Arizona coach Jedd Fisch gave much of the credit for the Wildcats’ best recruiting class in years to the recruits themselves.
Arizona couldn’t have done what it did — landing a top-40 class despite a 1-11 record in Fisch’s first season — without players such as quarterback Noah Fifita serving as a pied piper, leading a crew of Southern California standouts to Tucson.
“All he did was just recruit for us,” Fisch said Wednesday during a news conference to discuss Arizona’s 2022 signing class.
Fifita, a prolific passer from Servite High School in Anaheim, California, committed to Arizona on April 4. Two of his teammates, tight end Keyan Burnett and linebacker Jacob Manu, eventually followed his lead. By the time Day 1 of the early signing period concluded Wednesday, Arizona had hauled in 10 players — half of its high school signees — from Southern California.
“They’re like, ‘Hey, we want to be a part of what’s going on over there,’” Fisch said.
Burnett — whose father, Chester, played at Arizona — also played an instrumental role “in trying to shape this program,” Fisch said.
“He and his family have been just outstanding in ... getting on board, being on board, staying on board and then really helping right the ship,” he said.
The recruits might not be done recruiting.
The top-ranked player from Servite, receiver Tetairoa McMillan, did not sign a letter of intent Wednesday. McMillan, a five-star prospect per Rivals.com, has been committed to Oregon since mid-August. But he made an official visit to Arizona in June, and Fisch and his staff never stopped recruiting him.
With Oregon having changed coaches, McMillan became less certain about the Ducks. Greg Biggins, the national recruiting analyst for 247Sports.com, said it has become a “very tight race” between Oregon and Arizona, which already has three of McMillan’s ex-teammates and longtime friends.
“I was originally going to sign today, but I don’t know,” he told reporters Wednesday at Servite’s signing ceremony. “My gut feeling told me that it wasn’t a good day to sign.”
McMillan said he “most definitely” would sign by Friday, which marks the end of the early signing period. If not, he’ll have to wait until Feb. 2.
In discussing how Fifita and Burnett helped bring the class together, Fisch referenced “potentially others” from Southern California’s Trinity League who could come aboard. Besides McMillan, Arizona is a finalist for Rayshon Luke of Bellflower St. John Bosco. The four-star running back plans to make his announcement during the Jan. 8 All-American Bowl. Louisville is Luke’s other top option.
Servite and Bosco met twice this past season, splitting those games. When the Friars defeated the Braves in the rematch — a postseason elimination game — Fifita played a starring role: He rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown.
Fifita also played a pivotal part off the field for his future school.
“All prospects at every other position are watching who you’re taking a quarterback and watching that you’re taking a quarterback,” said Matt Doherty, Arizona’s director of player personnel.”“The programs that don’t secure that, there just seems to be something wrong with that program in the eyes of the other players that you’re trying to pursue.”
Besides securing Fifita, Doherty said the staff’s biggest team-building goal was to be “very line-of-scrimmage-centric.” Arizona’s class includes three offensive linemen and five defensive linemen. If pass-rushing linebacker Sterling Lane II moves to defensive end, that would make six.
“You can’t go wrong taking big, athletic bodies up front and developing them into what you hope to be dominant players,” Doherty said, “(or) at the very least a problem for your opposition.”
The lines will continue to be a focal point as Arizona strives to build from the “inside-out,” as Fisch put it. The UA could add between seven and 10 total players via the NCAA transfer portal between now and training camp, he said. The Wildcats signed one transfer Wednesday: former UCLA defensive back DJ Warnell.
“Right now we’re in the business of difference-makers,” Doherty said. “The best players available are the ones that will be considered.”
While longtime commits such as Fifita, Burnett and Lane helped recruit behind the scenes, the UA staff closed strong this past weekend. Five players who visited the UA campus ended up committing to and signing with Arizona. They included three whose commitments weren’t official before Wednesday: four-star cornerback Ephesians Prysock, three-star athlete Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine and defensive end Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei (who played for Servite’s biggest rival, Mater Dei).
UA coach Jedd Fisch's first full recruiting class is the talk of the Pac-12.
The visits — and commitments, some of which were kept secret — overlapped with the Arizona men’s basketball game at Illinois on Saturday. Fisch said his program has been able to feed off the energy created by the undefeated UA men’s and women’s hoops squads.
“It’s awesome because you’re selling the university, you’re able to sell what’s going on here,” Fisch said.
“The energy around the program at that time was just amazing. I’m hoping that that day is the first day to what is going to be a lot of bigger, brighter and better things for Arizona football. Today was a great day as well.”
Extra points
As of Wednesday evening, Arizona’s 2022 class was ranked 35th nationally by 247Sports.com. Rivals.com had the Wildcats 40th. Both outlets had the Wildcats third in the Pac-12. They haven’t finished in the top half of the conference since 2014.
Warnell, who’s originally from La Marque, Texas, played 16 games over the past two seasons as a reserve safety and special-teams contributor at UCLA. He had nine tackles, two pass breakups and one forced fumble this past season as a second-year freshman. Arizona recently hired defensive assistants Johnny Nansen and Jason Kaufusi off the Bruins’ staff.
Nansen, the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator, will coach inside linebackers. Kaufusi will coach edge rushers and share special teams with tight ends coach Jordan Paopao. Ricky Hunley will coach interior defensive linemen.
Arizona’s Wednesday additions included at least two preferred walk-ons: linebacker Brandon Craddock of Sandra Day O’Connor High School in Phoenix and quarterback Cole Tannenbaum of Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California (the same school Lane attends).
Offensive lineman David Watson, who attended Amphitheater High School, has entered the transfer portal. Watson spent the past four seasons at Arizona but did not appear in any games. He has been slowed by back issues.
Former Wildcat Rourke Freeburg signed with Toledo. Freeburg had 24 tackles, including 3.5 stops for losses, as a safety, linebacker and special-teams player at Arizona.
Celestine’s nickname is “G7.” It’s a reference to the Gulfstream G700, which Celestine told Fisch is the “Rolls-Royce of private jets.”
