Arizona coach Jedd Fisch has been busy on the recruiting trail to fill out the 2021 recruiting class. The class has 15 signed players with four recruits committed ahead of the February signing period.
Fisch has spent time landing transfers for the 2021 class with five players coming into the program with offensive lineman Davis DiVall (Baylor), defensive back Gunner Maldonado (Northwestern), running back Drake Anderson (Northwestern), cornerback Isaiah Rutherford (Norte Dame), and defensive end Jason Harris (Colorado).
Arizona is adding its sixth transfer in quarterback Gunner Cruz who has spent the last two seasons with Washington State. Cruz is a 6-foot-5, 217-pound prospect out of Queen Creek from Casteel High School. While at Casteel, he went 14-0 and led his team to a 3A state title in a win against Pusch Ridge Christian.
Coming Home #ItsPersonal 🐻⬇️🅰️ @CoachJimmieD @ScottieGraham pic.twitter.com/VRgDpHG6OW
— Gunner Cruz (@GunnerCruz) January 23, 2021
At Washington State, Cruz played in one game, going 5-for-7 for 34 yards and a touchdown during a 38-13 road loss to USC.
With the addition of Cruz, Fisch now has four transfers that played high school football in the state of Arizona, showing how focused Fisch is on turning around in-state recruiting.
As a program, Arizona has struggled to keep in-state talent while watching kids go all across the country having success at different programs. Here’s a projected list of players on the Wildcats roster that went to high school in the state:
Arizona Wildcats In-State Players
| Player | City | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Jamarye Joiner | Tucson | Receiver |
| Calib McRae | Tucson | Linebacker |
| Jacob Bracamonte | Tucson | Offensive Line |
| David Watson | Tucson | Offensive Line |
| Stanley Berryhill | Tucson | Receiver |
| Stevie Rocker | Tucson | Running Back |
| Tristen D'Angelo | Anthem | Tight End |
| Gunner Maldonado | Chandler | Defensive Back |
| Drake Anderson | Chandler | Running Back |
| Parker Henley | Chandler | Linebacker |
| Chandler Kelly | Chandler | Defensive Line |
| Regen Terry | Florence | Defensive Line |
| Dyelan Miller | Glendale | Receiver |
| Ammon Allen | Gilbert | Linebacker |
| Jason Harris | Gilbert | Defensive Line |
| Darrell Branch | Gilbert | Offensive Line |
| Will Plummer | Gilbert | Quarterback |
| Steven Bailey | Litchfield Park | Offensive Line |
| Treydan Stukes | Litchfield Park | Defensive Back |
| Jordan Morgan | Marana | Offensive Line |
| Jalen Harris | Mesa | Defensive Line |
| Josh McCauley | Mesa | Offensive Line |
| Aaron Blackwell | Peoria | Defensive Line |
| Jaydin Young | Peoria | Defensive Back |
| Luke Ashworth | Phoenix | Quarterback |
| Kyle Ostendorp | Phoenix | Punter |
| Rourke Freeburg | Scottsdale | Linebacker |
| Trey Cartledge | Scottsdale | Defensive Back |
| Gunner Cruz | Queen Creek | Quarterback |
| Jaxon McBride | Queen Creek | Offensive Line |
| Tyson Gardner | Queen Creek | Offensive Line |
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com writer Troy Hutchison hails from Tucson and is a lifelong Arizona Wildcats follower. He has been involved in sports journalism over the last two years while taking communications courses at Pima Community College.
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