If theyโre done for the day, the Wildcats have closed with a bang.
Four-star cornerback Ephesians Prysock, a former USC commit, has signed with Arizona.
Prysock immediately jumps to the top tier of the UAโs 2022 class. A product of Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, California โ where he was teammates with fellow signee Kevin Green Jr. โ Prysock is ranked as a top-250 player in the country by 247Sports. Rivals also rates him as a four-star prospect.
Welcome Home ๐ ๐ต@ephe5ian5 is officially a Wildcat๐ค#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/ERkEE5c0Z1
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
In addition to being committed to USC before the Trojansโ coaching change, Prysock had an offer from Ohio State, which he visited in June. Arizona was able to get him on campus last week.
Prysock is listed at 6-3, 170 pounds, so he gives the Wildcats another cornerback with excellent length.
Barring a surprise, no additional signings are expected today. Arizona remains in the running for four-star receiver Tetairoa McMillan, whoโs expected to decide between the UA and Oregon by the end of this week.
Arizona inks UCLA transfer DJ Warnell; top target Tetairoa McMillan still in play
The high school signings have slowed down, but the news hasnโt.
Arizona has secured its first addition from the NCAA transfer portal in UCLA defensive back DJ Warnell.
Warnell, whoโs originally from La Marque, Texas, played 16 games over the past two seasons as a reserve safety and special-teams contributor. He had nine tackles, two pass breakups and one forced fumble this past season as a second-year freshman.
Warnell was a three-star cornerback coming out of high school. Heโs listed at 6-2, 201 pounds.
Arizona recently hired defensive assistants Johnny Nansen and Jason Kaufusi off the Bruinsโ staff, so theyโre obviously familiar with Warnellโs game.
Meanwhile, Arizonaโs top remaining target, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, reportedly is holding off on his decision until Thursday or Friday.
McMillan, a four-star prospect rated as the No. 3 wideout in the nation by 247Sports, has been committed to Oregon for some time. But the Ducks are in the midst of a coaching change, giving McMillan pause.
Greg Biggins, the national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, said itโs a โvery tight raceโ between Oregon and Arizona, which has signed three of McMillanโs teammates from Servite High School in Anaheim, California: quarterback Noah Fifita, tight end Keyan Burnett and linebacker Jacob Manu.
Arizona also announced the signing of linebacker Brandon Craddock, who will join the program as a preferred walk-on. Craddock attends Sandra Day OโConnor High School in Phoenix.
Homegrown ๐ตWelcome to the Wildcat family @BrandonCraddoc6!#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/E2Yh6v7ip2
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Wildcats add hulking Jonah Savaiinaea to O-line
Arizona has added another big man โ a very big man โ to its 2022 signing class.
Offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea is the latest prospect to sign with the Wildcats. The UA is listing Savaiinaea at 6-4, 340 pounds.
From the islands to the desert... ๐ดโก๏ธ๐ตAloha Jonah Savaiinaea! #TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/4qAP3UB8q4
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Savaiinaea attends Saint Louis High School in Honolulu. The three-star prospect also held offers from Arizona State, Hawaii, San Diego State and UCF.
Heโs the third offensive lineman to sign with Arizona, joining Grayson Stovall and Jacob Reece.
The UA officially has inked 19 players so far. At least one more is expected today.
Arizona adds more defensive talent, signs 6-3 CB Tacario Davis
New Arizona defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen and his staff will have plenty of talent to work with in the coming years.
Cornerback Tacario Davis became the latest recruit to sign with the Wildcats. Exactly half of Arizonaโs 18 signees so far play on the defensive side of the ball.
.@TacarioD is bringing the heat to Tucson ๐ฅ#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/F4AxP5qdFR
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Davis attends Millikan High School in Long Beach, California. The three-star prospect also held offers from Arizona State and Kansas.
Arizona lists Davis at 6-3, 175 pounds โ an ideal frame for the style of defense Nansen plans to implement.
Pass rush remains focus for Arizona, which adds DE Isaiah Ward to '22 class
Upgrading the pass rush was clearly one of Arizonaโs primary objectives in this recruiting cycle.
The Wildcats added another edge rusher to their 2022 class via the signing of defensive end Isaiah Ward.
Coming off the EDGE...@isaiahward51 is your newest Wildcat!#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/kFtGVPZZNT
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Ward โ who played at Colony High School in Ontario, California, alongside receiver AJ Jones, another UA signee โ is listed at 6-6, 230 pounds.
The three-star prospect also held offers from Arizona State, Oregon State and Utah.
3-star athlete Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine signs with UA, will play DB for Cats
Arizona continued to add its recruiting haul with another December flip.
Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine, a three-star athlete from Palmetto High School in Miami, Florida, has signed with the Wildcats.
From Miami to the Desert...@Jcelestine5 aka "G7" is officially a Wildcat!#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/m0VU1uTWIW
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Celestine had been committed to Western Carolina before his recruitment gained steam late in the cycle. His offer list also included Florida State and Utah State.
Celestine played on both sides of the ball in high school. He also returned kicks. Arizona is listing him as a defensive back.
4-star edge rusher Sterling Lane officially signs with Arizona Wildcats
Edge rusher Sterling Lane, one of Arizonaโs highest-rated commitments, officially has signed with the Wildcats.
Lane, who attends Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California, is a consensus four-star prospect. He had drawn late interest from College Football Playoff-bound Cincinnati, per 247Sportsโ Greg Biggins. But Lane ended any speculation by submitting his national letter of intent Wednesday morning.
BIG pickup here. ๐ค@DeuceLane11 is officially a Wildcat! โ๏ธ#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/oYfwbbdL9C
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Lane is listed as a 6-4, 235-pound linebacker, but he could project to defensive end. His offer list included Arizona State, LSU, Michigan, Oregon and Utah.
Arizona signs DE Taโitaโi Uiagalelei, who had been committed to Washington State
New defensive coordinator Johnny Nansenโs recruiting chops are already paying dividends.
With Nansen leading the charge, Arizona was able to flip defensive end Taโitaโi Uiagalelei from Washington State. Uiagaleleiโs national letter of intent has been processed by the UA, officially making him a Wildcat.
TA'ITA'I TIMEโผ๏ธ@tai_uiagalelei is officially a Wildcat!#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/EMpOV0cxMD
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Uiagalelei attends Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei High School. An edge rusher listed at 6-4, 255 pounds, Uiagalelei is part of a football family that also produced D.J. Uiagalelei, the starting quarterback at Clemson.
Taโitaโi Uiagalelei is the 14th player to sign with Arizona on Wednesday. The Wildcats are expected to ink 20-22 players during the early signing period.
Former USC commit Kevin Green Jr. signs with Arizona Wildcats
Receiver Kevin Green Jr. recently flipped his commitment from USC to Arizona, and now heโs made it official.
Green, a three-star prospect from Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, California, has submitted his letter-of-intent to the UA.
Greener days ahead for @ts_kevoWelcome to the Wildcat family!#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/qWhTFGI4mf
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Green decommitted from USC after the hiring of Lincoln Riley. Green also held offers from Arizona State, Cal and Nebraska, among others.
Green is the 13th player, sixth Californian and second wide receiver to sign with Arizona on Wednesday.
Receiver AJ Jones, LB Jacob Manu join Arizona's 2022 class
The California kids are starting to come in.
Receiver AJ Jones of Colony High School in Ontario and linebacker Jacob Manu of Servite High School in Anaheim are the latest prospects to sign with Arizona. They are the fourth and fifth players from California after an early wave of East Coast and in-state signees.
Jones is listed at 6-4, 195 pounds. The three-star prospect also had offers from Arizona State, UCLA and San Diego State.
We got ourselves a playmaker here... Welcome to Wildcat Nation @thtkid_aj6!#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/r4SgzDJNcN
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Manu, whoโs listed at 5-11, 210, was something of a late bloomer on the recruiting trail. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Trinity League.
Manu joins high school teammates Noah Fifita and Keyan Burnett in signing national letters of intent with Arizona.
JUICEEEE COUNTY ๐From @ServiteFootball, Welcome to Tucson @Jacobmanu6!#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/SRbIeg307g
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
RB Jonah Coleman signs with Arizona; averaged 9.0 yards per rush as senior
Weโve reached double digits.
Running back Jonah Coleman of Stockton, California, is the 10th player to sign with Arizona on Wednesday.
Stocktonโs finest.Welcome to the RB room @jonahcoleman8!#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/AFETxbUZ7R
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
A three-star prospect from Lincoln High School, Coleman notched 949 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns in nine games as a senior. He averaged 9.0 yards per rush.
Listed at 5-9, 205, Coleman also had offers from Arizona State, Colorado and Fresno State, among others. He is the third player from California to sign with the Wildcats for the class of 2022. Several more are expected today.
High school teammates Noah Fifita, Keyan Burnett sign with Wildcats
The Servite crew is incoming.
Quarterback Noah Fifita and tight end Keyan Burnett of Servite High School in Anaheim, California, have officially signed with the Wildcats.
Despite being undersized (listed at 5-10, 170), Fifita had a prolific, award-winning senior season for the Friars.
YESSAHโผ๏ธWelcome to Wildcat Nation @thenoah_fifita1!#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/KVmU0EMpHB
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Fifita passed for 2,974 yards with 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He was named the Offensive Player of the Year in the highly competitive Trinity League.
Burnett caught 34 passes for 574 yards and six scores. He is the son of former Wildcat Chester Burnett. The younger Burnett initially was committed to USC.
The Legacy continues. @keyan_burnett is officially an Arizona Wildcat! #TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/wAPPHoWBc0
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Linebacker Jacob Manu of Servite also is expected to sign with Arizona today. The lingering question is whether Servite receiver Tetairoa McMillan, whoโs currently committed to Oregon, will follow his high school teammates to Tucson.
DT Isaiah Johnson is 4th in-state prospect, 5th lineman to sign with Arizona
As the official Arizona Football Twitter account noted, โIt starts in the trenches.โ
Defensive tackle Isaiah Johnson is the seventh player โ and fifth lineman โ to sign with the Wildcats on Wednesday.
It starts in the trenches...Welcome to Tucson, Isaiah Johnson!#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/a8JSOJxfAn
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Johnson is listed at 6-2, 275 pounds. He attends Chandler High School, which produced current Wildcats Drake Anderson and Gunner Maldonado.
Johnson is also the fourth in-state recruit to sign with Arizona.
A three-star prospect, Johnson also had offers from Colorado and Utah State.
Russell Davis II signs with Wildcats; half of early haul hails from Arizona
Another in-state prospect has signed his letter-of-intent with Arizona.
Defensive end Russell Davis II โ aka โDeuceโ โ is the third player from Arizona and sixth player overall to sign with the Wildcats for the class of 2022.
More sunny days ahead for @DeuceDavis96 โ๏ธ#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/tsGtMokTLx
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Davis is a three-star edge rusher from Chandler Hamilton High School, where he was teammates with offensive lineman Grayson Stovall, another UA signee.
Jedd Fisch and his staff made in-state recruiting a priority, and theyโve followed up on that promise in a big way so far.
Chandler OL Grayson Stovall, first commit of '22 class, signs with Arizona
Make that two in-state additions.
Offensive lineman Grayson Stovall of Chandler Hamilton High School is the latest prospect to officially join Arizonaโs 2022 signing class.
Stovall, a 6-4, 281-pound interior blocker, was the first recruit to verbally commit to the class, back on Jan. 29.
Letโs get to work, Grayson Stovall is officially an Arizona Wildcat. #TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/32dUgkQUed
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Heโs the second offensive lineman to sign with Arizona on Wednesday, joining Jacob Reece of Salt Lake City.
As of 7:30 a.m. Mountain Time, the Wildcats had signed five players. They are expected to add 20-22 newcomers by the end of the early signing period Friday.
Three-star Phoenix tight end Tyler Powell is Arizona's first in-state signee
The first NLI from an in-state recruit is in.
Tight end Tyler Powell of Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix is the first Arizona product and fourth player overall to sign with the Wildcats on Wednesday.
Welcome home @TylerPowellbcp #TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/9uORyT9n1q
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Powell is rated as a three-star prospect and has a projectable frame at about 6-7, 240. His offer list also included Arizona State, Auburn and Fresno State.
Arizona is expected to sign four-star tight end Keyan Burnett of Servite High School in Anaheim, California, later today.
Linemen Jermaine Wiggins Jr., Jacob Reece join Arizonaโs 2022 class
Arizona is off and running.
The Wildcats have added two linemen to their class, bringing the overall total to three.
The latest players to sign with the UA are defensive end Jermaine Wiggins Jr. and offensive lineman Jacob Reece.
Wiggins, the son of former NFL tight end Jermaine Wiggins, is a 6-4, 230-pound defensive end from Bridgton Academy in Bridgton, Maine.
SIGNED. Welcome to Tucson @Jwiggs85jr!#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/gMLrGQdm2S
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Reece is a 6-5, 295-pound tackle from Brighton High School in Salt Lake City. He previously had been committed to Utah State.
Officially Official โ๏ธ Welcome to Wildcat Nation, @jacobreece56 #TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/53b0Xjo7Az
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
Adding talent and depth to both lines will be a priority for Arizona today and beyond as Jedd Fisch and his staff reshape the roster after this past seasonโs 1-11 finish.
LB Tyler Martin of Massachusetts is first player to sign with Wildcats
A possible future leader of the Arizona defense is the first player to officially join the Wildcats on early signing day.
Linebacker Tyler Martinโs national letter of intent has arrived, making him the first member of the UAโs class.
The first Wildcat of the 2022 class is in! Welcome to Tucson @tylermartin5bbn!#TwentyTucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/R5qudJKsIZ
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 15, 2021
247Sports lists Martin at 6-3, 238 pounds. Heโs a three-star prospect who also had offers from Arkansas, Michigan (where he once was committed) and Nebraska.
Martin attends the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Acton, Massachusetts, and his primary recruiter was former UA defensive coordinator Don Brown.
There was some concern that Martin would follow Brown to UMass, but Martin stuck with his pledge and his headed to Tucson.
Jedd Fisch, Arizona staff look to close stellar 2022 recruiting class
When Jedd Fisch became Arizonaโs coach last December, the early signing period already had come and gone.
Fisch and his staff inherited most of the class of 2021. They scrambled to add to it, and they enhanced the incoming group via the NCAA transfer portal.
But as soon as they possibly could, Fisch, his coaches and the UA โfront officeโ went to work on the class of โ22. The fruit of their labor will be revealed today.
Arizona entered Wednesday with a class ranked in the top 40 nationally by 247Sports.com and Rivals.com. Both recruiting outlets placed the Wildcats’ class third in the Pac-12.
By Friday, Arizona is expected to have 20-22 signees. We will provide updates on all the action until Fisch and UA director of player personnel Matt Doherty meet with the media at 2 p.m.