By: Cory Lemer
Arizona landed a huge in-state recruiting win in July as a 2024 5-Star EDGE Elijah Rushing chose his hometown Wildcats over the other thirty-six schools who offered. At the time, he was the highest-ranked recruit to commit to Arizona. In this article, we will look at how this affects Arizona, Rushing’s next move, and how the Wildcats can replace him.
How Will This Effect Arizona?
Fans of Arizona are left scratching their heads following this tough loss. It is no surprise that losing a top recruit will damper a team’s recruiting class. As a recruit, Rushing ranks eighth in the nation and first at the EDGE position. The senior from Tuscon, Arizona, eclipsed 73 tackles and 11.5 sacks in 12 games as a junior. Arizona would have gotten a straight beast on the line who could make an immediate impact in the Pac-12. Unfortunately, after just over three months as a Wildcat pledge, Rushing felt Arizona would not be his school of choice next season.
After the recalculation, Arizona holds the 44th-best class in the nation. As bad of a loss as this is, the Wildcats still hold a better recruiting class this year. Last cycle, they held the 51st-best class. This 2024 class is highlighted by West Coast players like RB Jordan Washington from Long Beach, California, and QB Demond Williams Jr. from Chandler, Arizona. As of publication, the Wildcats have 21 commits in their 2024 class and are in the running for a decent amount of targets like CB Phoenix Rose from Rocklin, California. While the Wildcats can still land a few stars, recruiting will take a massive hit as Rushing is a clear leader who could have helped Coach Jeff Fisch land other talent. On-field play clearly affected this decision, so Arizona needs to win games and perform at a higher level.
https://twitter.com/mtorressports/status/1658891541056995328
Next Move For Rushing?
Rushing has eclipsed 37 offers in the course of his recruitment, and now that he has re-opened his college decision, should get an earful from teams in need of a dog at the EDGE position. From a scouting standpoint, he has a perfect build at 6-6 251 pounds. He has a great variety of pass-rushing moves and a good understanding of hand placement and fluidity.
Oregon is believed to have the edge in his recruitment after being a major player and falling short to Arizona the first time. Dan Lanning and the Ducks have built a very solid defense on the West Coast in just a year and a half at the helm. One player that might stand out to Rushing is former Duck Kayvon Thibodeaux, another west-coast five-star who developed into a first-round pick. Despite Oregon being in charge here, UCLA and Notre Dame are other teams that have emerged as possible suitors. Despite that, it is still too early to tell what is next for Rushing.
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https://twitter.com/elijah_rushing/status/1710607479254778081
How Can You Replace Rushing?
Anytime a team other than Georgia, Alabama, or Ohio State loses a five-star, the question is always who can replace them. The Wildcats are in a tough position because many top prospects have committed at this point; but, there are a decent bunch of players Arizona can target. DL Jericho Johnson from Fairfield, California, ranks as a four-star and holds 20 offers from schools across the country. Johnson is a long shot, but if Arizona targets him like they did Rushing, they have a shot of landing the talented Defensive Lineman. The second recruit is EDGE Damarrion White from El Cajon, California. The three-star prospect holds nine offers and visited Arizona in July. White is a more believable guy Arizona can land compared to Johnson and will be able to fill that missing EDGE spot on the roster next season.
Replacing a Rushing is almost impossible unless Arizona flips a big-name prospect, which probably will not happen. However, these two and many other recruits can combine with the Wildcats’ young talent and show that they do not need Elijah Rushing to survive on the field.
https://twitter.com/DamarrionWhite6/status/1703502956228907200
