LA JOLLA, Calif. β€” The future of Arizona’s football program posted up near a popular brunch spot on a recent Sunday afternoon. As a coastal breeze blew, he grabbed a football and casually twirled it in his hand.

Braxton Burmeister made it look easy. The last year, however, has been anything but.

Braxton is a case study in the wackiness of college football recruiting. He verbally committed to Arizona as a sophomore in high school, decommitted earlier this year, visited a half-dozen other schools, considered his options … and then re-committed.

Not that Braxton’s complaining. The La Jolla Country Day star peppers his speech with β€œit’s all good.” Tyler Hales, Braxton’s coach, calls him β€œa calm, chill San Diegan.”

Braxton surfs, yes, but he spends more time on the practice field than in the water. It’s one of the reasons why college coaches drove to La Jolla, arguably the nicest part of America’s Finest City, to visit.

Braxton is otherwise a fairly typical student at exclusive Country Day: He dresses in board shorts and long-sleeve T-shirts, wears a chain necklace and a Lokai bracelet. He uses Periscope β€” he live-streamed his recommittment to the UA β€” and stars in wacky videos. He talks often about his β€œbros,” and he doesn’t mean his siblings.

β€œThis is just an awesome place to live,” Braxton said, looking out at La Jolla Shores. β€œGrowing up here has been really relaxed, but when it’s time to get stuff done, people get on you like anywhere else.

β€œI mean, we’re sitting by the beach, and there’s probably 100 people surfing right now.”

It’s all good. Now.

β€’ β€’ β€’

Angela Burmeister was wandering around the University of Florida student bookstore when she checked her phone. Braxton, not yet a sophomore in high school, was looking for her. Before she could return the call, he tried again.

β€œMom, where are you?” he asked.

β€œI told him β€˜some store,’” she said. β€œHe says, β€˜The coaches want to talk to you.’”

Florida’s coaches sent a golf cart to fetch Angela.

As Angela rode to the football offices, she worried.

β€œI’m clueless thinking, β€˜This kid is 14 years old; what did he do?’” she said. β€œDid something happen?”

Florida offensive coordinator Kurt Roper told her he had interest in Braxton.

The Gators weren’t alone. Arizona offered Braxton a scholarship just before the Florida visit.

More interest, and offers, soon came pouring in. Florida offered, as did Cal, Colorado, South Carolina and a half-dozen other schools.

Braxton said he had β€œno idea” that his stock was rising so fast. One day, he was playing the NCAA Football video game; the next, he was picturing himself playing the game β€” for real β€” at the highest level.

The Burmeisters were familiar with the recruiting process. Braxton’s father, Dan, was a Parade All-American who played safety at the University of North Carolina and with the Washington Redskins. Braxton’s brother, Sage, was a standout receiver at Country Day who played at Idaho State before transferring to Humboldt State. Larger schools, including the UA, showed interest in Sage. However, few offered scholarships.

Braxton and his parents believed his recruitment would go the same way.

β€œI didn’t expect it too much,” he said. β€œThen, once it happened, we adjusted to it.”

Braxton verbally committed to the UA’s 2017 recruiting class … in 2014.

β€’ β€’ β€’

Braxton had never felt this terrible before.

It was worse than in junior high, when Braxton would throw up out the passenger’s side of his mother’s car. Worse than the nerves he felt starting as a true freshman at Country Day.

This was a heart-pounding, heart-wrenching, tough moment. He didn’t want to disappoint a member of the family, after all.

Rod Smith is family.

β€œRod Smith is my dude,” Braxton said. β€œThat’s my guy. He’s been my guy since the beginning of sophomore year, and I’ve been talking to him pretty much every day since then.”

Smith watched Braxton’s game film every Saturday morning during the 2015 season. Then he’d call Braxton, and the two of them β€” the high-schooler and UA assistant β€” would talk about how he did. Saturdays tend to be busy for college football coaches, but Smith made the time.

Braxton committed to Arizona as a sophomore. He loved the coaching staff, the campus, the environment. His heart was set, and he didn’t want to wait.

Then Braxton blew up. He passed for 2,771 yards and rushed for 868 yards as a junior in 2015. He scored 51 total touchdowns: 31 through the air and 20 on the ground.

Recruiting websites soon rated Braxton as a four-star prospect and one of the top quarterbacks in the West. Top schools kept calling, ignoring his verbal commitment to the UA.

On March 11, Braxton called Smith and reopened his recruitment.

β€œHe was so upset,” Angela said of Braxton. β€œThe whole staff, everybody, had been so awesome, and it was just a really weird situation. It took him time to understand what was going on.”

Added Hales: β€œIt was a decision he did not take lightly. But if he hadn’t decommitted, he would’ve had that inkling of doubt going into signing day.”

Braxton said he simply wanted a chance to visit other schools. He didn’t want to β€œdisrespect” Arizona, he said, by staying committed during that time.

So he checked out Utah, South Carolina, Washington, Indiana and, yes, Arizona. Again.

The Wildcats never stopped pushing to bring Braxton to the Old Pueblo. And Braxton never stopped thinking about the UA.

β€œThe recruiting process is a business, and I just thought of it as something I had to do and I didn’t want to hurt my relationship with Coach Smith at all so I tried to do it in the most respectful manner possible,” Braxton said. β€œI was happy I got to see a bunch of schools I wouldn’t have seen, and it reassured my decision, in a way.”

β€’ β€’ β€’

Braxton had a reason to be happy on that recent Sunday in La Jolla. He was home.

He spent much of the previous week at a pair of quarterback camps in Los Angeles. The first one lasted for three days, and ran from 6:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Braxton then took part in a one-day camp run by Lavelle Durant, a quarterback guru who also trains USC’s Max Browne. He returned to La Jolla, then worked out with his Country Day teammates.

On the fifth day, Braxton relaxed. He slept past 9 a.m. for the first time in weeks.

Braxton will enroll at the UA in January, a semester early, and take part in spring drills. The competition in front of him will be stiff: Anu Solomon will be a senior in 2017, and Brandon Dawkins and Khalil Tate will both have an extra year in coach Rich Rodriguez’s system. Rhett Rodriguez, the Catalina Foothills star quarterback and the coach’s son, will join Braxton in the Wildcats’ 2017 class.

Braxton isn’t afraid of the competition.

β€œHe’s someone who beat out a senior to start as a freshman quarterback,” Hales said.

β€œThere are of kids who can throw the ball, there’s plenty of kids who are dual threats. What separates the great quarterbacks from good quarterbacks are those intangibles, and he’s got a competitive edge to him that’s pretty rare.”

Added Sage, his brother: β€œHe’s super-competitive and focused and knows what he wants to do, so he’s not going to let anything get in his way.”

Those closest to him tell stories about that fire.

Country Day trailed La Jolla by 40 points during Braxton’s sophomore year when the quarterback showed the first spark. With the clock running out, Braxton slinged a 40-yard pass, still fighting. He did it again a week later, scrambling for a first down in what would be a 57-24 loss.

Country Day is 15-7 since, thanks in part to its star quarterback.

β€œArizona has a plan for me and I feel comfortable with that plan,” he said. β€œI’m definitely going to get an opportunity to play, so it’s just about me making the best out of that opportunity.

β€œAnd,” he added, β€œwaiting for my time.”

Until then, Burmeister will chill.

It’s all good.

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