Five-star edge rusher, Tucsonan Elijah Rushing decommits from Arizona football

Recruiting can be unpredictable sometimes.

Tucson native and 2024 five-star defensive end Elijah Rushing, the highest-rated commit for the Arizona Wildcats in the modern recruiting era, announced his decommitment from the hometown program.

The 6-6, 251-pound Salpointe Catholic High School standout, who’s rated by 247Sports.com as the top edge rusher — eighth-best overall prospect — for the ’24 class, announced his decision on his social media accounts Sunday evening.

“I have taken into consideration the recent progress and strides the program has made,” Rushing posted. “Although it is evident that the program is on the rise, I have to consider my future goal. I have come to conclusion that the program is not the right fit for me to take my next step with regard to my development.”

Rushing’s father, George Rushing, told Blair Angulo of 247Sports that Elijah Rushing’s “desire as a hometown kid was to stay here and reach the next step in his development, but we’re deciding to decommit to weigh out all the options moving forward.”

“They have made some great strides as a program and done a lot of really good things, but they’re building more long term,” the older Rushing told Angulo. “The strategy doesn’t align with our goals and the steps we want to take to continue progressing while competing for championships.”

Angulo’s “crystal ball” prediction has Elijah Rushing expected to commit to Oregon just under two months until the early signing period in December.

Rushing became one of two Lancers to back out of their pledge to the Wildcats, joining three-star edge rusher Keona Wilhite, who decommitted last Monday night. Wilhite is strongly considering the Washington Huskies.

Rushing and Wilhite committed to Arizona this summer, adding to the heavy in-state presence within Arizona’s ’24 class. The Wildcats also have a commitment from four-star quarterback and top-rated offensive player in Arizona, Demond Williams.

In front of family, friends, teammates and local media at Salpointe, Rushing committed to the Wildcats in early July to team up with his older brother and UA safety Cruz Rushing, who transferred to the UA from Florida, where he was a walk-on; he’s currently on scholarship as a reserve safety at Arizona. When he first arrived in the spring, the younger Rushing was a frequent visitor at practices.

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“I’ll say being a hometown kid, born and raised in the heart of Tucson, this decision holds a special significance for me,” Rushing said then. “An opportunity to represent my state, my community, and my family on the football field is a dream come true. It’s a chance to give back to the place that has shaped me both as an athlete and as an individual.”

Rushing said, “the opportunity to play alongside my older brother at the collegiate level is a blessing beyond words. Our bond as brothers extends far beyond the football field, and the thought of sharing his experience with him is truly a blessing.”

Rushing and Wilhite bucked the trend of Lancers spurning the hometown Wildcats. Located less than three miles away from Arizona Stadium, previous regimes whiffed on star Lancers, including running back Bijan Robinson, safety Lathan Ransom, offensive lineman Bruno Fina and tackle Matteo Mele.

On the first day college coaches were allowed to contact ’24 recruits, the entire UA coaching staff showed up to Salpointe’s weight room at 6 a.m. to recruit Rushing and other Lancers.

“It was great for us to see our hometown college coming out to support,” Rushing said in July. “They want to see us and want us to succeed. That was something that was good for us relationship-wise, building that bond.”

When Rushing committed to Arizona, “not trying to be arrogant or anything, but a commitment of this caliber shows there’s something here, and you don’t have to be afraid or worried about someone saying something, because everyone has an opinion,” he said.

“If you want to commit here, you can commit here no matter who says what. If you want to commit here, you’re going to come here to work.”

Rushing’s decommitment knocks Arizona’s 2024 recruiting class down to 20 players; five of them are in-state prospects.