National Signing Day: Arizona signs JuCo D-Lineman Ezra Funa

The Arizona Wildcats have over 50 scholarship newcomers in the transfer portal and the 2025 recruiting class. 

Arizona isn't finished adding players on National Signing Day. Here are live updates of the Wildcats' new additions for '25:

Arizona added junior college defensive lineman Ezra Funa on Wednesday. 

The 6-3, 300-pound Funa, a standout from College of San Mateo (California), selected Arizona over Oklahoma State, Colorado State, Hawaii, Nevada, San Diego State and San Jose State, among others.

Funa, who prepped at Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei, played two seasons at College of San Mateo and recorded 84 tackles, 20.5 stops for loss, 6.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Funa is the fourth defensive player from the junior college ranks to join Arizona’s 2025 recruiting class, along with Cerritos College (California) defensive tackle Leroy Palu, El Camino College (California) cornerback Elijah Brown and Garden City Community College (Kansas) transfer Zac Siulepa, a 6-7, 365-pound defensive lineman from New Zealand.

Funa is joining an interior defensive line group that returns senior Chubba Ma’ae, redshirt sophomore Isaiah Johnson, redshirt freshman Julian Savaiinaea (younger brother of former UA star offensive tackle Jonah Savaiinaea) and former Memphis transfer Jarra Anderson, who suffered a season-ending leg injury at the start of the 2024 season.

Between the portal and the 2025 recruiting class, the Wildcats currently have 11 scholarship newcomers on the defensive line. Arizona has added three defensive linemen in the transfer portal since the hiring of associate head coach and defensive line coach Joe Salave’a: Funa, Alcorn State transfer defensive end Malachi Bailey and Texas transfer defensive tackle Tiaoalii Savea, who played at Arizona in 2022 and ‘23.

Bay Area OL Peter Langi signs with Arizona

Arizona added to its overhaul of offensive linemen for the 2025 recruiting class during National Signing Day on Wednesday. 

The Wildcats signed Bay Area offensive lineman Peter Langi, a 6-5, 330-pounder from Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco. Archbishop Riordan offensive lineman Losipini Tupou signed with Arizona in December.  

Langi's younger brother, offensive lineman Michael Langi, is committed to Arizona's 2026 recruiting class. 

The older Langi signed with the Washington Huskies and former Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch in December, but was granted release from his national letter of intent. Langi also held offers from Alabama, Texas A&M, Auburn, Florida State, Florida, Colorado, LSU, Penn State, Texas and USC, among several others. 

Langi is the 11th scholarship newcomer on the offensive line for Arizona. Between the transfer portal and the 2025 recruiting class, Arizona's offensive line added a combined 3,641 pounds this offseason.  

UA signs JuCo O-Lineman Siale Uluave

Arizona signed College of San Mateo transfer offensive lineman Siale Uluave on National Signing Day. 

College of San Mateo has been a pipeline for the Wildcats under head coach Brent Brennan. Before Uluave and defensive lineman Ezra Funa, other former Bulldogs to play for the UA include slot receivers Jeremiah Patterson and Reymello Murphy, defensive end Cyrus Durham and cornerback Johno Price. Murphy and Durham both entered the transfer portal after the 2024 season.

The 6-5, 350-pound Uluave is the fifth player from the junior college ranks to join Arizona’s 2025 recruiting class, along with Funa, Cerritos College (California) defensive tackle Leroy Palu, El Camino College (California) cornerback Elijah Brown and Garden City Community College (Kansas) defensive lineman Zac Siulepa, a 6-7, 365-pounder from New Zealand.

Uluave prepped at Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, California, the same program that produced UA starting left tackle Rhino Tapa’atoutai, who is one of two returning starters on Arizona’s offensive line along with third-year guard Alexander Doost.

With the addition of Uluave, the Wildcats have 10 scholarship newcomers on the offensive line. The high school additions are Northern California tackle Louis Akpa, Hawaii guard Javian Goo, Los Angeles-area guard Sione Tohi, Bay Area guard Losipini Tupou and in-state tackle Jaxon Griffin.

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Arizona’s pickups in the transfer portal are tackle Tristan Bounds (Michigan), tackle Ty Buchanan (Texas Tech) and tackle-guard hybrids in Ka’ena Decambra (Hawaii) and Jordan Brown (Georgia Tech).

Texas RB Cornelius Warren III

Arizona's second signee on National Signing Day is a state championship-winning running back from Texas. 

Arizona signed Dallas-area running back Cornelius Warren III, who selected the Wildcats over Purdue and Memphis.

Warren, who also plays slot receiver, just finished his senior season at North Crowley High School in Fort Worth, Texas, where he rushed for 3,341 yards and 48 touchdowns in three seasons. Warren also had 37 receptions for 580 yards and four touchdowns.

Warren led North Crowley to an undefeated season (16-0) and a Class 6A state championship, a 50-21 win over Austin Westlake at AT&T Stadium. Warren had 23 carries for 217 yards and a touchdown in the state championship. 

The 5-9, 165-pound Warren signed with UNLV in December and held offers from Baylor, Houston, Texas Tech, Miami, Ole Miss, Utah, Oregon State and Marshall, where Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege coached before joining Brent Brennan's staff. Warren was released from his national letter of intent after UNLV head coach Barry Odom left for the same role at Purdue. 

After losing four running backs from the 2024 season, Arizona has six scholarship running backs for '25: Kedrick Reescano, Texas State transfer Ismail Mahdi, Utah transfer Mike Mitchell, Portland State transfer Quincy Craig, Yarbrough and Warren. The Wildcats also have walk-on fullback and Tucson native Kayden Luke.

After transferring from Ole Miss last year, Reescano had 78 carries for 359 yards and a touchdown as a backup to Quali Conley. 

In two seasons at Texas State, Mahdi had 406 rush attempts for 2,322 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also had 31 kick returns for 760 yards and a touchdown. The 5-9, 180-pound Mahdi led FBS in all-purpose yards (2,169) in 2023 and was a two-time All-Sun Belt First-Team member in the last two seasons. 

As a redshirt freshman last season, the 6-foot, 216-pound Mitchell for had 47 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown for Utah.

In 21 games over three years at Portland State, Craig tallied 1,233 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, while hauling in 55 catches for 530 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. 

Yarbrough had 458 rushes for 2,767 yards and 32 touchdowns in three seasons at Crosby High School.

Excluding players from the transfer portal, Arizona has nine players from Texas in its 2025 recruiting class, the most Texans in a UA recruiting class since 2005.

Wildcats ink Texas D-Lineman

The first signee on National Signing Day for Arizona is Texas defensive lineman Porter Patton. 

Patton chose Arizona over Air Force, Marshall and Navy. 

The 6-7, 260-pound Patton is a standout at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, the same program that produced ex-Wildcat and Super Bowl MVP quarterback Nick Foles and Drew Brees. 

Patton is one of seven players from Texas in Arizona's '25 recruiting class, which ranks 12th in the Big 12, according to 247Sports.com.

Patton is one of nine players from Texas in Arizona's 2025 recruiting class, the most Texans in a UA recruiting class since 2005.