Arizona Wildcats land 4-star linebacker Leviticus Su'a during Polynesian Bowl

The Polynesian Bowl on Friday was a glimpse of the Arizona Wildcats’ future.

Just minutes after UA quarterback signee Brayden Dorman threw a touchdown pass during the first quarter of the annual high school showcase in Honolulu, four-star linebacker Leviticus Su’a committed to the Wildcats, becoming the latest addition to Arizona’s defensive-heavy 2023 recruiting class.

The 6-1, 225-pound Su’a, who’s a senior at Southern California juggernaut Mater Dei High School, chose the UA over Stanford and UCLA.

“They were one of the first schools to start recruiting me heavily,” Su’a said of Arizona on the NFL Network broadcast. “The culture they’re building over there, how they’re pushing the Polynesian culture into that program, it’s really great, and I see big things happening over there, for sure.”

Su’a is rated by 247Sports.com as the 30th-best linebacker in the nation for the ‘23 recruiting cycle.

Su’a is the third Mater Dei prospect to join the Wildcats since Jedd Fisch was hired. The Wildcats also have defensive linemen Jacob Rich Kongaika and Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei.

In four seasons with the Monarchs, Su’a logged 134 tackles, 4.5 sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. During his senior campaign, Su’a had 40 solo tackles and was named the Trinity League Most Valuable Player. Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who played at Anaheim Servite, was the conference’s MVP in 2021.

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The Wildcats are adding five inside linebackers for 2023: Su’a, transfers Justin Flowe (Oregon) and Daniel Heimuli (Washington), Chandler product Taye Brown and Honolulu native Kamuela Ka’aihue.

Between the transfer portal and high school prospects, the Wildcats currently have 29 scholarship newcomers. 247Sports ranks the class as a whole at No. 36 in the country.

Su’a, Dorman, Ka’aihue and Hawaii natives and incoming spring additions Gavin Hunter (safety) Julian Savaiinaea (defensive line) were Arizona’s representatives in the Polynesian Bowl.

Extra points:

Former Arizona offensive lineman Jacob Alsadek was announced as the next offensive line coach for the Albany Great Danes, an FCS program in New York.

Alsadek previously served as a graduate offensive assistant at Oregon State and Toledo. He was an analyst at Albany during the 2019 season.

The Wildcats are hosting a plethora of recruits this weekend, including four-star 2024 offensive tackle Paki Finau, three-star tackle Manasse Itete, three-star defensive lineman TJ Ford and 2025 edge rusher Juju Walls.