Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, an American football quarterback for the California Golden Bears, credits his athletic success to his parents, Tiki and Setema Sagapolutele.
He has Keawe hyphenated in his first name from his great-great-grandmother, Genoa Keawe.
20-year-old Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is the son of Tiki and Setema Sagapolutele. He has always looked up to his brother, John-Keawe Sagapolutele.
He began playing football at the Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaii, and earned a quarterback spot at James Campbell High School.
Saint Louis School was John-Keawe’s dream school, but their parents didn’t want them to compete, so they sent the elder son to Punahou for the education and the opportunity.
Later, Jaron-Keawe enrolled at the University of Oregon in 2024, playing for the Oregon Ducks, but transferred to play at the University of California, Berkeley.
The Sagapolutele brothers weren’t allowed to make girlfriends.
I’m not even allowed to have a girlfriend. My mom said we’re not allowed to have girlfriends because they want us to focus on our goals first.
John-Keawe Sagapolutele
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Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele’s Parents Raised a Division I QB
College football prospect Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele comes from a tight-knit, supportive family rooted in a rich cultural heritage.
Tiki and Setema Sagapolutele are supportive of their children’s athletic careers and are often seen with them at games and signing events. They are proud of their two children.
Class of 2025 @SaberFootballHI ‼️ Thank you lord 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/2Sc5squI2v
— Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele (@JaronKeawe) May 18, 2025
Setema is a flight attendant and instilled strong values of independence in her sons, teaching them cooking and laundry from a young age.
The family’s background is deeply connected to the islands.
Jaron-Keawe hails from Hawai’i, a state renowned for producing elite quarterbacks. He is of Samoan descent, and his heritage also includes legendary Hawaiian roots.
Shout out to my mom and dad. My coach, Keli’i Tilton, and my quarterbacks coach from All-Blacks, Mike Nua. Shout out to my All-Blacks coaches, Frank Lacaden. My uncle Fono Lauti. He coaches me. Shout out to Coach Shawn Borges. He’s the OC.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele
Jaron-Keawe’s great-grandfather was Gary Keawe, the son of the late
Edward Puniwai Aiko and the legendary Hawaiian songstress Genoa Keawe.
The Sagapolutele brothers have Keawe hyphenated in their first name to honor her.
In his personal life, Jaron-Keawe is a devoted individual who openly prioritizes his faith. He has mentioned “God First” in his X account.
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In Case You Didn’t Know
- Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is nicknamed JKS.
- He was rated as a four-star recruit coming out of high school and had offers from schools such as California, Oregon, Georgia, Colorado, and Boise State.
- He passed for 234 yards and three touchdowns and was named ACC Rookie of the Week on August 30, 2025.
