For a while, Arizona seemed destined to reel in multiple cornerbacks rated four-stars.
Early in the recruiting process, the Wildcats were afterΒ Jaylon Redd,Β Jaylon Johnson,Β Thomas Graham andΒ Darnay HolmesΒ (five-star), and already had received a verbal commitment fromΒ Greg Johnson.
Well, Johnson is gone now, and the Wildcats won't end up with any of those highly-rated cornerbacks. Friday afternoon, Graham announced a verbal commitment to Oregon.Β
For a while, it was believed that Graham, from Rancho Cucamonga, California, was a near-lock for the Wildcats β I'd even heard a rumor he was a silent commit β but after cornerbacks coachΒ Donte Williams bolted for Nebraska, Arizona's best shot at Graham went with him.Β
The Wildcats made a last-ditch effort at Graham, with defensive coordinatorΒ Marcel Yates visiting him in California before the end of the dead period, but it was too little, too late.
Graham picked Oregon over five other finalists, including Arizona, Notre Dame, Nebraska, UCLA and Arizona State.
As for those other highly-rated cornerbacks β Johnson has since backed out of his Arizona commitment, Johnson committed to Utah and Redd to Oregon. The Wildcats haven't been considered in the running for Holmes, who's still undecided, for a long time.Β
Now the Wildcats turn their attention to two other four-star players β linebackerΒ Antjuan SimmonsΒ from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and offensive linemanΒ Adrian Ealy, from Louisiana.Β
