5-star Salpointe DE Elijah Rushing commits to Arizona

Five-star defensive end and local product Elijah Rushing announced his commitment to the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday.

Rushing chose Arizona over Pac-12 foe and finalist Oregon. Tennessee and Notre Dame were two other programs linked to Rushing during his recruitment.

The 6-foot-6, 251-pound Rushing hails from Tucson, where he attended Salpointe Catholic High School. He is the top-ranked recruit out of Arizona and is ranked 27th nationally, per the 247 Sports composite. He held an official visit with the Wildcats this past June.

“You can go to a bunch of amazing places but it all comes down to the support of your family, academics and what you see for yourself in the future,” Rushing told the 247 Sports broadcast before announcing his decision.

It marks a big win for head coach Jedd Fisch and Co., who remained dedicated in landing Rushing ever since the in-person visits for 2024 prospects were allowed.

“For Arizona, they have pitched that Elijah has the opportunity to be at home, stay at home and be the kingpin,” Salpointe head coach Eric Rogers told The Athletic’s Ari Wasserman. “He has the chance to be the guy, to be on every billboard in this town. Everybody in this town already knows him, so for his face to be all over this town, they stressed that.

“They also talked about the NIL and the packages and the players and businesses in this town who want to support a local Tucson kid. Being a business owner in this town, I’d love to support a local player who has grown up in this town. If I’m giving money to the kid, I sure would like it to be the guy from my town. That is a strong message.”

Rushing already has a familiar face among the Wildcats’ ranks in his brother and defensive back Cruz Rushing.

Salpointe Catholic teammate and defensive lineman Keona Wilhite also committed to Arizona in the 2024 class. He is a three-star prospect.

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