California football players Jacob De Jesus and Cade Uluave have been named finalists for the 2025 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award, according to an announcement from the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. The award recognizes the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry each year.
“On behalf of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, we proudly congratulate this year’s finalists for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award,” said Jesse Sapolu, Chairman and Co-Founder. “Each of these young men have shown outstanding ability and commitment, exemplifying the impact Polynesian student-athletes continue to make in college football.”
The winner will be announced on December 16, 2025. The award will be formally presented at a celebration dinner on January 17, 2026, during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame event. The recipient will also be recognized at the 2026 Polynesian Bowl.
De Jesus has achieved several milestones this season. He leads the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in receptions with 99 and averages 8.25 catches per game, which is third highest nationally. His total is second on California’s all-time single-season list by just one catch behind Dameane Douglas’s record set in 1998. De Jesus also leads the ACC in kickoff return average and ranks third in punt return average.
Uluave has recorded team and career highs with 90 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss this season. He has also posted career highs in sacks (3), pass breakups (six), and quarterback hurries (four).
Both players are scheduled to play for California against Hawai’i in the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl on December 24 at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
De Jesus earned first-team All-ACC honors as an all-purpose player and specialist, while being named second-team All-ACC as a receiver. Over his last three games, he caught a total of 42 passes, including tying a school record with 16 receptions for 158 yards and a game-winning touchdown against Louisville.
Uluave was named first-team All-ACC as an inside linebacker despite missing significant playing time due to injury. He ranks fourth in the ACC with an average of over eight tackles per game and was honored as ACC Linebacker of the Week after recording a career-high 19 tackles against West Virginia.
