Arizona LT Jordan Morgan opts out of Alamo Bowl to prep for NFL Draft

Arizona senior left tackle Jordan Morgan announced on Friday that he will opt out of the 14th-ranked Wildcats’ Alamo Bowl matchup with No. 12 Oklahoma and begin preparation for the upcoming NFL Draft.

The former Marana High School star concludes his productive UA career after five seasons with the hometown Wildcats. Morgan will become the first Arizona offensive lineman drafted since Eben Britton in 2009.

Morgan’s replacement for the Alamo Bowl could conceivably be redshirt senior Sam Langi, who started at left tackle the final two games of the season last year, or redshirt sophomore Joseph Borjon. Another option for Arizona could be moving either freshman right guard Raymond Pulido, who has tackle experience, or right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea to left tackle and start guard Leif Magnuson, who started multiple games this season.

“Ever since I was a kid growing up in Tucson, I wanted to play for the University of Arizona. To fulfill that dream and play in front of my family, friends and amazing fans has been a blessing,” Morgan said on Instagram.

Later said Morgan: “After much prayer and thought, I have decided it is best for me to opt out of the bowl game and begin my preparation for the 2024 NFL Draft. Playing in the NFL has been a lifelong dream of mine and it’s time to go chase it.”

Morgan went under the radar as a high school prospect at Marana. Morgan didn’t have a Twitter (X), Facebook or Instagram profiles. Morgan was the UA’s best-kept secret in its own backyard, but after Morgan’s commitment to the Wildcats before his senior year at Marana, USC made a late push; Trojans’ then-head coach Clay Helton attended one of Morgan’s games at MHS. Morgan, who was 6-5 and 270 pounds then, signed with Arizona in 2019, despite significant interest from USC and Arizona State.

“As soon as U of A offered Jordan, I knew he was going to be successful, because all he wanted to do was play for his community and give his parents an opportunity to see him,” former Marana head coach Louie Ramirez told the Star on Friday.

Morgan was one of three scholarship players from the UA’s 2019 recruiting class who played for the Wildcats this season, along with running back Michael Wiley and punter Kyle Ostendorp.

As a true freshman, Morgan made his first collegiate start in the Wildcats’ 34-6 loss to Oregon at the rowdy Autzen Stadium in Eugene. Morgan started the final game of the season against Arizona State.

Morgan started the first two games of the truncated and pandemic-influenced 2020 season before missing the final three due to injury. Former Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin was fired the day after Arizona’s 63-point loss to ASU to end the season, and head coach Jedd Fisch and staff of coaches with NFL experience were brought in later in December 2020.

Among those coaches was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Brennan Carroll, son of longtime college and NFL head coach Pete Carroll. In three seasons under Carroll’s direction, Morgan’s pass-blocking grades on Pro Football Focus have risen from 55.6 (2021) to 82 (’22) to 89.9 (’23).

As Morgan progressed as one of the top pass-blocking offensive linemen in college football, so did Arizona as a program. The eight-game improvement from 2021 (1-11) to this season (9-3) is the best in program history.

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Morgan generated NFL Draft buzz last season but suffered a season-ending knee injury in Arizona’s upset win at UCLA. His stock took a hit and he was unable to perform at the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis or in Arizona’s Pro Day. Morgan opted to return for his final season of eligibility.

Considering Arizona’s ascension as a program, it was an easy choice.

“I think that was part of it. There were some other NFL things involved, too, like making more money and stuff like that,” Carroll said. “Raising his draft stock and ensure he was going to be a high draft pick, that was involved, too. When he wants to play in the NFL, he wants to be healthy. It’s tough to go into the NFL off an injury and that’s your first experience. Those are the three main factors that led to it.”

This season, the 6-5, 325-pound Morgan started all 12 games and only allowed two sacks in 787 snaps. His 89.9 pass-blocking grade by PFF is the fourth-best nationally amongst tackles with at least 700 snaps played this season. Morgan was named a First Team All-Pac-12 selection.

“Coming back to play with them for one more year really seals the deal and makes me feel good about my decision,” Morgan said. “Feels good. I’ve been here since 2019, so building it up from there was a long process.”

Following a strong senior campaign, Morgan is projected as a possible first-rounder for April’s NFL Draft in Detroit. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper has Morgan as the 25th-best overall prospect entering the draft. Morgan could become the first UA offensive lineman drafted in the first round since John Fina in 1992.

“I wrote about Morgan before the season, picking him as a prospect who could rise if he shows he’s healthy. Well, he looks great. After tearing the ACL in his right knee last November, he rehabbed in the spring to get ready and was able to return for Week 1,” Kiper wrote in his review. “Morgan is extremely consistent from snap to snap. His footwork is terrific in pass protection, and I love his ease of movement and ability to bend. Morgan stays active with his hands, and he can get to the next level on combo blocks. He handles twists really well and can deal with inside and outside moves with ease.”

Earlier in the season, Carroll said Morgan is “one of the easiest guys I’ve ever had to coach.”

“He’ll do anything you ask him to do, and he’s taken all of the coaching that we’ve set out there for him,” Carroll said. “We ask a lot out of him. We ask him to do a lot of different schemes, a lot different things that are showing up on the film, so I’m glad Mel finally got a copy of the film.”

Fisch said Morgan’s size and athleticism, coupled with his production at Arizona, will get the tackle selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

“He can really handle a (defensive) end on his own without worrying about having to provide a lot of chip help with backs or tight ends. He’s able to get to the second level of blocking, where he can block not just the defensive line, but he’s athletic enough to go block linebackers, defensive backs in space,” Fisch said. “That’s a big part of being an offensive lineman. He has a nastiness and is not afraid to play 75-80 plays and get physical each play, and he has great poise.”

Morgan is expected to attend the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis from Feb. 27-March 4. Earlier in February, Morgan, along with Arizona star wide receiver Jacob Cowing, will play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

“I am beyond proud to have had the opportunity to coach Jordan and to see his dreams of playing in the NFL come to fruition now,” said Ramirez. “He stayed committed to a school and never let others influence his decision, and knew if he was a good person, good student and good athlete that he’d reap the benefits.

“Jordan’s character and work ethic will take him a long way in life.”