One of the keys to running a successful college football program is ABC — always be ‘cruitin.
Amid Arizona’s bye week, UA coaches are hitting the road this week to do some ‘cruitin — err, recruiting — themselves.
In addition to tapping in with its in-state prospects, Arizona coaches are trekking to Southern California, Northern California, Hawaii, Texas, Las Vegas, Washington and Utah this week.
Arizona’s 20-player 2026 recruiting class currently ranks 42nd nationally and seventh in the Big 12, according to 247Sports.com. Arizona head coach Brent Brennan will be in California with offensive coordinator Seth Doege. During his weekly news conference on Monday, Brennan said, “I’m excited to get out and I’m excited about the players we’re trying to bring to Arizona.”
Arizona has seven players from California, five from Texas, three from Arizona, two from Washington, one from Las Vegas, one from Utah and one from American Samoa.
Here’s a look at how some of Arizona’s recruits are faring this season.
Dash Fifita is the reigning Trinity League Co-Defensive Player of the Year and younger brother of Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita.
Dash Fifita
Position: Linebacker
Height, weight: 5-10, 185 pounds
Hometown (High school): Huntington Beach, California (Santa Margarita Catholic)
Rating: Three stars
How he’s doing: The reigning Trinity League Co-Defensive Player of the Year — and younger brother of Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita — has 28 tackles and seven stops for loss in four games this season. Fifita has 128 tackles and 14 tackles for loss in his career at Santa Margarita Catholic. While the older Fifita leads the Wildcats on the road against 12th-ranked Iowa State, Dash Fifita and Santa Margarita Catholic will be hosting Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) UA defensive line commit Prince Williams on Sept. 27.
Manoah Faupusa
Position: Defensive tackle
Height, weight: 6-2, 360 pounds
Hometown (High school): Rancho Santa Margarita, California (Santa Margarita Catholic)
Rating: Three stars
How he’s doing: Fifita leads the nationally-ranked Santa Margarita Catholic program in tackles this season, but Faupusa is third on the team with 16 tackles.
Arizona landed three-star 2026 defensive tackles Manoah Faupusa (left) and Keytrin Harris (right) on July 5, 2025.
Keytrin Harris
Position: Defensive tackle
Height, weight: 6-3, 290 pounds
Hometown (High school): Harbor City, California (AZ Compass Prep)
Rating: Three stars
How he’s doing: AZ Compass Prep won its first two games by a combined 116-0. Harris, who trains with former Arizona quarterback Ortege Jenkins, leads the team in tackles with six — four of which are sacks.
Malachi Joyner
Position: Offensive lineman
Height, weight: 6-4, 275 pounds
Hometown (High school): Gilbert (Williams Field)
Rating: Three stars
How he’s doing: The in-state offensive lineman checked in as the 129th-best prospect nationally in Rivals’ Top 300 rankings. Joyner is rated by 247Sports.com as the seventh-best prospect in Arizona for 2026.
Hamisi Juma
Position: Safety
Height, weight: 6-4, 195 pounds
Hometown (High school): Chandler (Chandler)
Rating: Three stars
How he’s doing: The lengthy safety has eight tackles and two pass breakups in three games. Juma, who also holds offers from UNLV and Louisville, and Chandler face Joyner and Williams Field on Friday.
Jaden Parker
Position: Linebacker
Height, weight: 6-2, 225 pounds
Hometown (High school): Anna, Texas (Anna)
Rating: Three stars
How he’s doing: The two-way Parker is recruited to play linebacker at Arizona, but the Texas product has 16 carries for 86 yards in two games this season. Parker also has 15 tackles and a pass deflection on defense.
Four-star quarterback Oscar Rios is one of Arizona’s highest-rated recruits for 2026.
Oscar Rios
Position: Quarterback
Height, weight: 6-3, 175 pounds
Hometown (High school): Downey, California (Downey)
Rating: Four stars
How they’re doing: In four games at Downey this season, the headliner of Arizona’s 2026 recruiting class has completed 52 of 87 passes (59.8%) for 871 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. Downey (3-1) is coming off its first loss of the season, a 49-7 thumping by Sierra Canyon. Rios, who participated in the Elite 11 QB Camp in the summer, was held to 3-for-12 passing for 38 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Rios also has 242 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown this season.
Brandon Smith
Position: Running back
Height, weight: 6-foot, 185 pounds
Hometown (High school): Fresno, California (Central East)
Rating: Three stars
How they’re doing: The Fresno product has 49 rushes for 477 yards and seven touchdowns this season. Smith is averaging 9.8 yards per carry and has three games with over 100 rushing yards this season. In his three-year career at Central East, Smith has 3,138 rushing yards and 45 all-purpose touchdowns. Smith will join an Arizona running backs corps that could conceivably have Kedrick Reescano, Quincy Craig and current freshmen Wesley Yarbrough and Cornelius Warren.
Caleb Smith
Position: Wide receiver
Height, weight: 5-8, 160 pounds
Hometown (High school): Allen, Texas (Allen)
Rating: Three stars
How they’re doing: The other Smith in Arizona’s recruiting class (no relation) is an undersized receiver from Texas who is nicknamed “The Jet.” Smith has 20 receptions for 298 yards and two touchdowns in three games this season. Smith has 1,769 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns in his high school career.
Three-star Las Vegas edge rusher Prince Williams committed to the Arizona Wildcats on July 4, 2025.
Prince Williams
Position: Defensive end
Height, weight: 6-3, 255 pounds
Hometown (High school): Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman)
Rating: Three stars
How they’re doing: The edge rusher, who committed to the Wildcats on the Fourth of July, is Bishop Gorman’s second-leading tackler (32) and leads the Gaels in sacks (six). Williams has 206 tackles and 27 sacks in his career at Bishop Gorman. Bishop Gorman is currently No. 2 nationally in MaxPreps.com’s rankings. The second-ranked Gaels take on the eighth-ranked Mater Dei Monarchs (California) in Las Vegas, before battling ninth-ranked Santa Margarita Catholic next week in Southern California.
