The Hotline is delighted to provide college football fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Seattle-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on Jan. 9 …
The Sagapolutle Saga
One of the biggest West Coast recruiting stories in recent memory unfolded Sunday, when Cal signed quarterback Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele.
Sagapolutele committed to the Bears in July, and they held onto him all the way through the fall, right up to the start of the early-signing window.
But instead of signing with Cal, he chose Oregon.
Sagapolutele enrolled on December 26th and took part in the Ducks’ Rose Bowl preparations; he was on the sideline for their showdown with Ohio State.
But three days later, he entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. One day after that, he signed with Cal.
It took until the eighth year of Justin Wilcox’s time in Berkeley to land his biggest recruit — and Cal’s biggest recruit since quarterback Jared Goff signed with Sonny Dykes.
While the Bears have struggled to recruit offensive weapons, Sagapolutele’s presence will have significant positive ramifications in both high school recruiting and in the portal.
Prepping for the All-American Bowl
The West Coast will be watching the Navy All-American Bowl on Saturday when it kicks off at 10 a.m. inside the Alamodome in San Antonio (on NBC).
Two West Coast recruits will announce their decisions during the game:
— Clovis (Calif.) athlete McKay Madsen is the highest-rated uncommitted recruit in the West in the 2025 class, and he’ll announce his school of choice during the game.
The four-star prospect, who is also the reigning state champion in the shot put and discus, will pick from Brigham Young, Oregon and UCLA.
Much of the buzz is focused on the Ducks, who want him to play linebacker and will allow him to do both football and track.
But don’t sleep on the Cougars, who are recruiting Madsen to play both running back and linebacker in Travis Hunter, two-way fashion.
With Madsen planning to serve an LDS church mission after graduation and delaying his enrollment until the fall of 2027, BYU is hoping that helps its cause.
— Mukilteo (Wash.) athlete T’Andre Waverly will also announce his commitment during the Navy All-American Bowl.
Waverly will have hats from Notre Dame, Oregon State and Washington on the table.
The Irish hosted him for an official visit in September, while the Beavers did the same in November when they beat Washington State.
Meanwhile, Washington is the hometown school — Mukilteo is 25 miles from Seattle — and signed Waverly’s teammate, Victor Sanchez Hernandez, last month.
Still, the 247Sports Crystal Ball is pointing to Oregon State. And with a new tight ends coach in Will Heck, the Beavers would like to start his regime in Corvallis with a major prize.
New Year, new rules
One thing missing during the December recruiting window was in-home visits. With the early signing period, coaches usually used December to lock in final meetings to secure recruits.
But with the signing period moved up two weeks this year, December was largely used to manage current rosters and either land recruits from the transfer portal or convince players to stay out of the portal.
Now, January is utilized for in-home visits — but for juniors. For the first time ever, juniors can host in-home visits. And schools wasted no time in doing so.
That said, the calendar reverts to a Dead Period from Sunday night through Wednesday to align with the American Football Coaches Association’s annual convention in Charlotte.
But come next Thursday, expect to see more pictures of recruits and coaches, only minus the Christmas trees that had been staples on the in-home festivities.
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