The first addition to Arizona's 2024 recruiting class since the hiring of head coach Brent Brennan comes from a program the Wildcats kick off the season against.Β
Former New Mexico running back and graduate transferΒ Jacory Merritt announced on Tuesday that he's transferring to the Wildcats.
The 5-11, 204-pound 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 and 17 touchdowns under former head coach Danny Gonzales, who's now the UA's linebackers coach.Β
Known as Jacory Croskey-Merritt, he rushed for a combined 442 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games of the season at UNM, including a 233-yard performance against Utah State. Merritt has 2,432 yards and 30 touchdowns over his five-year collegiate career.Β
After entering the transfer portal, Merritt recently visited Washington over a week ago, but he chose the Wildcats.Β
Merritt joins a UA running back room that lost multi-year starter Michael Wiley, who is preparing for the NFL Draft, along with Washington's Jonah Coleman, Arizona's leading rusher in 2023, and veteran DJ Williams, who stamped the Wildcats' win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl with a 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats' current rotation of scholarship running backs consists of 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.
Arizona opens up the season against New Mexico on Aug. 31 in Tucson.
