Arizona picked up another commitment in the transfer portal on Wednesday, after former Stanford cornerback Jshawn Frausto-Ramos pledged to the Wildcats.
Frausto-Ramos has two years of eligibility remaining.
Frausto-Ramos is the third defensive back to transfer to Arizona, along with former San Jose State and Texas cornerback Jay'Vion Cole and ex-SJSU safety Michael Dansby, after losing notable pieces to the portal, including cornerback Tacario Davis, safeties Dalton Johnson and Gunner Maldonado and nickel backs Treydan Stukes and Genesis Smith.
California wide receiver Trond Grizzell, right, catches a touchdown over Stanford cornerback Jshawn Frausto-Ramos (17) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023.
Cornerbacks Emmanuel Karnley, Jai-ayviauynn Celestine and Demetrius Freeney, who committed to Boise State on Tuesday, also entered the transfer portal.
Frausto-Ramos was a former four-star recruit at St. John Bosco High School in Southern California and signed with Stanford in 2023, when current UA defensive backs coach Duane Akina, who was moved from his defensive coordinator post after this season, was an assistant for the Cardinal.
Akina left to become an assistant at Arizona by the time Frausto-Ramos arrived at Stanford.
As a freshman, the 6-foot, 190-pound Frausto-Ramos appeared in all 12 games for the Cardinal and started in four contests. He recorded 40 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass deflection in two seasons at Stanford.
The Wildcats currently have five commitments in the transfer portal.
Arizona offensive lineman Wendell Moe gets in position during the first half of the Wildcats win last season over Utah in Tucson on Nov. 18, 2023.
Moe signs with Tennessee
Former Arizona Wildcats offensive lineman Wendell Moe Jr. is SEC-bound.
The multi-year starter at left guard announced on Wednesday that he's transferring to Tennessee, which is about to face Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday. Moe is the first transfer portal addition for the Volunteers.
The 6-2, 339-pound Moe will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Moe joined the Wildcats in 2022 under former head coach Jedd Fisch after a standout career at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in California. As a true freshman, Moe started three games in Arizona's 5-7 campaign in 2022. Moe started all 13 games at left guard in Arizona's quest to a 10-3 record and win the Alamo Bowl.
As a starter this past season, due to injuries on Arizona's offensive line, Moe played both left guard and right guard. Moe logged 638 snaps at left guard, 122 at right guard. He received the second-best pass-blocking grade (87) this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Moe played 1,775 snaps over his three-year career at Arizona.
With Moe at Tennessee, center Josh Baker out of eligibility and tackle Jonah Savaiinaea entering the NFL Draft, the only returning starters on the offensive line are left tackle Rhino Tapa'atoutai and right guard Alexander Doost.
Seth Doege, the new offensive coordinator for Arizona football, speaks during a press conference inside Arizona Stadium, Dec. 13, 2024.
'It's been fast and furious' for new OC
New Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege wasted no time settling into his new role as the Wildcats' offensive play-caller.
Life for Doege at the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility has been "fast and furious" for the Arizona offensive coordinator amid the transfer portal period, as the Wildcats rebuild their roster for the 2025 season after going 4-8 in head coach Brent Brennan's first season.
"Ever since I stepped foot on campus, we've been attacking this thing," Doege said of the transfer portal. "I'm excited."
Doege joined "Spears & Ali" on ESPN Tucson on Wednesday. Here are some of the questions he answered.
After being on the job for nearly a week and having conversations with him, what's the status of UA quarterback Noah Fifita? Do you envision him returning next season?
A: "The communication has been great. He's coming in (Wednesday) morning and we're going to go through some install, so I think that's a good sign of where this thing is heading. I don't think he has made his full decision yet, but I think we're heading in the right direction. Noah and I have had a great relationship going back to high school. I recruited him at USC, so there was a previous relationship there.
"From our conversations already, the few times we've had a chance to sit down and talk, we see the game through the same lens and we speak the same language and we're cut from the same cloth when it comes to how we want to attack winning and attack playing the (quarterback) position. There's a lot of similarities with me and him. There's no doubt we are way better with him behind center. Personally, I think he's an elite thrower. He plays the game the way a quarterback should play it. His skillset fits what we do and the system. I'm very excited to coach that dude."
What are some traits you're looking for in players when going through the transfer portal?
A: "The transfer portal is really tough to navigate, because right now it's all about the money and people don't really understand that. The market is actually insane. To get in, you have to have the right money to do it. Off of that, now you're evaluating the tape and the tape will give you everything you're looking for. Does he have the ability or the skill to come in and make an impact for us. The other part about the portal is you don't have enough time to make relationships, so when you do an (official visit), you have to do a good job of evaluating who they are as people. Do they fit your culture? Do you feel like you can coach and develop them from that standpoint. That last part is huge."
Considering Arizona is losing wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea and center Josh Baker, among others, what's your approach in filling out the depth chart?
A: "This is very similar to what I walked into at Marshall, where you can look at the board and say, 'Man, we're thin.' You can create anxiety and think, 'Oh, no. We're thin. What are we going to do?' Or you can think, 'This is perfect and I'm going to bring in the right dude. I'm going to bring in my guys and we're going to pull the rope in the same direction,' which is what we did at Marshall. We created a mentality and culture on the offensive side of the football that was exactly what I was trying to accomplish and my vision. That's how I'm looking at it. Yeah, we're a little thin, but instead of creating doubts, I'm thinking, 'This is perfect. Let's go pick the right guys.' When we pick the right guys, we can create and change the mentality of what winning offensive football looks like."
