The Oregon Ducks are wrapping up a historic season with one of college football’s most accomplished quarterbacks, Dillon Gabriel, at the helm. As a sixth-year senior, this will be Gabriel’s final collegiate campaign, and he’ll aim to prove his NFL readiness. With his departure, Oregon must prepare for the future under center. While former five-star recruit Dante Moore is in line as a potential successor, head coach Dan Lanning bolstered the quarterback depth by flipping five-star prospect Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele from the Cal Golden Bears during the early signing period on Wednesday.
Sagapolutele’s recruiting journey has been meteoric. Initially considered a three-star recruit, he ascended into the top 20 of On3’s rankings following an impressive showing at the Elite 11 and a record-breaking senior season, where he became Hawaii’s all-time passing leader, surpassing legends like Gabriel, Tua Tagovailoa, Timmy Chang, and McKenzie Milton. When he committed to Cal in July, his finalists included Oregon State, Utah State, and Boise State.
Now officially part of Oregon’s 2025 class, which ranks No. 3 nationally and No. 1 in the Big Ten per On3, Sagapolutele also saw a significant rise in his NIL valuation. He now ranks No. 23 in On3’s NIL high school rankings, boasting a $603,000 valuation. Alongside Moore, former four-star Austin Novosad, and fellow 2025 signee Akili Smith Jr., the Ducks are well-positioned to find Gabriel’s successor. Gabriel, who recently became the all-time FBS leader in career touchdowns with 182, will lead Oregon into the Big Ten Championship against Penn State on Saturday at 8:00 PM ET on CBS.
