Aidan Keanaaina, Jacob De Jesus Sign Free-Agent Deals, Ending Bids to Return to Cal

Cal defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina and Bears wide receiver Jacob De Jesus have ongoing lawsuits that they hoped would give him another year of eligibility at Cal, but both reportedly free-agent contracts, ending that hope.

Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported Saturday that Keanaaina, who went undrafted, is expected to sign with the Lions, and Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 TV in Houston and Sean Cunningham of KCRA in Sacramento reported that De Jesus, who also went undrafted, has signed a free-agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Once a player signs a pro contract he is not allowed to resume his college career in that sport, so unless there is an legal appeal that is unknown at the moment, Keanaaina and De Jesus won't be back at Cal.

Keanaaina later reposted this report from Paul Sheehy of ProStar Sports Agency, essentially confirming his signing with the Lions.

Keanaaina's lawsuit against the NCAA claimed that he should have another year of college eligibility, saying a season in which he played just one game should give him a medical redshirt waiver for that season.

He played just one game in 2020 for Notre Dame, but that season did count against any player's eligibility because it was during the COVID pandemic. He played three games for the Irish the next season, which would count as his redshirt season. Keanaaina played just one game in 2022 for the Irish after sustaining a serious knee injury the previous spring, and he claimed he was not even expecting to play in that one game, which came at the end of a blowout.

That is the year that Keanaaina claimed he should get back.

He played six games for Notre Dame in 2023 and 13 games for Cal in both 2024 and 2025. He was a starter in both seasons at Cal, and was an all-ACC honorable mention selection in 2025 when he finished with 56 tackles, which was fourth on the team and a lot for a an interior defensive lineman.

He took his case to court, asking for a temporary restraining order in a suit he filed on March 26. He later asked for expedited ruling on his case, and the NCAA this past week asked that the case be dismissed. But there has been no ruling on his case.

It appears it will be moot, if, as expected, Keanaaina signs a free-agent contract with the Lions.

If Keanaaina had won a temporary restraining order to play college football in 2026, there's no guarantee it would have been at Cal, because he had entered the transfer portal during the portal window three months ago.

De Jesus is involved in a similar situation in a different lawsuit against the NCAA. He is one of more than 20 football players who are part of the Pavia v. NCAA lawsuit that is asking for a temporary injunction to allow them to play another college season. The claim is that the years they played at a junior college should not count against their eligibility at Division I programs.

According to current NCAA rules, each year at a junior college counts against college eligibility. The Pavia vs. NCAA case was contesting that, and Diego Pavia was granted another year of eligibility in 2025 when the court granted him a temporary retraining order based on the argument that junior college should not count against Division I eligibility .

De Jesus played two seasons at Modesto Junior College, two years at UNLV and one year at Cal, leading the nation in receptions in 2025 with 108.

He was expecting a ruling on his case last month and said during Cal Pro Day in March that he would return to Cal if a temp[orary restraining order had been ordered by the court, giving him another year of college eligibility. However, no ruling has been made and it's unclear whether a ruling will be made anytime in the near future.

De Jesus was a first-team all-ACC selection n 2025 so a return to Cal would have been a significant factor for Cal's 2026 season. His size -- he's 5-foot-7 -- is the main reason he was not taken in the NFL draft, but has proven to be a valuable commodity at the college level.

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