Another defensive player has transferred to the Arizona Wildcats.Β
The UA picked up a commitment from former Washington Huskies linebackerΒ Daniel Heimuli, who entered the transfer portal after four seasons at UW. Heimuli announced his pledge to the Wildcats on his Instagram profile Saturday morning.Β
Heimuli, a 6-foot, 225-pounder, joined Washington in 2019 and redshirted his first season. Heimuli, a Chris Petersen recruit, recorded five tackles against Arizona in the pandemic-influenced 2020 season. In nine games in 2021, Heimuli had a career-high 14 tackles and one stop for loss.
Heimuli played in six games for Washington this past season, but wasn't with the team for its Apple Cup victory over Washington State or the Alamo Bowl, after Heimuli was suspended for violating the program's code of conduct.Β
The Daily in Seattle reported Heimuli and fellow Washington linebackerΒ Ruperake Fuavai were in a physical altercation atΒ Finn MacCools, a popular bar near the UW campus. The altercation "resulted in multiple injuries, including face bruising and a fractured eye socket," according to The Daily. One staff member needed surgery, per the report.Β
Heimuli starred at Menlo-Atherton High School in East Palo Alto, California native. The former four-star linebacker was rated by 247Sports.com as the ninth-best linebacker for the 2019 class. Current Arizona tight ends coach Jordan Paopao was one of Heimuli's primary recruiters at Washington. Heimuli also held offers from Oregon, Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, USC and Tennessee, among others.
Heimuli joins linebacker Justin Flowe (Oregon), defensive tackle Bill Norton (Georgia), edge rusher Orin Patu (Cal) and defensive lineman Tyler Manoa (UCLA) as players joining Arizona through the transfer portal in 2023.Β
