The transfer portal process has often been referred to by the Arizona coaching staff as "speed dating."
Relationships are formed with phone calls and one- or two-day official visits, and players make their decisions in a quick manner, especially now that there's only one transfer portal window, which closes for new entries on Friday.
It didn't take long for Wyoming cornerback Tyrese Boss to realize he wanted to play for the Arizona Wildcats.
"Arizona, the whole coaching staff made it clear that I was a piece that could really help elevate the (defensive backs) room as a corner," Boss said. "They were also really welcoming. The whole coaching staff, they greeted me with open arms. It wasn't just a handshake, it was hugs. Everybody gave a hug and that's a thing you don't really get from a lot of coaching staffs, and I'm talking from the head coach all the way down."
Arizona cornerbacks coach Chip Viney "saw me more as a person," Boss said.
"It wasn't just football conversations on my visit, it was life talk and family talk, conversations that you look for in a coach," Boss added. "That's what made me gravitate towards Arizona and make that decision."
Colorado wide receiver Omarion Miller (4) makes the catch defended by Wyoming cornerback Tyrese Boss (8), Sept. 20, 2025, in Boulder, Colo.
Boss is one of five additions at defensive back for Arizona in the transfer portal, along with Nebraska safety Malcolm Hartzog, Northern Colorado safety Cam Chapa, Charlotte cornerback Dwight Bootle II and UConn safety Lee Molette III. Arizona also signed Fresno City College cornerback Brandon Holmes last week.
Boss was the first defensive back to sign with the Wildcats' 2026 transfer portal class.
Boss grew up in Rialto, California, but moved to Chino Hills to be closer to his mother's job at the California Institution for Men. Just before Boss entered high school, his grandmother died in 2017, and two years later, his father lost his battle to colon cancer.
"I had a rough two years when I was younger and it kind of made me realize what life was about at a young age," Boss said. "My mentality changed and I grew up fast at a young age. My mom was a single parent, she raised me, that's my rock right there."
Boss used the grief "as motivation towards the game," he said. "Every day, I think about that and it keeps me motivated."
Colorado wide receiver Omarion Miller (4) is pulled down after catching a pass by Wyoming cornerback Tyrese Boss (8) as linebacker Evan Eller (6) covers in the second half, Sept. 20, 2025, in Boulder, Colo.
The 5-11, 190-pound Boss signed with Wyoming's 2024 recruiting class as a two-star recruit out of Chino Hills High School (California). He also received offers from Eastern Washington, Montana State and Oregon State.
Boss played in two games as a freshman in 2024 and appeared in 12 games this past season, recording 39 tackles and no interceptions.
Boss joined "Spears & Ali" on ESPN Tucson to talk about his playing style, joining Arizona's defense and his official visit at the UA, which included eating home-made chocolate chip cookies made by Courtney Brennan, the wife of Arizona head coach Brent Brennan.
Here's what Boss had to say:
When you were a high school prospect, is it safe to say that you were under-recruited?
A: "I think so. I don't really like to say it because I'm a humble dude. Chino Hills wasn't really a football school. ... I knew it was going to be more for me to get the bigger offers coming out of high school."
Did that put a chip on your shoulder and do you use that as motivation?
A: "It's like an underdog story. Coming out of high school, I wasn't recruited by teams close to the West Coast; it was more Big Sky (teams). Wyoming came in at the last minute. I didn't have any Mountain West offers until the last minute. Same thing with my grandparents, I use it as motivation.
"When I hit the field, I know that people might think, 'Well, he only went to Wyoming and he hasn't really played anybody.' I think I've played against some good competition. ... It's something in the back of my head that I have to show everybody that just because I didn't get the looks they got out of high school and I wasn't five stars, stars don't mean anything."
Are you more of a man-to-man cornerback or do you prefer zone defense?
A: "When I first got to Wyoming, I was more of a zone corner, but they developed me into a good press corner. I like to be in press a lot now. You can catch me in receivers' faces this year. I got comfortable being down at the line and hammering people on the line."
Wyoming cornerback Tyrese Boss tackles Colorado wide receiver Omarion Miller in the second half, Sept. 20, 2025, in Boulder, Colo.
How eager are you to be a part of defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales' system, especially after the Wildcats had one of the top passing defenses in college football this past season?
A: "I'm excited. The scheme they run is a lot more complex, but it's going to be in a lot more positions to make plays. He's one of those coaches that trusts his players. ... That's a big thing for the success of the team, a coach putting his trust into his players and telling them, 'I believe in you, so go do what you do.' I really like that. I hope we do that again, because I like to press a lot, so I hope he gives me the opportunity to show that I can shut down the receivers."
How would you summarize the portion of your official visit when you went to Brennan's house with your family and ate chocolate chip cookies?
A: "That was great. We got out there, and that was one of the first things we did. We're driving up these windy roads, and I'm like, 'Where are we going? I don't know where we're going.' It was a great experience. It didn't seem like a put-together thing, it seemed like a thing that they do regularly.
"Inviting us and having us there, it was a cool experience. There were a couple of players watching a game, some of the staff was there watching the game, eating food. It didn't seem like it was something that was just for the visit, it seemed like they were doing it on a weekly basis.
"They welcomed us into their home. Mind you, I had my family there, so they brought my family in. They weren't just talking to me, they were talking to my whole family. One big thing to them was being my support system. That's why they were talking to my family. If my support system is good, then I should be good.
"Those cookies were great. They were really good. I had a couple, for sure."
