Just two days before South Alabama coach Joey Jones was set to fly to Tucson for the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl β and on Christmas Eve, no less β the Jaguars received some recruiting-related news that adds a little intrigue to USAβs trip to Tucson.
On Dec. 12, South Alabama added a key piece to its 2017 recruiting class when linebacker Joey Ramirez verbally committed to the Jaguars, the eighth player to do so for next season.
Then, one week later, the Arizona Wildcats offered Ramirez a scholarship, and on Christmas Eve, Ramirez announced he was flipping to be the 24th member of Arizonaβs recruiting class, with plans to enroll at UA in January.
About South Alabama, Ramirez said βitβs just, a place I knew I can play and have an impact on the team my freshman year. They showed a lot of love β¦ at the end of the day I had to make a decision thatβs best for me because at the end of the day itβs a business for everybody.
βI had to make the best decision for me and my family. I felt like it was the right move.β
Ramirez had settled on South Alabama after dealing with a lack of interest from Power Five conference schools for the entirety of his senior season at Auburndale (Fla.) Senior, in which he averaged 10.4 tackles per game and managed 6.5 total tackles for loss.
When Ramirez committed to South Alabama, his only other FBS offers were from Bowling Green, Old Dominion and Northern Illinois.
As of Ramirez’s Saturday commitment to Arizona, he didn’t even have a profile on the Scout.com recruiting service, and was unranked at Rivals.com and 247sports.com. He’s since been rated a 2-star recruit by Scout.
Ramirez doesnβt take any of that personally.
βI felt like I was a no-star playing like a five-star, thatβs how I looked at it,β Ramirez said. βI felt like those stars donβt mean nothing. It just made me work harder for what I got.
βArizona, I guess they saw something in me. Iβm just showing other teams why they shouldβve offered me.β
Thatβs exactly what Arizona safeties coach Jahmile Addae, who recruits Florida, did last week, providing Ramirez with his first major scholarship offer, making the decision easy, even though he didnβt know much about Arizona beforehand other than the basics, including their berth in the Fiesta Bowl two years ago.
Ramirez committed to Arizona sight unseen, and will only see campus for the first time as he flies to Tucson to sign his letter of intent in a few weeks.
βCoach Addae just knew how to talk to me,β Ramirez said. βHe was just like, me coming in the spring, thatβs a better opportunity so that I can play, that this is their best recruiting class and he just wanted me to know that Iβm their guy.β
The Wildcats badly need linebackers with the departures of seniors Michael Barton, Jake Matthews, Cody Ippolito and Paul Magloire.
Ramirez, listed at 6 feet 3 and 209 pounds, joins linebacker Tony Fields, from Desert Pines in Las Vegas, as Arizonaβs early enrollees at the linebacker position.
Arizona is also set to add Joshua Brown and Kylan Wilborn at the linebacker position in its 2017 class. The Wildcats are also frontrunners for three-star middle linebacker Colin Schooler from Mission Viejo in California.
Addae βsaid since Iβm coming in early knowing they lost linebackers. it makes it better chance for me to play,β Ramirez said.
Ramirez described him as an βathleticβ linebacker and a good fit for the pass-heavy Pac-12.
βAs a linebacker I just think Iβm quick, fast,β Ramirez said. βI can play outside the box, Iβm an athletic linebacker so if I have to guard somebody I can do that for you. I know thereβs a lot of passing in the Pac-12 so you need diverse linebackers and I just feel like I fit the system. I can guard people and I can stop the run too.β
Notice how Ramirez has already flipped his mindset from South Alabama to the Pac-12. Jonesβ loss, it seems, is Rich Rodriguezβs gain.
βIt feels great, man,β Ramirez said. βI had the opportunity and I had to take it.β
