'Fast and furious': Arizona Wildcats 'attacking the best players' on recruiting trail for 2024

The last time Brent Brennan was a first-year head coach at San Jose State, he didn’t have to deal with the challenges that accompany the transfer portal.

While the transfer portal can be used to restore a roster in a one- to two-year span, it’s also the worst enemy for coaches getting adjusted to their new post. The portal is open for any UA player that wants to leave the program until Tuesday.

In a sit-down, in-house interview on Arizona’s social media channels, Brennan said, “Our focus ... was really being here and being around the team, which is different, because in 2016, when I got hired (by San Jose State), we hit the road right away — we just had to go, because we had two or three weeks to put together a recruiting class.”

“This situation, there was already a recruiting class that had been signed, and the most important recruits we were going to talk to were the ones that already playing football for the University of Arizona,” Brennan said. “It’s a much different time that way, but we’ve been hanging on. We’ve been ripping and running, but it’s been fun.”

While Arizona has been able to keep most of its nucleus from its Alamo Bowl team, the Wildcats lost eight members of their 2024 recruiting class to Washington and former head coach Jedd Fisch. During National Signing Day this week, the Wildcats signed seven players through the transfer portal and junior college ranks.

“We’re not done,” Brennan said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do over the next four or five months, bringing in new people, so the recruiting efforts will continue and we will be fast and furious, attacking the best players that we can find for this program.”

Here’s what Arizona is getting out of those seven signees, and here’s how they fit into the roster for Brennan’s inaugural season at the UA:

Quali Conley

Position: Running back

Height: 5-10

Weight: 207 pounds

Previous school: San Jose State

The rundown: Conley, who entered the transfer portal following his junior season last month after Brennan’s departure to Arizona, finished seventh in the Mountain West with 842 yards and nine touchdowns this past season.

Conley will be among the running backs used in a rotation that includes New Mexico transfer Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt, junior Rayshon “Speedy” Luke, who has 148 all-purpose yards in two seasons, redshirt freshman Brandon Johnson and incoming freshman Jordan Washington, a four-star running back from Long Beach, California, who signed with the UA in December.

He said it: “Downhill runner, he can catch the ball, he can block, he can do everything, and I’m excited about him joining our backfield, because he’s going to bring something different. He’s very unselfish, but when he touches the ball, he can make a lot of things happen.” — Arizona running backs coach Alonzo Carter

Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt

Position: Running back

Height: 5-11

Weight: 204 pounds

Previous school: New Mexico

The rundown: Croskey-Merritt, a Montgomery, Alabama, native, played four seasons at Alabama State before his lone season at New Mexico in 2023, where he rushed for 1,190 yards — which ranked 23rd in college football — and 17 touchdowns. Croskey-Merritt averaged 6.3 yards per carry last season. His 17 rushing touchdowns ranked fifth nationally this past season.

Croskey-Merritt ended the year with a 92.7 offensive grade on Pro Football Focus, which is eighth-best nationally.

If healthy, Croskey-Merritt will likely be among Arizona’s top rushers in ’24.

He said it: “He’s a big-play football player, he’s a do-it-all (player), he can catch the ball, run the ball, block — he does it all, so I’m really excited to have him bring a different element to our backfield. ... He’ll have a chance to play in the Big 12, represent us and give us that leadership and experience that we need to take this football team to the next level. I think he’ll be a great addition to this team.” — Carter

Kevon Darton

Position: Defensive tackle

Height: 5-11

Weight: 271 pounds

Previous school: Syracuse

The rundown: Darton joined Syracuse as a walk-on in 2019, before becoming a mainstay on the Orange defense and starting the last two seasons at nose tackle. Darton logged 110 tackles, 12 stops for loss, five sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery in four seasons at Syracuse.

The Wildcats are losing significant size on the interior defensive line between starter Tyler Manoa and Sio Nafoagatoto’a out of eligibility and Jacob Kongaika transferring to Arizona State. Darton and UC Davis nose tackle transfer Chubba Maae join starter Bill Norton, junior Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei and redshirt sophomore Isaiah Johnson as scholarship interior defensive linemen.

He said it: “Stout at the line of scrimmage and he’ll definitely demand two blocks. As a linebacker, you love stuff like that, when guys use up blocks and linebackers are able to come downhill and make plays. He’s a tough, all-around player.” — Arizona defensive line coach Joe Seumalo

Cyrus Durham

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Position: Edge rusher

Height: 604

Weight: 240 pounds

Previous school: College of San Mateo (California)

The rundown: Durham had 66 tackles and 10.5 sacks in 13 games at College of San Mateo, a renowned junior-college program. Durham’s recruiting profiles list him as an outside linebacker, but he’ll be used as an edge rusher.

The Wildcats lost sacks leader Taylor Upshaw to graduation, along with starter Isaiah Ward and rising edge rusher Russell Davis II (both transferred to Washington).

Second-year edge rusher Dominic Lolesio played in four games last season, including the fourth quarter of the Wildcats’ gutty win at Colorado, and will compete for a starting spot at defensive end. Former four-star recruit Sterling Lane II is also returning for the 2024 season, and the Wildcats also signed All-Mountain West first-team selection Tre Smith. There could also be surprises with Arizona’s young pass-rushers in the spring and training camp, too. Ward leap-frogged multiple players in a short amount of time to become a starter this past season.

He said it: “He’s got a martial-arts background. ... So it sort of comes natural in terms of hand combative and the agility of playing football.” — Seumalo

Johno Price

Position: Cornerback

Height: 6-2

Weight: 175 pounds

Previous school: College of San Mateo (California)

The rundown: Price improves Arizona’s depth at cornerback after the Wildcats lost starters Ephesians Prysock, who transferred to Washington, and Tacario Davis to the transfer portal; Davis could still return after the portal closes for UA players. Former Arizona signee Rahim Wright and Indiana transfer Jordan Shaw also followed Fisch to Washington. Four-star cornerback and Seattle product Rahshawn Clark and former UA signee flipped to Washington.

If Davis, who led the Pac-12 in pass breakups, doesn’t return to the Wildcats, Arizona’s options at cornerback include nickel back Treydan Stukes, redshirt freshman Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine, freshman Emmanuel Karnley and Price.

He said it: “Johno is a young kid who is coming from a great program to us, very instinctive, long, can run and comes from a great tutelage.” — Arizona cornerbacks coach Chip Viney

Tre Smith

Position: Defensive end

Height: 6-5

Weight: 255 pounds

Previous school: San Jose State

The rundown: Smith, a Mesa native and former Red Mountain High School star, recorded 66 tackles and 6.5 sacks and was named a first-team All-Mountain West selection.

Smith will likely be a leader on Arizona’s defensive line and lead the team in sacks.

He said it: “With the work that he put in the last couple years at San Jose and then coming right in, the transition will be about as normal as it could be. Obviously he wants to come in here and get after it. He’ll be the aggressive player that he was at San Jose State. I’m excited. I think he’ll fit right in with the group.” — Seumalo

Ryan Stewart

Position: Offensive line

Height: 6-5

Weight: 285 pounds

Previous school: San Jose State

The rundown: Stewart, a Mokena, Illinois, native, started three games at right guard in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury that also sidelined him from playing in 2023.

The Wildcats return four members of the starting offensive line. Left guard Wendell Moe, center Josh Baker, right guard Raymond Pulido and right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea. Pulido started at left tackle in the Alamo Bowl, replacing potential first-round NFL Draft pick Jordan Morgan. If Puldio remains at left tackle, the void on Arizona’s offensive line is right guard, however redshirt junior Leif Magnuson, who started four games at guard in 2023, will be among the top competitors to start along with redshirt junior JT Hand. Arizona also signed Phoenix-area native and Northwestern transfer Alexander Doost.

He said it: “His growth has been tremendous. When we signed him initially, he was like a 225-pound tackle and now today he’s at about 305 pounds, so that growth in itself is huge.” — Arizona offensive line coach Josh Oglesby