2021 Arizona football recruiting: Fisch catches up on national signing day

The Arizona Wildcats entered the December early signing period for the 2021 football recruiting class in turmoil, without a head coach.

On Wednesday, new head coach Jedd Fisch can continue making up some ground.

Before the early signing period in December, Arizona fired head coach Kevin Sumlin, leaving interim coach and first-year defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads to navigate the team’s recruiting efforts.

Arizona entered the early signing period with 18 commitments and the nation’s No. 64-ranked class of verbally committed players, according to 247 Sports. Some of those players, however, either pushed back their official signing dates or already decommitted from the Wildcats.

The school still pulled in a dozen letters of intent and a transfer. But the Wildcats have continued losing players to transfer, including last year’s starting quarterback, Grant Gunnell.

Since Fisch’s hiring, his staff has hit the transfer portal hard, landing multiple quarterbacks and several players who went to high school in the state of Arizona. The Wildcats have also begun developing inroads recruiting the high school ranks.

Here’s a look at where things stand as more faxes roll in on Wednesday.

Players with * designate late signing period additions. Players with ** designate commits from the state of Arizona.

Arizona Wildcats 2021 recruiting class signings

*S Isaiah Taylor, St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) — 3 stars

*ATH Anthony Simpson, Bloomfield High School (Pawling, New York) — 3 stars

*CB Jakelyn Morgan, Tyler Legacy High School (Tyler, Texas) — 3 stars

RB James Bohls, Sam Clemente High School (San Clemente, Calif.) — 3 stars

DE Kevon Garcia, Dekaney High School (Houston) — 3 stars

** RB Stevie Rocker, Canyon Del Oro High School (Tucson, Ariz.) — 3 stars

TE Colby Powers, Klein Collins High School (Spring, Texas) — 3 stars

ILB Matthew Weerts, Batavia High School (Batavia, Ill.) — 3 stars

OL Luke Eckardt, Richmond-Burton High School (Richmond, Ill.) — 3 stars

OL J.T. Hand, Mission Viejo High School (Mission Viejo, Calif.) — 3 stars

S Dalton Johnson, Katy High School (Katy, Texas) — 3 stars

ATH Logan Kraut, Maria Carrillo High School (Santa Rosa, Calif.) — 3 stars

S Javione Carr, Sam Houston High School (Arlington, Texas) — 3 stars

OLB Jackson Bailey, Red Oak High School (Red Oak, Texas) — 3 stars

OLB Kolbe Cage, Holy Cross High School (New Orleans) — 3 stars

ILB D.J. Fryar, Steilacoom High School (Steilacoom, Wash.) — 3 stars

DE Alex Navarro-Silva, Riverside Community College (Riverside, Calif.) — 3 stars

DT Evan Branch-Haynes, Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep (San Francisco) — 3 stars

Transfer

QB Jordan McCloud, USF — 3 stars in 2018 class

ILB Treshaun Hayward, Western Michigan — 3 stars in 2017 class

**QB Gunner Cruz, Washington State (Casteel High School; Queen Creek, Ariz.) — 3 stars in 2018 class

CB Isaiah Rutherford, Notre Dame — 4 stars in 2019 class

**RB Drake Anderson, Northwestern (Chandler High School; Chandler, Ariz.) — 3 stars in 2018 class

** S Gunner Maldonado, Northwestern (Chandler High School; Chandler, Ariz.) — 3 stars in 2020 class

** DE Jason Harris, Colorado (Higley High School; Gilbert, Ariz.) — 4 stars in 2020 class

QB Nick Moore, Oregon State — 2 stars in 2016 class

OL Davis DiVall, Baylor — 3 stars in 2019 class

Follow @AZSports