Arizona Wildcats football lands WSU QB transfer Jayden de Laura
Jan 10, 2022, 8:21 PM | Updated: Jan 11, 2022, 8:54 am
Washington State quarterback Jayden de Laura (4) throws against Central Michigan during the first half of the Sun Bowl NCAA college football game in El Paso, Texas, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
(AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
The Arizona Wildcats got a big-time commitment on Monday, landing Washington State starting quarterback Jayden de Laura via the transfer portal.
ITS PERSONAL!!! pic.twitter.com/gt5Gh1ZTUk
— Jayden de Laura (@jayden_delaura) January 11, 2022
De Laura was the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2021 after amounting to 2,798 passing yards and 23 touchdowns with a completion percentage of 63.2. The second-year freshman has three years of eligibility left thanks to the pandemic-impacted 2020 season granting players an extra year after de Laura started as a true freshman.
Radical changes within the Cougars’ coaching staff surely contributed to de Laura’s decision to move on. He originally committed to Mike Leach in 2019, and Leach’s replacement Nick Rolovich didn’t last through the year. Rolovich and co-offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann, who were close with de Laura, were fired on Oct. 18 after failing to comply with the state’s COVID-19 mandate.
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De Laura will enter an Arizona program coming off a 1-11 season under first-year head coach Jedd Fisch that has lots of momentum for 2022 despite that. That’s thanks in large part to one of the school’s best recruiting classes ever, featuring five four-star signees, including top-5 wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, per 247Sports.
Fisch’s program has the second-highest ranked 2022 recruiting class in the Pac-12 behind Stanford, according to 247Sports.
