Michael Lev: Arizona’s Jordan Morgan is doing the right thing by opting out of Alamo Bowl

Jordan Morgan has faced four major decisions regarding his football career, and he has nailed each and every one.

Coming out of Marana High School, Morgan chose to honor his commitment to Arizona — even though mighty USC was prepared to swoop in at the last minute and swipe him.

In the winter of 2020-21, Morgan chose to remain at Arizona amid a coaching change and complete overhaul of the program. Many in his position — maybe even most — would have transferred.

A year ago, Morgan chose to come back to Arizona for one more season of football. He could have declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. The timing wasn’t right because Morgan wasn’t healthy; he had torn his ACL in November. It was, irrefutably, the right call.

Finally, just last week, Morgan announced that he’s opting out of the Dec. 28 Valero Alamo Bowl between No. 14 Arizona and No. 12 Oklahoma. Morgan played an instrumental role in getting the Wildcats to this point. He doesn’t owe his team or university anything. He owes it to himself to be as fit as possible for the draft run-up.

Of the four decisions, the last one is the only one that won’t benefit Arizona on the field. But it has the potential to boost the program in more substantial ways.

As Adam Green of the Wildcat Radio 2.0 podcast astutely observed on social media, “Arizona football will benefit more from Morgan being chosen in the first round of the draft than it would from him playing in the Alamo Bowl.”

Morgan is about to end at least one dubious streak, maybe two. The big, athletic tackle will become the first UA offensive lineman to be drafted since Eben Britton in 2009. Morgan could become the first Wildcat, regardless of position, to be selected in the first round since Antoine Cason in ’08.

Arizona’s inability to produce NFL players over the past decade-plus — no Wildcat has been picked higher than the fourth round since 2012, and none were picked at all in six of the past 11 drafts — has inflicted significant damage on the program.

Even as NIL has become a driving force for recruits and transfers alike, nothing outweighs the belief that a coaching staff can develop you into an NFL player. Being a high pick and/or getting a second contract — that’s where real money can be earned.

By not developing pros on a regular basis, Jedd Fisch’s predecessors gave little incentive for recruits with NFL aspirations to play for Arizona. Kevin Sumlin’s most valuable contribution to the program was securing Morgan’s commitment. Fisch’s staff — in particular offensive line coach Brennan Carroll — has helped Morgan take his game to new heights.

When Morgan gets picked in the first or second round in late April, that will provide proof of concept: Arizona can develop NFL players. Who wants to be next?

So by opting out of the Alamo Bowl — a decision that was logical but probably not easy for someone who devoted his life to UA football for five years — and maximizing his draft stock, Morgan isn’t just helping himself. He’s also helping the program.

Further proof that Morgan is doing the right thing: Most of the reaction on social media has been supportive.

When I posted on X/Twitter that “you can’t blame Morgan for sitting this one out” and that “the risk for Jordan is greater than the reward,” everyone jumped on board. Here’s a sampling:

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From @azpenguin: “Dude earned the right to preserve his future. Would love to see them put him in for a kneel-down, end-of-game play if he were up for it.”

From @dougman23: “He is that clear case of it being the right decision. Not a CFP or NY6 bowl, previous ACL injury, Arizona season is already defined and this bowl game has lost some steam from OU defections. ... I wish him well.”

From @tomtom7676: “Not even up for a debate. He has plenty of tape on film, and he ain’t getting any gate receipts. See you on Sundays, Jordan.”

From @superfly247365: “I have yet to see a single complaint about his decision. That tells me he’s a Wildcat legend.”

Morgan’s situation is different than those of teammates Michael Wiley and Jacob Cowing, whose status for the bowl game hadn’t been officially announced one way or the other as of Monday.

First off, neither of those players suffered a major injury as Morgan did. That torn ACL — on a non-contact play at UCLA — spurred Decision No. 3: It’s pretty unlikely Morgan would have been a first- or even second-round pick if he couldn’t work out for teams. And the possibility of something like that happening against justified Decision No. 4.

Wiley and Cowing also aren’t in the same tier as Morgan as pro prospects — not because they aren’t good players but because of the positions they play.

There are more NFL-caliber running backs and slot receivers than there are open jobs. As a result, Wiley and Cowing likely won’t be picked until Day 3 of the draft (Round 4-7) no matter how versatile Wiley is or how fast Cowing runs the 40.

Meanwhile, have you seen an NFL game this season? Offensive line play has been, well, offensive at times. The demand for quality blockers outstrips the supply. That alone could push Morgan into the first round.

This isn’t a case of a player overestimating his worth. That happens all too often.

This is someone who made a sound business decision.

Would it have been gratifying for Morgan to play in the Alamo Bowl? Of course.

Is this game a really big deal for the UA program? Absolutely.

But Morgan’s contributions and sacrifices can’t be questioned.

The Wildcats wouldn’t be headed to San Antonio without him. It’s OK if Morgan cheers them on from the sideline this time.