Salpointe Catholic star DE Elijah Rushing, once committed to UA, pledges to Oregon

Elijah Rushing, the Salpointe Catholic High School star who recently decommitted from Arizona, announced Monday that he will be taking his talents to Oregon.

Rushing, a 6-6 defensive end, posted his commitment to the Ducks on social media. Assuming he doesn’t have another change of heart, Monday’s announcement brings an end to a whirlwind recruitment.

Rushing, rated a five-star prospect by 247Sports.com and a four-star by others, pledged to the hometown Wildcats in July. At the time, Rushing said he wanted to be different from other Salpointe standouts who had eschewed the UA and elected to play their college ball elsewhere.

However, in early October, Rushing backed out of his verbal commitment to Arizona. One of the reasons he cited was that “the program is not the right fit for me to take the next step with regard to my development.”

Rushing’s older brother, Cruz, transferred from Florida to Arizona in the offseason and is a reserve defensive back for the Wildcats.

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Oregon had been one of Elijah Rushing’s original finalists, along with Tennessee and Notre Dame.

“The system, the defensive expertise of Coach Dan Lanning and Coach Tosh Lupoi, they’re good coaches, and they bring that fire to the team,” Rushing told 247Sports. “You could see it on TV, Coach Lanning getting in there to fire up the defense on fourth downs. That’s what defensive players look for. ...

“Coach Lanning is a players’ coach. You could see it with everyone in the locker room and how the guys carry themselves. You see it when you’re (in Eugene). It’s a brotherhood.”

Oregon, which is No. 6 in the latest Associated Press Top 25, is also No. 6 in 247Sports’ team recruiting rankings for the class of 2024. Arizona’s ’24 class is currently ranked 45th.

Oregon will be joining the Big Ten next year, while Arizona is headed to the Big 12.