yards per game in his career may end up being the most decorated Hawaiian quarterback of all time.
