It came together in a flash.
Quarterback Gunner Cruz put his name in the NCAA transfer portal, and the Arizona Wildcats coaching staff pounced.
Cruz — an Arizona native whose transfer from Washington State to the UA is expected to become official during National Signing Day on Wednesday — estimated that he was in the portal for maybe an hour before running backs coach Scottie Graham reached out to him. The graduate of Queen Creek Casteel High School then heard from offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll, quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty and head coach Jedd Fisch.
Cruz entered the portal Jan. 22. On Jan. 23, he committed to Arizona.
“Everything happened so fast,” Cruz said. “I’m on FaceTime with the coaches, and we’re going around all the different rooms to talk to everybody.
“They have people that are looking at the portal, and when I went in it, they were ready. It showed that they obviously had a high level of interest in me. They were one of the first schools to reach out, and that meant a lot.”
The interest was mutual. The UA’s recent moves — starting with the hiring of Fisch in late December — intrigued Cruz, who was seeking an opportunity to play after a coaching change and a shuffling of the quarterback room at Washington State. The Wildcats, meanwhile, needed quarterbacks after the departures of Grant Gunnell and Rhett Rodriguez.
As soon as Cruz entered the portal, he became an obvious target. The 6-foot-5-inch Cruz passed for 9,383 yards and 100 touchdowns in three seasons at Casteel. After redshirting at WSU in 2019, he made one appearance last season, completing 5 of 7 passes for 34 yards and a touchdown against USC.
Cruz had interest in Arizona while in high school and visited the campus multiple times with Casteel teammate Khyheem Waleed, a wide receiver the previous UA staff recruited who ended up at Boise State.
But Arizona had another quarterback in the class of 2019 — Gunnell — so an offer never came.
Now Cruz is back in his home state, along with several other Arizonans who have returned after college detours elsewhere, including defensive end Jason Harris, his friend and former high school competitor.
The UA roster is changing, and so is the quarterback room. Since Cruz committed, Arizona has added South Florida transfer Jordan McCloud and Los Angeles high school prospect Brayden Zermeno to the mix. The three newcomers will compete with holdovers Will Plummer (another Cruz pal) and Kevin Doyle. Cruz hasn’t enrolled yet, but plans are in the works for him to be on campus in time for spring practice.
Cruz discussed the QB competition, what he’s looking forward to at Arizona and other topics in an interview with the Star. The conversation has been lightly edited for context and clarity.
What was the main reason that you decided to enter the transfer portal?
A: “I love Washington State. I love Pullman. I love all the friends that I’ve made over there. I was looking for an opportunity. I wanted an opportunity to be on the field and to play and to show everything that I could do. So that was my main thing.
“I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to test it out. I’m going to go in the transfer portal and see what kind of interest is out there.’ This blessing came along with the University of Arizona.
“It was nothing against Pullman or the coaching staff or anything like that. I left there on great terms. Except for when we play them next year, I’ll be cheering for them.”
What was the most appealing aspect of the sales pitch the UA coaches gave you?
A: “Being back in Arizona was a big thing. Getting to come home. I love Tucson. The city of Tucson is amazing. I know the school is amazing. My aunt and my uncle both graduated from U of A.
“And then second of all, the résumé of Coach Fisch and Coach Carroll and Coach Dougherty, all those guys. The guys they’ve worked with, the staffs they’ve been on, the people they’ve gotten to learn (from) and the people they’ve impacted. And the system that they’re planning to run down there really matches up with my play style.”
In another interview, you referred to it as a “Sunday system.” What does that mean exactly, and how do you think you’ll fit into it?
A: “That’s how the coaches explained it to me. They said we’re gonna run a ‘Sunday system.’ They said that means we’re gonna have the ability to go under center. Not every play is gonna be from the gun. The quarterback’s gonna have some responsibilities in checking into the right play.
“I think that will allow me to do what I do best, because I’m a student of the game. I love to study the game, and I feel like after learning from Coach Fisch and all these guys, I’ll just have an elevated level of understanding.”
Former Washington State quarterback Gunner Cruz said UA quickly contacted him when he entered the transfer portal.
You also quoted Fisch as saying this was a “refocus” as opposed to a “rebuild.” How did he explain that idea to you?
A: “We’re on Zoom with my parents. He said last year was an anomaly. The University of Arizona has good football. It was a down year. There were some things that didn’t go their way, COVID, whatever it was. But he said the players are here, they want to play and they’re excited.
“There’s a ton of support from the community. University of Arizona football, it shouldn’t be how it was last year. So they’re coming in and refocusing. ‘We’re not trying to completely rebuild the whole program. We’re ready to compete.’ ”
Fisch has succeeded in shifting the narrative away from the 70-7 debacle against Arizona State and the 12-game losing streak.
A: “That’s a big reason why me and a lot of these guys are here. We’re here for that 70-7. We’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen again. It’s exciting. The program is in good hands with Coach Fisch. It’s headed in the right direction.”
How would you describe your playing style?
A: “I like to stretch the field. I like to get the ball out there. But like I said, definitely a cerebral player. My decision-making is one of the most important parts of my game. That’s why I’m excited to learn a new offense, get to run some different stuff and have a little more responsibility.
“I’m athletic, but I’m definitely a pass-first guy. I can take off and run, but I like to do most of my damage from the pocket.”
Since you committed, Arizona has added some more quarterbacks to the mix. Did the coaches make you aware of that possibility?
A: “Yes, they did. They were upfront about everything. That’s something that I welcomed. ... I think it’ll create a healthy quarterback room.
“A good quarterback room has competition. You push each other. That’s what I learned my past couple years at Washington State. I know (only) one guy’s on the field, but the rest of the guys are invaluable to the program. They’re giving input on the sidelines, and they’re talking to the guy that’s out there.
“I think that by bringing in these other guys, it’ll allow all of us to go out and compete and put the best version of ourselves out there.”
Fisch has mentioned repeatedly that competition will be a bedrock of his program.
A: “They said the best guys are gonna play, and you can’t ask for anything better than that. That’s how it should be, and I’m excited for the opportunity.”
