Columbia QB Caleb Sanchez defies odds

For many athletes, stepping onto an Ivy League campus filled with generations of traditions can feel like a homecoming. For Columbia University sophomore quarterback Caleb Sanchez, his family’s Ivy League story is brand new.

The son of a Salvadoran American dad and a Filipino American mom didn’t grow up hearing stories of relatives who once donned the Columbia blue jersey. He takes the field carrying the weight and pride of being the first in his family in the Ivy League. 

“Playing at a college level is not easy if you don’t have the connections or the resources,” said Armando Sanchez, Caleb’s father. “If your uncle played, you can say that. That’s already a foot in the door. For some Latinos, who could they say had that? So what Caleb is doing, not just for future generations to come, but for the Latinos is huge. Just opening those doors. 

“Coaches can say, ‘OK, there might be another Caleb, we’ll give this kid a shot.’ Where, (Caleb) didn’t have that. We come from first-generation immigrant parents who never had that.”

After helping the Lions earn their first Ivy League title since 1961 as a freshman, Sanchez hopes to take another step this year as a sophomore.

Transition to Ivy League

The transition to an Ivy League campus brought new challenges. Sanchez faced a dual challenge: adapting to college football’s faster tempo and settling into an unfamiliar setting.

Caleb Sanchez didn’t start immediately at Columbia. He found himself in a familiar situation similar to his time at St. John Bosco. He patiently waited behind two future Division I quarterbacks at St. John Bosco before finally starting as a senior. The 6-foot-4 native of Carson, Calif., delivered when he got his shot for one of the top high school programs in America in 2023.

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“Being in a setting where everyone is a high achiever, everyone’s top of their class, it’s like, dang, ‘You hit hard,'” he said. “And I had a hard time adjusting at first. First semester was a bit tough balancing the season and academics. But once spring semester came in, I was able to pick back up, raise the GPA a lot.”

Sanchez made his presence felt in his debut with less than four minutes remaining against Harvard in the eighth game of the Lions’ season. He led Columbia on the final drive to a scoring position. It was a spark that they needed.

He was named the starting quarterback against Brown the following week. Sanchez led the Lions to a 21-12 victory. Then he started the season finale against Cornell. The young playmaker scored his first rushing touchdown of his college career.

He showcased his accuracy by throwing a deep 73-yard pass to wide receiver Ethan Hebb while dealing with 30-mph winds, leading the Lions to a 17–9 victory. Sanchez earned back-to-back Ivy League Rookie of the Week awards.

Proud to represent Latino, Asian culture

“Just to be able to show people that it doesn’t matter what you look like now, you can play,” Caleb Sanchez said. “I think that’s all that matters. I think people need to see past your name, your last name, your culture, whatever, in recruiting. 

“Honestly, it’s awesome because now that I’ve been focused on my heritage, I’ve seen a lot of growth in sports especially like representation, both Salvadorian and Filipino, just Asian and Latino athletes in general.”

Through it all, his waiting, adjusting, and eventually becoming a starter, the first-generation quarterback never lost sight of what he means to those who look up to him.

With each game, he changed the narrative for what a quarterback with his roots could achieve. More importantly, perhaps, he’s inspiring his younger brother Ryu, a promising 12-year-old, multi-sport athlete.

“I want to be a wide receiver because I was thinking of my brother ahead,” Ryu said. “When he makes it to the NFL, I could catch for him and we could maybe make a brother-and-brother duo.

“Something that inspires me about Caleb is that he’s humble. He’s not too flashy and he doesn’t flex. That’s something that I really admire about him.”