The traditional recruiting rankings do not reflect the work Arizona coach Jedd Fisch and his staff put in to enhance the Wildcats’ 2021 signing class.
Those rankings — produced by 247Sports.com and Rivals.com — place Arizona 11th in the Pac-12 Conference. They do not include the eight players the UA is adding via the NCAA transfer portal.
Seven of those players officially became Wildcats during Wednesday’s National Signing Day. All were recruited by Fisch and his staff. Most are more likely to have an immediate impact on the program than any of the high school prospects who have joined the team or are on their way.
The rankings also do not include preferred walk-ons. Arizona added several PWOs who had interest from other schools, including safety Ammon Allen of Gilbert Highland High School. Allen was named the winner of the 2020 National Football Foundation’s Mike Haynes Award, given to the top senior defensive back in the state. Allen held offers from all three military academies that play football.
Arizona announced the signings of 10 players Wednesday, giving the UA 26 total players in the ’21 class. The Wildcats are believed to have two scholarships remaining for future use.
Below are profiles of the 10 newcomers, including quotes from assistant coaches courtesy of the athletic department.
Drake Anderson, right, grew up in the Phoenix area as the son of former NFL running back Damien Anderson. Drake started his college career at Northwestern before transferring to UA.
DRAKE ANDERSON
Position: Running back
Height/weight: 5-11, 190
Hometown/last school: Chandler/Northwestern
Notable: The son of former Northwestern and Cardinals tailback Damien Anderson, Drake rushed for 926 yards and five touchdowns in 21 games at NU.
Coach says: “A lot of pop and sizzle. Drake is not only powerful, he’s quick. He’s like a Porsche. He’s gonna grip the ground. He’s explosive. … Coming out of the Big Ten, he’ll be used to the size and speed of Pac-12 opponents. His dad played in the NFL. Being familiar with that, that NFL pedigree, is always a good thing. … Great personality. He’s a finance major. He’s a 3.8 student. He’s going to add a lot of value to our running back room. He’s a consummate pro.” — running backs coach Scottie Graham
GUNNER CRUZ
Position: Quarterback
Height/weight: 6-5, 220
Hometown/last school: Gilbert/Washington State
Notable: Cruz transferred from WSU after the Cougars changed coaches (Nick Rolovich replaced Mike Leach) and added Tennessee graduate transfer Jarrett Guarantano to their QB room.
Coach says: “He has all the tools to be a great quarterback. You watch his high school tape and the little bit of time that he did play at Washington State, you can see a big arm. Can make all the throws that you ask of him. ... I’m just excited about the production he had in high school. Threw 100 touchdown passes in high school. And even more importantly, I think he had only 16 interceptions. So he does a really good job of taking care of the ball. Up over 70% completion percentage. Really accurate.” — quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty
JASON HARRIS
Position: Defensive end
Height/weight: 6-7, 240
Hometown/last school: Gilbert/Colorado
Notable: Harris is the younger brother of veteran UA edge rusher Jalen Harris and the son of ex-Wildcats Sean Harris (football) and Cha-Ron Harris (basketball).
Coach says: “When you see these two brothers get off the bus, you’re like, ‘Wow.’ They look like basketball players. But when they hit the field, they play like football players. He is relentless to the football. You love to see a guy with that ... length when he lays out and tries to strip the ball (from) the quarterback. It’s impressive. We’re excited to have a young guy with that kind of potential. His arms are probably longer than my legs.” — defensive line coach Ricky Hunley
TRESHAUN HAYWARD
Position: Linebacker
Height/weight: 6-1, 235
Hometown/last school: Ypsilanti, Mich./Western Michigan
Notable: Hayward was the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, when he recorded 142 tackles, including 10.5 for losses.
Coach says: “He’s just a tackling machine. He’s all over the field. He has pass-rush ability. He will strike you. ... He’s a guy that can run. He’s a smart guy. He also has tremendous leadership skills. I’ve enjoyed getting to know him over the last bit of time here. I think people here in Tucson are going to be really excited about the way he plays. ... The guy’s played in big games. He understands how to play in the spotlight.” — defensive coordinator Don Brown
JAKELYN MORGAN
Position: Cornerback
Height/weight: 6-1, 175
Hometown/last school: Tyler, Texas/Tyler Legacy HS
Notable: At one time committed to UNLV, Morgan is a three-star recruit who also has excelled in track in high school.
Coach says: “I love track guys. It shows their durability from a running standpoint, their endurance. Their length usually helps them become pretty good man-to-man players; we’re going to have to play some man-to-man in Don Brown’s defense. I really love his upside.” — cornerbacks coach DeWayne Walker
GUNNER MALDONADO
Position: Safety
Height/weight: 5-11, 185
Hometown/last school: Chandler/Northwestern
Notable: Maldonado was a member of four state champion teams at Chandler High School.
Coach says: “One thing you can never have too much as a coach from your players is smarts, especially at the safety position. You need to have somebody that understands the big picture, what’s going on. And the other thing is, what are you telling people? Somebody has to run the show. Gunner is that dude. I’m so excited that he’s here. You’re going to love Gunner. He’s going to make a lot of plays. Trust me on this one.” — safeties coach Chuck Cecil
Jordan McCloud played his best game in the 2020 finale, then entered the transfer portal. The son of Steelers player Ray-Ray McCloud will compete for Arizona’s starting job.
JORDAN McCLOUD
Position: Quarterback
Height/weight: 6-0, 195
Hometown/last school: Tampa, Fla./South Florida
Notable: In his final game at USF, McCloud notched career highs with 404 passing yards and four touchdowns against rival UCF.
Coach says: “That’s definitely an advantage, the fact that he’s played college football, has had reps at the college level and (knows) the speed of the game at this level. Did a nice job with the chances he had when he was in there. ... He’s just a fun guy to talk to. He’s a leader on your team, in the locker room. He’s a great young man. I think he adds a ton of value. Just kind of gets it.” — Dougherty
ISAIAH RUTHERFORD
Position: Cornerback
Height/weight: 6-0, 195
Hometown/last school: Sacramento, Calif./Notre Dame
Notable: Rutherford held 19 offers coming out of Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California, where he also played running back, rushing for 2,809 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Coach says: “We’re going to play a lot of press-man coverage in Don Brown’s defense. You like to have long corners. He’s long, he can run and he has very good athletic ability. ... The one thing about high school corners that played running back is the physicality. They’re used to getting hit. Now they can return the favor. He’s not really going to shy away from contact. ... He’s going to bring some needed experience at that position.” — Walker
ANTHONY SIMPSON
Position: Cornerback
Height/weight: 5-10, 180
Hometown/last school: Bloomfield, Conn./Bloomfield HS
Notable: Simpson totaled 2,491 scrimmage yards on offense and had 10 interceptions on defense in 2019 at Bloomfield High School, where he also was a long and triple jumper.
Coach says: “We’re going to play him at corner. So understanding those mechanics of playing defense and having the knowledge of playing offense, that’s going to be very important for him as he develops. ... I love track guys. As a corner, you’ve got to be able to run. With the jumping ability, the first question I normally would ask a high school kid that plays corner is, ‘Can you slam-dunk?’ With his jumping ability, I believe he would be able to slam-dunk a basketball.” — Walker
ISAIAH TAYLOR
Position: Viper (safety-linebacker hybrid)
Height/weight: 5-11, 195
Hometown/last school: Fort Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas HS
Notable: Taylor is the son of Jason Taylor, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who totaled 139.5 career sacks with Miami, Washington and the New York Jets.
Coach says: “Isaiah is a tremendous athlete. He’s got safety skills with a linebacker mentality. ... We’ve got a guy that can cover slot receivers, cover tight ends, come up and play physical against tight ends but also come off the edge and be an attacking-style (defender). With our blitz package, he’s going to be a super guy coming off the edge. Fast, can bend, athletic. And it’s good that he’s got his dad coaching him up.” — linebackers coach Keith Dudzinski
