Prior relationships, 'trust' help Arizona Wildcats ink multiple recruits for 2025

In recruiting, sometimes it helps to know a guy who knows a guy.

For Arizona, the Wildcats signed three players for 2025 with personal connections to the current regime.

Two of them are defensive backs: Chandler cornerback Dajon Hinton and Austin, Texas-area cornerback Swayde Griffin.

Hinton’s father, David Hinton, played defensive back for the Wildcats from 2000-02 while Brennan was a graduate assistant coach under Dick Tomey. Dajon Hinton’s older brother, D.J. Hinton, graduated from Tucson High and was a walk-on wide receiver for the UA.

Griffin, one of six Wildcats from Texas in the ’25 class, was previously committed to Texas Tech before he flipped to Arizona in June.

Griffin is the son of former Texas defensive back Cedric Griffin, who played for Arizona defensive coordinator Duane Akina at Texas. Griffin was a part of the national championship team that dethroned back-to-back champion USC at the Rose Bowl in 2006. The younger Griffin is a 6-1, 185-pound standout at Lago Vista High School in Lago Vista, Texas, a suburb of Austin.

Both Griffin and Hinton’s fathers were defensive backs under Akina, who has coached three Jim Thorpe Award winners.

“That speaks to the trust,” said Brennan. “The trust that those parents had with Coach Akina. It’s obviously well documented that Duane Akina is one of the best, if not the best, secondary coach in the country. His track record speaks for itself. ... What Duane has done in this game, coaching that position, it’s no surprise that players’ parents want their sons to play for Duane. ... Those parents, their experience with Coach Akina was exceptional. So exceptional, they’re trusting the development of their most important person in the world to them — their son — to play for Duane. That is awesome.”

A personal connection also helped the Wildcats land three-star tight end Kellan Ford, a Monte Vista High School product in Danville, California, who lived across the street from Brennan when he was an assistant coach at San Jose State. Ford’s mother, Krista, and father, Evan, were high school classmates and friends of Brennan’s wife, Courtney Brennan.

Between Krista Ford’s job at Nike and Brennan coaching, “everyone thought Kellan’s dad and my wife were husband and wife,” Brent Brennan said.

“She’s going to love me telling that story by the way,” Brennan joked.

Kellan Ford, a 6-5, 230-pound tight end, “was always a special athlete and always played everything and was naturally good at it.”

When Ford was born, Brennan went to the hospital to offer him a scholarship at San Jose State.

“The day he was born, I handed his parents an offer letter,” Brennan said. “I said, ‘When he’s ready, I want him.’”

Lo and behold, 18 years later, Ford signed to play for Brennan at Arizona, but the Arizona coach said tight ends coach Matt Adkins was “a huge part of his recruitment.”

“Matt’s history of developing tight end and because Kellan has had so much exposure to Matt, because of my relationship with Kellan, I think that’s been really helpful in terms of him choosing to play here,” Brennan said. “Without that relationship with Coach Adkins, we would’ve had trouble with UCLA and Washington on that one, because Kellan’s sister plays volleyball at UCLA and his mom went to Washington, played soccer there. We’re really excited about Kellan Ford. I’m glad I brought that letter to the hospital the day he was born. It’s going to pay off big time for the Arizona Wildcats.”

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McDaniel flips from Arizona to UCLA

Arizona will only sign one quarterback in its 2025 recruiting class after three-star Northern California quarterback Robert McDaniel flipped his commitment from the Wildcats to UCLA on Thursday evening.

McDaniel was the only UA commit to not sign with the Wildcats during Early Signing Day on Wednesday, then the Hughson, California, native changed his commitment and signed with the Bruins.

McDaniel’s relationship with incoming UCLA offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri, who was hired from Indiana, played a role in landing the quarterback, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.

In four seasons at Hughson High School, the 6-1, 195-pound McDaniel passed for 7,767 yards, 95 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. In the summer, McDaniel participated in Elite 11, an invite-only showcase with some of the top quarterbacks at the high school level.

The Wildcats signed three-star Gilbert Higley quarterback Luke Haugo, who will be one of signees to enroll in January and participate in spring practices.

With the loss of McDaniel, the Wildcats’ 20-player 2025 recruiting class dropped to 60th nationally, according to 247Sports.com. Arizona’s class is now ranked 14th in the 16-team Big 12.

Moe to enter transfer portal

Arizona lost one of its top offensive linemen on Friday when junior guard Wendell Moe announced on social media his decision to enter the transfer portal.

Moe, a multi-year starter on Arizona’s offensive line, will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Moe joined the Wildcats in 2022 under former head coach Jedd Fisch after a standout career at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in California. As a true freshman, Moe started three games in Arizona’s 5-7 campaign in 2022. He started all 13 games at left guard in Arizona’s 10-3 season in 2023 that ended with an Alamo Bowl victory.

As a starter this past season, due to injuries on Arizona’s offensive line, Moe played both left guard and right guard. Moe logged 638 snaps at left guard and 122 at right guard. He received the second-best pass-blocking grade (87) this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Moe played 1,775 snaps over his three-year career at Arizona.

There’s still a possibility Moe returns to Arizona, but with the 6-2, 339-pounder exploring other options, with center Josh Baker out of eligibility and tackle Jonah Savaiinaea expected to enter the NFL Draft, the only returning starters on the offensive line are left tackle Rhino Tapa’atoutai and right guard Alexander Doost.

Moe is the latest Wildcat to reveal his plan to enter the transfer portal, joining tight end Dorian Thomas, quarterback Brayden Dorman, offensive lineman JT Hand, wide receiver AJ Jones and running back Rayshon Luke.

The transfer portal officially opens on Monday.