Every now and then, the Arizona Wildcats strike it rich on the recruiting trail and lure a highly-ranked prospect to join their football program.
The UA could’ve hit the jackpot for its 2024 recruiting class, when five-star defensive end and Tucson native Elijah Rushing became the highest-rated commit in program history during the modern era of online recruiting.
Rushing, a 6-6, 250-pound star at Salpointe Catholic, is among the top edge rushers nationally for the ’24 recruiting cycle.
Long story short: Rushing committing to Arizona, considering the Wildcats’ poor recruiting efforts of Salpointe in the past, is a major milestone for the program.
Where does it stand among other notables choosing to lay their recruitment chips down on Arizona? Here’s a historical look at Arizona’s ability to fish out (no pun intended) highly-touted recruits over the years:
Arizona’s Leo Mills (20) heads for a hole in the Idaho line during Arizona’s home opener against Idaho on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2001. Photo by Jim Davis / Arizona Daily Star
Leo Mills
Position: Running back
Hometown (High school): Humble, Texas (Humble)
Recruiting class: 1998
The rundown: Mills was considered a five-star prospect and arguably the best running back in the nation coming out of high school. In three seasons under Dick Tomey in Tucson, Mills played in 29 games and rushed for 905 yards and six touchdowns.
Art Greathouse
Position: Running back
Hometown (High school): Tempe (McClintock)
Recruiting class: 1986
The rundown: In the final years of the Larry Smith era, Arizona landed arguably the best in-state prospect, who also grew up minutes away from the UA’s arch-rival Arizona State. Greathouse averaged 4.9 yards per carry and rushed for 1,830 yards and 17 touchdowns during his four-year career at the UA.
UA defensive coordinator Larry Mac Duff pictured working with linebacker Lance Briggs in 2001.
Lance Briggs
Position: Linebacker
Hometown (High school): Sacramento (Elk Grove)
Recruiting class: 1999
The rundown: As a senior, Briggs was a two-way star and had 100 tackles, five sacks and rushed 1,574 yards on 139 attempts. In a sectional victory for Elk Grove, Briggs had 26 rushing attempts for 315 yards and six touchdowns. He was named the Sacramento Bee Player of the Year. Another recruitment notch on the belt of Tomey’s UA staff, Briggs had 308 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 36 stops for loss as a Wildcat.
Gabe Long
Position: Defensive line
Hometown (High school): Anaheim, California (Esperanza/Fullerton Community College)
Recruiting class: 2006
The rundown: The 6-3, 285-pound defensive lineman was considered a five-star recruit and committed to USC in 2005. But he couldn’t become eligible, so he played at nearby Fullerton Community College. Long committed to Arizona in 2006 but couldn’t qualify academically and didn’t play a snap for the Wildcats.
Arizona running back Ka’Deem Carey (25) leaps over Washington State linebacker Justin Sagote (10) during the first quarter of the Washington State vs. Arizona college football game on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013, at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
Ka’Deem Carey
Position: Running back
Hometown (High school): Tucson (Canyon del Oro)
Recruiting class: 2011
The rundown: The four-year starter was the buzzing in-state recruit for a few years, but the CDO prospect stayed in his hometown and became a Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and two-time All-American. Carey is Arizona’s all-time leading rusher and the only Wildcat to amass over 4,000 career yards.
UA tight end Rob Gronkowski laughs on the sidelines during football practice at Rincon Vista Practice Complex on August 20, 2009.
Rob Gronkowski
Position: Tight end
Hometown (High school): Amherst, New York (Woodland Hills)
Recruiting class: 2007
The rundown: Maybe it was the pool parties in February. Maybe it was nightlife at Gentle Ben’s or Dirtbags. Whatever it was, it won “Gronk” over. Gronkowski was a four-star prospect and yielded offers from Ohio State, Penn State, Clemson, Pittsburgh and Maryland. But under Mike Stoops in Tucson, Gronkowski was an instant starter as a true freshman, then bloomed into an All-Pac-10 selection as a sophomore in 2008. A back injury sidelined the standout tight end for the 2009 season, and UA fans never got to witness quarterback Nick Foles throw a touchdown pass to Gronk. Oh, and that’s five Super Bowls, if you’re counting.
Louis Holmes’ hairstyle was ahead of its time, former Arizona teammate Victor Yates said.
Louis Holmes
Position: Defensive end
Hometown (High school): Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Dillard/Scottsdale Community College)
Recruiting class: 2006
The rundown: Before Gronk, Stoops’ prized recruit was top-rated junior-college defensive end Louis Holmes, who opted to play for the UA over USC. Reminder: This was USC in the middle of its Pete Carroll-led dynasty. Talk about a recruiting victory. Holmes ended his Arizona career with 73 tackles, 10.5 stops for losses and six sacks and was named a second-team All-Pac-10 selection during his junior season. Holmes died last month at 38 years old. No cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan jumps up for a one-handed catch while running a drill during spring drills. McMillan, a receiver from Anaheim’s Servite High School, is the gem of Arizona’s 2022 freshman class.
Tetairoa McMillan
Position: Wide receiver
Hometown (High school): Anaheim, California (Servite)
Recruiting class: 2022
The rundown: Former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal bolting to Miami influenced “T-Mac” to leave the Ducks’ 2022 recruiting class. Jedd Fisch’s staff at Arizona swooped in and convinced the star receiver to join his Servite teammates — quarterback Noah Fifita, tight end Keyan Burnett and linebacker Jacob Manu — in Tucson.
Salpointe Catholic senior-to-be Elijah Rushing tries on his new Arizona hat for size after the five-star defensive end made Arizona his college choice during a livestreamed event Thursday at Salpointe Catholic High School.
Elijah Rushing
Position: Defensive end
Hometown (High school): Tucson (Salpointe Catholic)
Recruiting class: 2024
The rundown: In semi-recent years, Arizona either missed on or seemingly didn’t try all that hard to land several high-level prospects from the Division I feeder school located less than three miles from Arizona Stadium. With relentless effort, the Wildcats convinced the top-rated defensive end in the nation and Salpointe superstar to stay home. A highly-rated recruit and Tucson native staying home to be a part of a rebuilding program? That’s very Sean Elliott-esque.
UA linebacker Ricky Hunley was a two-time consensus All-American. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
Ricky Hunley
Position: Linebacker
Hometown (High school): Petersburg, Virginia (Petersburg)
Recruiting class: 1980
The rundown: Hunley could’ve played for Notre Dame, Ohio State or Nebraska — the who’s who of college football — but instantly fell in love with the UA and Tucson the first time he stepped foot off a plane in the Old Pueblo. Hunley became the face of the program and the Smith era, and exceeded every expectation as the leader of Arizona’s defense. With Hunley, the Wildcats knocked off undefeated Notre Dame in 1982 and top-ranked USC in ’81. In 1998, Hunley became the first Wildcat to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
