Cal Poly Spring Football Positional Preview: Quarterback
2/18/2025 6:00:00 PM | Football
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Heading into 2025 Spring Ball, Cal Poly has six Quarterbacks on the roster including four returners and two newcomers. All four of those returners threw at least one touchdown pass and started one game for the Mustangs last season.
Perhaps most importantly, the Mustangs retained leading passer Bo Kelly, who threw for 1,162 yards and 65% completion in 8 games. Highlighted by his near-upset over Idaho in which he threw for a season-high 268 yards, Kelly is the most experienced starter in the QB room.
We’ve been fortunate to have someone like Bo [Kelly] who’s been here three years, and his experience is going to help this football team.Head Coach Paul Wulff
More of a classic pocket passer, Jackson Akins was perhaps Cal Poly’s most accomplished quarterback last season from a purely throwing perspective. Though kept out of action enough to retain his redshirt, the two games that Akins started both yielded 40+ pass attempts and 280+ passing yard performances.
Jackson Akins got to start two games this year, so that kind of experience is invaluable for his growth, and he was still able to redshirt.Head Coach Paul Wulff
A true dual-threat talent at the Quarterback position, Jaden Jones flashed impressive talent in limited appearances due to a pair of injuries that kept him out for most of the year. Now a redshirt senior, Jones was Cal Poly’s fourth-leading rusher with 144 yards and 9.0 per carry despite about half as many games as the three players above him.
“Those last two guys, along with Jaden Jones who is recovering from a shoulder injury … but anytime you have this many guys that have played [in games] is very valuable,” said Head Coach Paul Wulff about the three top returners.
Ty Dieffenbach, a Division I FBS transfer from Pittsburgh, was the 95th ranked high school prospect out of California (ESPN) when recruited by the Panthers. Although he’s yet to take the field at the NCAA-level, he accumulated 4,153 yards and 48 touchdowns in three seasons at Agoura High School.
"[Dieffenbach] is a taller guy and at the end of the day, regardless of the size, the question remains of can he do the right things for this team. There’s certain advantages that guys have because of size or speed, but early signs show he’s done some really nice things: standing in the pocket, easily seeing over the linemen, and he’s still a pretty good athlete too," Head Coach Paul Wulff commented about Dieffenbach's prototypical stature.
We added two newcomers in the Spring: Ty Dieffenbach, who’s a transfer that’s already spent two years in college at the University of Pittsburgh and is a California native, and Sam Wulff, a high school early enrollee.Head Coach Paul Wulff
Sam Wulff, son of Head Coach Paul Wulff, threw for 1,452 yards and a 63 percent completion percentage as a senior at Arroyo Grande High School.
“We’ve also got Lucas Razore, who played the last game of the year. He did a great job as a true freshman last season coming in against Weber [State].”
“I think you’d always like a ‘guy’ who can take [the starting QB job] and run with it, but we feel like by the time we get to the Fall, we’ll have a few ‘guys’ who can play and start.”
“Before the Fall, we’d like to see consistency and develop the ability to make all the right choices, whether that’s handing the ball off, throwing the ball, making sure that they’re moving the ball in an 8-10 play drive.”
Gallery: Cal Poly Spring 2025 Quarterbacks
