Updated: These 11 recruits have verbally committed to the Arizona Wildcats' 2018 class
- Updated
The Wildcats have 11 commits so far for 2018.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Name: Jamarye Joiner
Position: Athlete
Height: 6-2
Weight: 185
Hometown (high school): Tucson (Cienega)
Stars: 3
Cienega star Jamarye Joiner went to Arizona Stadium on Sept. 24, 2016, without any immediate plans for his college future.
Then he watched Brandon Dawkins start the game against No. 9 Washington by completing 11 straight passes. He saw Dawkins burst for a 79-yard touchdown, and finish the game with 176 total rushing yards.
Arizona lost in overtime, but Joiner still left the stadium with a different attitude: He knew wanted to be a Wildcat.
On Sept. 25, Joiner informed UA coach Rich Rodriguez that he was verbally committing to play for Arizona, making him Arizona’s first commitment for its 2018 class.
“I decided to pull the trigger … because of (Saturday’s) game,” Joiner told the Star. “I really saw myself in the role of Brandon Dawkins and envisioned myself making big plays.”
It’s been a bumpy road getting to this point for Joiner — after a stellar freshman season at Salpointe Catholic High, Joiner was expelled and missed the 2015 season. He transferred to Cienega before last season.
After that stellar freshman campaign with the Lancers, colleges took notice and Joiner received heavy interest, but that faded after his expulsion.
Now, he’s set to be a Wildcat.
“It feels good,” Joiner said.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Name: Mykee Irving
Position: OL/DL
Height: 6-2
Weight: 305
Hometown (high school): Calabasas, California (Calabasas)
Stars: 3
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez is often talking about how the Wildcats need to get bigger up front, specifically on the defensive line.
The Wildcats seem to be making progress in that area — Thursday night, defensive tackle Mykee Irving announced his verbal commitment to Arizona.
"It just seemed like the best fit for me," Irving told the Star, noting the liked "the environment" at Arizona.
"They have the mentality I like," he said.
Listed at 6-2 and 305 pounds, Irving quickly becomes one of the biggest defensive line recruits Rodriguez has ever recruited to Arizona. Irving, from Calabasas High School in California, is rated a three-star recruit by Scout.com. He's also ranked the No. 6 defensive tackle in California, and No. 9 in the West.
Irving picked Arizona over an offer from UCLA. UA defensive line coach Vince Amey was Irving's primary recruiter.
Its Official!! I am 100% Committed to The University of Arizona! #beardown #Ateam18 🐻🔴🔵⬇️ pic.twitter.com/T3qQiFYams
— Big Mykee (@IrvingMykee) August 11, 2017
Irving's verbal brings Arizona's 2018 class up to 10 commitments, and Irving is the second consecutive highly-regarded defensive lineman to pledge to Arizona, following Josh Walker of IMG Academy in Florida, who committed on Aug. 1.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Name: David Watson
Position: Offensive lineman
Height: 6-6
Weight: 300
Hometown (high school): Tucson (Amphitheater)
Stars: 3
Arizona football's latest commitment should have some familiarity with the UA campus.
On April 8, Amphitheater offensive lineman David Watson verbally committed to Arizona's 2018 recruiting class. Watson is the second member of Arizona's class for next year, joining Cienega quarterback Jamarye Joiner.
Watson is the son of Arizona softball legend Laura Espinoza-Watson, who holds the UA softball record for most single season home runs. Watson's father, also named David Watson, played offensive line for the Wildcats in the mid-1990s.
Watson is rated a three-star recruit, according to Scout.com, and is ranked the No. 4 offensive tackle in the West. After the upcoming 2017 season, the Wildcats are set to lose three possible senior starters in guard Jacob Alsadek and tackles Gerhard de Beer and Layth Friekh.
Another #HomeGrown member of #ATeam18!!! GREAT WILDCAT GENES...remember when he walked in the office, a MONSTER & he was only 12! #BearDown
— Matt Dudek (@AZ_Matty_D) April 9, 2017
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Name: Josh Walker
Position: Defensive tackle
Height: 6 feet 2 inches
Weight: 285 pounds
Hometown (high school): Bradenton, Florida (IMG Academy)
Stars: 3
Arizona has reeled in its ninth recruit for 2018, and he's a big one.
On Aug. 1, defensive tackle Josh Walker announced his verbal commitment to Arizona's 2018 recruiting class.
As part of a long message posted to Twitter, Walker said "I've decided to become a 'West Coast Wildcat' at the University of Arizona" and mentioned that UA coach Rich Rodriguez and defensive line coach Vince Amey provided him with the feeling of "family" he was looking for, which sealed the deal.
He ended the note with: "this is my decision and I stand by it 100 percent."
— Josh Walker (@walkerj5515) August 1, 2017
The Scout.com recruiting service rates Walker as a three-star recruit, the 78th-best defensive tackle in the nation, No. 27 in the South and No. 4 in Florida. He is Arizona's highest-rated 2018 commit by Scout.com.
Walker is the most highly sought after recruit to join Arizona's class for next year so far, holding offers from 40 schools, including Notre Dame, UCLA, Nebraska, Michigan State, Mississippi State and West Virginia. It's a particularly interesting commitment considering that on July 27, Walker told Scout.com that his final three schools were Arizona State, Wake Forest and Minnesota.
Arizona certainly can use all the help on the defensive line it can get. The Wildcats will lose two key seniors — Parker Zellers and Luca Bruno — after this season, as well as defensive line/outside linebacker hybrids Jack Banda and DeAndre' Miller. Outside of those four, Larry Tharpe Jr., Justin Belknap and Finton Connolly are the only remaining linemen with significant playing experience, and the first two are either current (Tharpe) or former (Belknap) walk-ons.
The Wildcats had expected to add USC transfer defensive lineman Noah Jefferson to its roster this year, making him eligible to play beginning in 2018 — he'd have sat out the 2017 season due to transfer rules — but that ultimately didn't pan out.
- Arizona Daily Star
Name: Jhevon Hill
Position: Safety
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185
Hometown (high school): San Bernardino, California. (Cajon)
Stars: 3
It's silly to think that Arizona's addition of Chuck Cecil in a support-staff role is already paying off in recruiting.
But the Wildcats landed a safety on July 29, one day after announcing that Cecil — a College Football Hall of Famer and the greatest safety in program history — was coming home. Coincidence? Probably. Important nonetheless? Definitely.
Jhevon Hill verbally committed to the UA during an official visit, giving the Wildcats a three-star prospect to build around as they assemble a 2018 recruiting class. Hill is just the eighth player to verbal for next season; a year ago, Arizona — armed with a different recruiting approach — had more than 20.
Hill is a onetime UCLA commit who re-opened his recruitment in June. He chose the UA over Arizona State, Utah, Cal, Washington State and New Mexico, among others. The Scout.com recruiting service lists Hill as the eighth-best athlete in the West, and the fifth-best athlete in California. Watch Hill's Cajon High School highlights by clicking here.
Name: Issaiah Johnson
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6-3
Weight: 220
Hometown (high school): Los Alamitos, California (Los Alamitos)
Stars: 3
The Arizona Wildcats received their fifth verbal commitment for the class of 2018 on May 16.
Three-star linebacker Issaiah Johnson of Los Alamitos, California, committed to the UA via Twitter:
After talking with my family and coaches, I am proud and honored to say that I have committed to the University of Arizona!🐻🔴🔵 #BearDown pic.twitter.com/c7nW5WWpYw
— JEFE (@issaiah_johnson) May 16, 2017
Scout ranks Johnson as the No. 38 inside linebacker in the country, No. 7 in the West and No. 5 in California.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Name: Jaden Mitchell
Position: Wide receiver
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
Hometown (high school): Las Vegas (Desert Oasis)
Stars: 3
If it wasn't already, Las Vegas is fast becoming one of Arizona football's lead recruiting bases.
That continued on April 28 when Jaden Mitchell announced his verbal commitment to Arizona's 2018 recruiting class.
"They have an up and coming program and I feel that I can make a big impact when I come up there," Mitchell wrote on Twitter. "I made this decision because it's a very comfortable place up in Arizona and I've already built great (relationships) with the coaches and players."
Mitchell, rated a three-star recruit by Scout.com, picked the Wildcats over offers from Hawaii and UNLV.
The 6-foot, 178-pounder is rated the No. 45 receiver in the West and No. 3 in Nevada.
With Mitchell's verbal, the Wildcats will have secured commitments from four Desert Oasis products in the last two years, as Arizona brought in cornerback Tony Wallace and linebacker Tony Fields on scholarship in 2017, with offensive lineman Edgar Burrola joining as a blueshirt recruit.
U N I V E R S I T Y O F A R I Z O N A #BearDown #LVtoAZ 🐻⬇️🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/3i2KqiDrlZ
— Jaden Mitchell 〽️ (@iamJM3_) April 28, 2017
- Arizona Daily Star
Name: Jaiden Dockery
Position: Safety
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
Hometown (high school): Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster)
Stars: 3
It may be the dog days of summer, but Jaiden Dockery is already thinking about Fridays in the fall.
"To tell the truth," he tweeted this week, "I'm just ready for football season."
Dockery verbally committed to the Wildcats' 2018 recruiting class on July 4. That's good news for Arizona's coaching staff, which has been on the looking for "OKGs" — "our kinda guys" — throughout a long summer.
I'm committed 🤘🏾 pic.twitter.com/8RZdduUFJt
— jaydee (@1jaydee6) July 4, 2017
Arizona was the first major program to offer Dockery, who also plays quarterback and wide receiver. (Watch Dockery's high school highlights here).
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Name: Armani Adams
Position: Safety
Height: 5-11
Weight: 180
Hometown (high school): St. Petersburg, Florida (Lakewood)
Stars: 3
The Arizona Wildcats have loaded up on defensive backs in recruiting the last couple cycles, and that might be happening again in 2018.
On June 15, Arizona received a verbal commitment from safety Armani Adams, the first defensive back to commit to next year's class.
Adams told the Star that he decided to commit to Arizona early because of his bond with the UA coaching staff. UA safeties coach Jahmile Addae led Adams' recruitment.
"The relationship I have with the coaches is unbelievable," Adams said in a message to the Star. "We have normal conversations daily."
Arizona has added 12 scholarship defensive backs combined in its last two recruiting classes.
The 5-foot-11 Adams is rated three-stars by Scout.com and ranked the No. 21 safety in Florida, No. 41 in the South and No. 117 overall.
Very Excited to be Committed to The University of Arizona‼️🔴🔵🔴🔵 @CoachRodAZ @Coach_Addae @unsignedpreps #Beardown18 pic.twitter.com/px2dnayEQu
— Armani Adams (@Manitime11) June 15, 2017
Name: Darrius Smith
Position: Running back
Height: 5-9
Weight: 170
Hometown (high school): Pearland, Texas (Dawson)
Stars: 2
A big part of Rich Rodriguez’s revamped recruiting plan is to re-establish the Arizona Wildcats in the state of Texas, specifically in the Houston area.
Arizona nabbed its first 2018 verbal commitment from the region June 30. Running back Darrius Smith of Glenda Dawson High in Pearland, Texas, announced his commitment to Arizona via Twitter.
#BearDown 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Y7udyFtnMf
— ² (@1DarriusSmith) June 30, 2017
“First off I would like to thank God for blessing me with the great opportunities I have received to play at the next level,” Smith wrote. “I also would like to thank my family for helping me through the process and making sure that I had what I needed, because if it wasn’t for them pushing me, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today.
“Last but not least, I would like to thank everyone else that helped through the process and got me where I am now. … I want to thank all my coaches and teammates for always riding for me and having my back no matter what. But as of now I am 100 percent verbally committed to the University of Arizona.”
According to his Hudl profile, he accumulated 2,150 all-purpose yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior in 2016.
- Updated
Name: McKenzie Barnes
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6-0
Weight: 170
Hometown (high school): Fresno, California (Edison)
Stars: 3
Arizona seems to be building some momentum in its 2018 recruiting class.
Saturday, the Wildcats secured a verbal commitment from cornerback McKenzie Barnes, a 6-foot, 170-pounder from Fresno, California.
"For the next 4-5 years I am looking forward to furthering my education and career (at) the University of Arizona," Barnes wrote in a message posted to Twitter.
Barnes, from Edison High School, is rated a three-star recruit by Scout.com and the 24th-best cornerback in California. He chose the Wildcats despite offers from Oregon, Mississippi State and Washington State.
He's the 11th player to commit to Arizona's 2018 class, which recently added two defensive linemen in Josh Walker of IMG Academy in Florida and Mykee Irving of Calabasas (California) High School. Both Irving and Walker picked Arizona over UCLA. Six of Arizona's 11 commitments come on the defensive side of the ball.
After this season, the Wildcats will lose No. 1 cornerback Dane Cruikshank, who is entering his senior season and Arizona has been looking for depth at the position. The Wildcats added Tony Wallace and Malik Hausman to the roster this season as part of its 2017 recruiting class.
— Zack Rosenblatt
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Name: Jamarye Joiner
Position: Athlete
Height: 6-2
Weight: 185
Hometown (high school): Tucson (Cienega)
Stars: 3
Cienega star Jamarye Joiner went to Arizona Stadium on Sept. 24, 2016, without any immediate plans for his college future.
Then he watched Brandon Dawkins start the game against No. 9 Washington by completing 11 straight passes. He saw Dawkins burst for a 79-yard touchdown, and finish the game with 176 total rushing yards.
Arizona lost in overtime, but Joiner still left the stadium with a different attitude: He knew wanted to be a Wildcat.
On Sept. 25, Joiner informed UA coach Rich Rodriguez that he was verbally committing to play for Arizona, making him Arizona’s first commitment for its 2018 class.
“I decided to pull the trigger … because of (Saturday’s) game,” Joiner told the Star. “I really saw myself in the role of Brandon Dawkins and envisioned myself making big plays.”
It’s been a bumpy road getting to this point for Joiner — after a stellar freshman season at Salpointe Catholic High, Joiner was expelled and missed the 2015 season. He transferred to Cienega before last season.
After that stellar freshman campaign with the Lancers, colleges took notice and Joiner received heavy interest, but that faded after his expulsion.
Now, he’s set to be a Wildcat.
“It feels good,” Joiner said.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Name: Mykee Irving
Position: OL/DL
Height: 6-2
Weight: 305
Hometown (high school): Calabasas, California (Calabasas)
Stars: 3
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez is often talking about how the Wildcats need to get bigger up front, specifically on the defensive line.
The Wildcats seem to be making progress in that area — Thursday night, defensive tackle Mykee Irving announced his verbal commitment to Arizona.
"It just seemed like the best fit for me," Irving told the Star, noting the liked "the environment" at Arizona.
"They have the mentality I like," he said.
Listed at 6-2 and 305 pounds, Irving quickly becomes one of the biggest defensive line recruits Rodriguez has ever recruited to Arizona. Irving, from Calabasas High School in California, is rated a three-star recruit by Scout.com. He's also ranked the No. 6 defensive tackle in California, and No. 9 in the West.
Irving picked Arizona over an offer from UCLA. UA defensive line coach Vince Amey was Irving's primary recruiter.
Its Official!! I am 100% Committed to The University of Arizona! #beardown #Ateam18 🐻🔴🔵⬇️ pic.twitter.com/T3qQiFYams
— Big Mykee (@IrvingMykee) August 11, 2017
Irving's verbal brings Arizona's 2018 class up to 10 commitments, and Irving is the second consecutive highly-regarded defensive lineman to pledge to Arizona, following Josh Walker of IMG Academy in Florida, who committed on Aug. 1.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Name: David Watson
Position: Offensive lineman
Height: 6-6
Weight: 300
Hometown (high school): Tucson (Amphitheater)
Stars: 3
Arizona football's latest commitment should have some familiarity with the UA campus.
On April 8, Amphitheater offensive lineman David Watson verbally committed to Arizona's 2018 recruiting class. Watson is the second member of Arizona's class for next year, joining Cienega quarterback Jamarye Joiner.
Watson is the son of Arizona softball legend Laura Espinoza-Watson, who holds the UA softball record for most single season home runs. Watson's father, also named David Watson, played offensive line for the Wildcats in the mid-1990s.
Watson is rated a three-star recruit, according to Scout.com, and is ranked the No. 4 offensive tackle in the West. After the upcoming 2017 season, the Wildcats are set to lose three possible senior starters in guard Jacob Alsadek and tackles Gerhard de Beer and Layth Friekh.
Another #HomeGrown member of #ATeam18!!! GREAT WILDCAT GENES...remember when he walked in the office, a MONSTER & he was only 12! #BearDown
— Matt Dudek (@AZ_Matty_D) April 9, 2017
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Name: Josh Walker
Position: Defensive tackle
Height: 6 feet 2 inches
Weight: 285 pounds
Hometown (high school): Bradenton, Florida (IMG Academy)
Stars: 3
Arizona has reeled in its ninth recruit for 2018, and he's a big one.
On Aug. 1, defensive tackle Josh Walker announced his verbal commitment to Arizona's 2018 recruiting class.
As part of a long message posted to Twitter, Walker said "I've decided to become a 'West Coast Wildcat' at the University of Arizona" and mentioned that UA coach Rich Rodriguez and defensive line coach Vince Amey provided him with the feeling of "family" he was looking for, which sealed the deal.
He ended the note with: "this is my decision and I stand by it 100 percent."
— Josh Walker (@walkerj5515) August 1, 2017
The Scout.com recruiting service rates Walker as a three-star recruit, the 78th-best defensive tackle in the nation, No. 27 in the South and No. 4 in Florida. He is Arizona's highest-rated 2018 commit by Scout.com.
Walker is the most highly sought after recruit to join Arizona's class for next year so far, holding offers from 40 schools, including Notre Dame, UCLA, Nebraska, Michigan State, Mississippi State and West Virginia. It's a particularly interesting commitment considering that on July 27, Walker told Scout.com that his final three schools were Arizona State, Wake Forest and Minnesota.
Arizona certainly can use all the help on the defensive line it can get. The Wildcats will lose two key seniors — Parker Zellers and Luca Bruno — after this season, as well as defensive line/outside linebacker hybrids Jack Banda and DeAndre' Miller. Outside of those four, Larry Tharpe Jr., Justin Belknap and Finton Connolly are the only remaining linemen with significant playing experience, and the first two are either current (Tharpe) or former (Belknap) walk-ons.
The Wildcats had expected to add USC transfer defensive lineman Noah Jefferson to its roster this year, making him eligible to play beginning in 2018 — he'd have sat out the 2017 season due to transfer rules — but that ultimately didn't pan out.
- Arizona Daily Star
Name: Jhevon Hill
Position: Safety
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185
Hometown (high school): San Bernardino, California. (Cajon)
Stars: 3
It's silly to think that Arizona's addition of Chuck Cecil in a support-staff role is already paying off in recruiting.
But the Wildcats landed a safety on July 29, one day after announcing that Cecil — a College Football Hall of Famer and the greatest safety in program history — was coming home. Coincidence? Probably. Important nonetheless? Definitely.
Jhevon Hill verbally committed to the UA during an official visit, giving the Wildcats a three-star prospect to build around as they assemble a 2018 recruiting class. Hill is just the eighth player to verbal for next season; a year ago, Arizona — armed with a different recruiting approach — had more than 20.
Hill is a onetime UCLA commit who re-opened his recruitment in June. He chose the UA over Arizona State, Utah, Cal, Washington State and New Mexico, among others. The Scout.com recruiting service lists Hill as the eighth-best athlete in the West, and the fifth-best athlete in California. Watch Hill's Cajon High School highlights by clicking here.
Name: Issaiah Johnson
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6-3
Weight: 220
Hometown (high school): Los Alamitos, California (Los Alamitos)
Stars: 3
The Arizona Wildcats received their fifth verbal commitment for the class of 2018 on May 16.
Three-star linebacker Issaiah Johnson of Los Alamitos, California, committed to the UA via Twitter:
After talking with my family and coaches, I am proud and honored to say that I have committed to the University of Arizona!🐻🔴🔵 #BearDown pic.twitter.com/c7nW5WWpYw
— JEFE (@issaiah_johnson) May 16, 2017
Scout ranks Johnson as the No. 38 inside linebacker in the country, No. 7 in the West and No. 5 in California.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Name: Jaden Mitchell
Position: Wide receiver
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
Hometown (high school): Las Vegas (Desert Oasis)
Stars: 3
If it wasn't already, Las Vegas is fast becoming one of Arizona football's lead recruiting bases.
That continued on April 28 when Jaden Mitchell announced his verbal commitment to Arizona's 2018 recruiting class.
"They have an up and coming program and I feel that I can make a big impact when I come up there," Mitchell wrote on Twitter. "I made this decision because it's a very comfortable place up in Arizona and I've already built great (relationships) with the coaches and players."
Mitchell, rated a three-star recruit by Scout.com, picked the Wildcats over offers from Hawaii and UNLV.
The 6-foot, 178-pounder is rated the No. 45 receiver in the West and No. 3 in Nevada.
With Mitchell's verbal, the Wildcats will have secured commitments from four Desert Oasis products in the last two years, as Arizona brought in cornerback Tony Wallace and linebacker Tony Fields on scholarship in 2017, with offensive lineman Edgar Burrola joining as a blueshirt recruit.
U N I V E R S I T Y O F A R I Z O N A #BearDown #LVtoAZ 🐻⬇️🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/3i2KqiDrlZ
— Jaden Mitchell 〽️ (@iamJM3_) April 28, 2017
- Arizona Daily Star
Name: Jaiden Dockery
Position: Safety
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
Hometown (high school): Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster)
Stars: 3
It may be the dog days of summer, but Jaiden Dockery is already thinking about Fridays in the fall.
"To tell the truth," he tweeted this week, "I'm just ready for football season."
Dockery verbally committed to the Wildcats' 2018 recruiting class on July 4. That's good news for Arizona's coaching staff, which has been on the looking for "OKGs" — "our kinda guys" — throughout a long summer.
I'm committed 🤘🏾 pic.twitter.com/8RZdduUFJt
— jaydee (@1jaydee6) July 4, 2017
Arizona was the first major program to offer Dockery, who also plays quarterback and wide receiver. (Watch Dockery's high school highlights here).
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Name: Armani Adams
Position: Safety
Height: 5-11
Weight: 180
Hometown (high school): St. Petersburg, Florida (Lakewood)
Stars: 3
The Arizona Wildcats have loaded up on defensive backs in recruiting the last couple cycles, and that might be happening again in 2018.
On June 15, Arizona received a verbal commitment from safety Armani Adams, the first defensive back to commit to next year's class.
Adams told the Star that he decided to commit to Arizona early because of his bond with the UA coaching staff. UA safeties coach Jahmile Addae led Adams' recruitment.
"The relationship I have with the coaches is unbelievable," Adams said in a message to the Star. "We have normal conversations daily."
Arizona has added 12 scholarship defensive backs combined in its last two recruiting classes.
The 5-foot-11 Adams is rated three-stars by Scout.com and ranked the No. 21 safety in Florida, No. 41 in the South and No. 117 overall.
Very Excited to be Committed to The University of Arizona‼️🔴🔵🔴🔵 @CoachRodAZ @Coach_Addae @unsignedpreps #Beardown18 pic.twitter.com/px2dnayEQu
— Armani Adams (@Manitime11) June 15, 2017
Name: Darrius Smith
Position: Running back
Height: 5-9
Weight: 170
Hometown (high school): Pearland, Texas (Dawson)
Stars: 2
A big part of Rich Rodriguez’s revamped recruiting plan is to re-establish the Arizona Wildcats in the state of Texas, specifically in the Houston area.
Arizona nabbed its first 2018 verbal commitment from the region June 30. Running back Darrius Smith of Glenda Dawson High in Pearland, Texas, announced his commitment to Arizona via Twitter.
#BearDown 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Y7udyFtnMf
— ² (@1DarriusSmith) June 30, 2017
“First off I would like to thank God for blessing me with the great opportunities I have received to play at the next level,” Smith wrote. “I also would like to thank my family for helping me through the process and making sure that I had what I needed, because if it wasn’t for them pushing me, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today.
“Last but not least, I would like to thank everyone else that helped through the process and got me where I am now. … I want to thank all my coaches and teammates for always riding for me and having my back no matter what. But as of now I am 100 percent verbally committed to the University of Arizona.”
According to his Hudl profile, he accumulated 2,150 all-purpose yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior in 2016.
Name: McKenzie Barnes
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6-0
Weight: 170
Hometown (high school): Fresno, California (Edison)
Stars: 3
Arizona seems to be building some momentum in its 2018 recruiting class.
Saturday, the Wildcats secured a verbal commitment from cornerback McKenzie Barnes, a 6-foot, 170-pounder from Fresno, California.
"For the next 4-5 years I am looking forward to furthering my education and career (at) the University of Arizona," Barnes wrote in a message posted to Twitter.
Barnes, from Edison High School, is rated a three-star recruit by Scout.com and the 24th-best cornerback in California. He chose the Wildcats despite offers from Oregon, Mississippi State and Washington State.
He's the 11th player to commit to Arizona's 2018 class, which recently added two defensive linemen in Josh Walker of IMG Academy in Florida and Mykee Irving of Calabasas (California) High School. Both Irving and Walker picked Arizona over UCLA. Six of Arizona's 11 commitments come on the defensive side of the ball.
After this season, the Wildcats will lose No. 1 cornerback Dane Cruikshank, who is entering his senior season and Arizona has been looking for depth at the position. The Wildcats added Tony Wallace and Malik Hausman to the roster this season as part of its 2017 recruiting class.
— Zack Rosenblatt
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