Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele is ready to carry the torch.
After seeing Tua Tagovailoa stockpile trophies at Alabama on his way to the NFL and closely studying Dillon Gabriel as he’s accumulated thousands of passing yards, first at UCF and then Oklahoma en route to Oregon, the next star left-handed quarterback from the state of Hawaii aims to follow their lead.
Sagapolutele (pronunced: SANG-ah-poh-lu-tele) is a three-star prospect from Ewa Beach (Hawaii) Campbell and is one of just two uncommitted signal callers with a ticket to the prestigious Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles next month. Although he doesn’t possess any scholarships from schools located east of Denver, Sagapolutele ranks No. 1 among players in the Aloha State for the 2025 class, No. 26 nationally among quarterbacks, per 247Sports, and heads into the premier summer event brimming with confidence.
“Coming from Hawaii, we don’t often get these opportunities to be among a selected few,” Sagapolutele said. “The Elite 11 Finals is a huge platform. This is everything and I really want to prove that I am one of the top guys. I believe I am and hopefully I’m able to show the amount of work I have put in.”
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There is a reason Sagapolutele’s self belief is high — the 6-foot-3, 205-pound gunslinger has passed for more than 7,200 yards and 68 touchdowns dating back to the start of his sophomore year. If those numbers suggest that the sport has been easy for Sagapolutele, consider that his preparation for Friday nights began when coaches allowed him to throw against high schoolers as a fifth grader.
Even when his older brother, John, was making noise as a freshman starter on varsity for renowned Punahou School on his way to signing with the hometown Rainbow Warriors, there was already significant buzz around Jaron and how the promising lefty had something special to his game.
“Hawaii is so small that, growing up, you’re always aware of the guys in front of you and those coming behind you,” said Gabriel, who was Hawaii’s Gatorade player of the year for the 2018 season. “Looking at it now Jaron has everything you want. From a physical standpoint he’s taller than me and Tua, and he can sling it just as good. You look at the person and you’re getting a genuine, authentic kid from the islands who is all about family. Who wouldn’t want a guy like that in their program?”
Campbell head coach Darren Johnson argues that his star player would have a larger national profile and more suitors if he played his high school ball on the mainland. It’s an obstacle that many others have faced, including Gabriel, who didn’t see his stock skyrocket until close to signing day when the likes of Georgia and USC all made a late charge.
“It’s a big enough accomplishment just to get other people to recognize him all the way out here,” Johnson said. “We know he can play, but college coaches just have to see him. He is going to have more offers. We know that will happen because he will turn heads.”
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Tagovailoa, a former five-star who collected a boatload of blue-blood offers, also had to seize his initial opportunity when recruiters flocked to Honolulu to see him throw.
“During our process, recruiting was more word of mouth and schools didn’t travel to the islands much,” said Tagovailoa’s father, Galu. “We had the Rich Miano camp at the University of Hawaii and a lot of big schools came out, but one of the reasons why Tua got noticed was because Marcus Mariota was doing so great in college. Coaches were talking about another kid from the same high school where Marcus came from who might be just as good or even better than Marcus. That’s kind of how things got going. Recruiting is a different game now, but Jaron has special qualities, too. I watched him throw last year and the ball just pops out of his hand.”
Tagovailoa claimed MVP honors at the Elite 11 Finals in 2016. Johnson said he hopes the same stage can shine a spotlight on Sagapolutele’s abilities ahead of what should be a pivotal point in his recruitment. Only Utah State (May 31), Oregon State (June 7) and Boise State (June 13) have so far locked in Sagapolutele for official visits. Colorado has also offered, while Oregon and USC are two teams with quarterback commitments in the 2025 class which expressed interest in recent weeks.
The momentum continued to simmer this spring. Earlier this month Sagapolutele made the trek to Las Vegas where he was named Alpha Dog at the Elite 11 Regional. His performance there eventually earned him a spot in the Finals.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound gunslinger has passed for more than 7,200 yards and 68 touchdowns dating back to his sophomore year.
“It’s just natural arm talent with Jaron,” said Campbell offensive coordinator Leon Cordeiro, the father of former UH and San Jose State quarterback, and recent Seattle Seahawks free-agent signing, Chevan Cordeiro. “Most East Coast schools don’t come out here and, honestly, Jaron is better than most of the quarterbacks committed to those East Coast schools. Dillon was the same way and he didn’t get many offers until late in the process. Jaron still has a lot to work on – his footwork can get better, scheme wise he can improve on reading defenses – but his arm talent is special. Just wait until they see what he develops into in a few years.”
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Hawaii’s distance from the contiguous United States, of course, is the most deterring obstacle for prospective recruits. Social media and the increased use of video have erased some hurdles, but it’s still difficult for a college coach to offer a player without getting an in-person look. And unless a prospect flies across the Pacific for events college coaches will attend, there might be only one chance per year to make that lasting impression.
“Manti Te’o, DeForest Buckner and Marcus Mariota kind of started it for us in Hawaii and helped a bunch of other guys get looks,” Gabriel said. “In the past 10 years we have really seen it grow. Colleges aren’t only going to the islands for defensive linemen, offensive linemen and linebackers anymore. It’s also about the skill positions, so the quarterbacks can definitely make an impact on drawing exposure.”
Gabriel will serve as a college counselor at the Elite 11 Finals and looks forward to interacting with the competitors. He realizes the influence he could have on the future of the position, even if that means his name eventually gets wiped from some record books.
“Jaron is probably going to break all my high school stats,” Gabriel said with a laugh. “Watching Tua do what he did gave me the juice that I could do it, too. I beat Tua’s records and Jaron is the next guy up. I still watch Hawaii football on Fridays and the important part for me is to be able to inspire Jaron and others like Kini McMillan at Mililani, just like Marcus inspired me, just like I was able to learn from McKenzie Milton both in high school and in college. That’s all I want to be for the younger guys.”
And so, in less than three weeks, an inspired Sagapolutele will walk through the terminal at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport to board his flight to LAX with one sole motivation.
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“I’ll be locked in,” Sagapolutele said, “with the mindset on winning the whole thing, to show that Hawaii can compete with the mainland, just like others have before me.”
MORE: Latest on the status of 2025’s top quarterbacks as summer visits heat up
Honolulu police opened a murder investigation today after finding the body of a 60-year-old woman while doing a welfare check at a Hawaii Kai home.
Police said officers arrested the victim’s 29-year-old son and a 27-year-old woman who were inside the residence and identified as suspects.
After receiving a 10:25 a.m. welfare check call, HPD officers responded to a home on the 6200 block of Upolo Place and found a woman dead on the floor inside the residence.
“Preliminary investigation revealed the woman sustained fatal injuries,” HPD said.
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The two suspects were arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and the investigation is ongoing, according to police.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A group of nonprofits are asking the public to help support efforts to return Maunawili Valley to community care.
Dean Wilhelm, co-executive director of Ho’okuaaina, Reyna Ramolete Hayashi, aloha aina project manager at Trust for Public Land, and Kaleo Wong, executive director of Kauluakalana, joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about more than a decade of work by Hui Maunawili–Kawainui, a coalition of nonprofits and generational ohana to purchase and protect more than 1,000 acres on windward Oahu to benefit the community.
“Our Hoihoi Maunawili fundraising campaign is four nonprofits working together to raise $500,000 for the future stewardship of the land. The nonprofit partners are Kauluakalana, Ho’okua’aina, Hawaii Land Trust, and Trust for Public Land,” Hayashi said.
Nonprofit leaders say Hoihoi Maunawili is working with the current landowner, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, to transfer stewardship of the land.
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“These lands include the most fertile growing soil in all Hawaii, important cultural sites, and freshwater streams and springs that will be forever protected. Capital funds have been secured to purchase the land,” Hayashi said.
“This land has sustained generations. By returning it to the community and restoring it for shared use and cultural renewal, we will safeguard resources for future generations and increase our community’s resilience,” Wilhelm said.
“Until the 1960s, this land was very productive. It was the ‘Breadbasket of Oahu.’ Alii specifically would ask for kalo grown on these lands. This effort seeks to return it to its former abundance, ultimately improving local food security and water security through community-led agriculture that strengthens Hawaii food systems and creates green jobs for a sustainable local economy.”
“Buying and protecting the land is only the beginning,” Wong said. “In this season of giving, we are asking the community to join us in this movement to restore water, food, culture and community in Maunawili.”
To donate and learn more, visit hoihoimaunawili.org. The public can also support by volunteering or joining a talk story.
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Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Gov. Josh Green predicted Friday that thousands of Hawaii residents may give up their health insurance after Congress did not extend subsidies for Affordable Care Act policies.
Green pledged millions in local taxpayer funds to help them maintain coverage.
Hawaii’s 24,000 Affordable Care Act customers faced uncertainty in December as they had to reenroll without knowing whether extra subsidies would be extended.
Now that the subsidies are ending, customers must find more money or reduce their coverage.
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Premium increases force difficult choices
Insurance agent and radio host Martha Khlopin works with about 300 people who depend on ACA premium subsidies.
“People, I think, will be making the decision, taking that risk and just praying they don’t get sick,” Khlopin said. “So I pray that too. Don’t get sick in 2026, because your premiums and co-pays might be a lot.”
As an example, Khlopin cited a 50-year-old man who makes $40,000. He was paying about $170 a month this year for a plan with good coverage. His new plan will cost about $500 a month starting in January.
“It’s a pretty big increase for him,” Khlopin said. “So what he decided to do was just use his savings to cover the premiums because he really needs to keep the very generous platinum plan that he has right now.”
Coverage downgrades expected
Khlopin said others are downgrading their coverage, choosing lower premiums but much higher out-of-pocket costs and deductibles.
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“So it’s a lower premium, but you have higher cost because you have to meet a deductible,” Khlopin said, noting that could lead some people to avoid care.
“So if I do need a particular procedure that’s expensive, I might decide not to get that done, which ultimately can cause more problems down the road,” Khlopin said.
Green predicted an even more dire scenario with thousands choosing to go without coverage.
“That’s really bad, because it’s not just the lack of insurance for them. It’s also $150 million of uncompensated care to rural facilities to our community health centers,” Green said.
State tax credit proposal
Green proposed that the state make up the lost subsidies with a state tax credit for about 8,000 ACA customers.
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“The analysis we did is that to do the enhanced subsidy that Congress walked away from for now would cost $16.5 million,” Green said.
“That would definitely be a very, very wonderful gift to people to know that there is some relief coming to lower those health insurance premiums,” Khlopin said.
What remains unclear is how quickly that aid could reach policyholders and what will happen to those who decided not to renew when the deadline for open enrollment ended Monday.
Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
