Five-star edge-rusher Elijah Rushing commits to Arizona

Clearly, Rushing had interest from multiple top programs but elected to stay close to home. If he ends up signing his letter of intent, he will suit up for the Wildcats come fall 2024. 

You might be wondering, then, why Arizona?

Well, for starters, there is the fact that Rushing’s older brother Cruz transferred to the Wildcats this offseason. Formerly a walk-on at Florida, the 6-foot-1 safety was put on scholarship by Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch. 

Then, there is the connection Fisch and company have made with Salpointe Catholic High School, Elijah Rushing’s soon-to-be alma mater. Just last month, three-star 2024 defensive lineman Keona Wilhite, a teammate of Elijah Rushing’s at Salpointe Catholic, verbally committed to Arizona. 

Evidently, Fisch and his staff leveraged the connections they had with the younger Rushing, and it paid off. Per Ari Wasserman of The Athletic, Fisch secured Elijah Rushing’s commitment via “relentless effort on the recruiting trail and not taking no for an answer.” 

As for what the Wildcats are getting in Elijah Rushing, well, there is a reason he had offers from 37 schools — including the four aforementioned competitors, USC, Penn State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Michigan, Georgia, Florida State, Florida, Clemson and Auburn. 

The 6-foot-6, 251-pounder has a knack for getting to the quarterback in a hurry, with a devastating swim move and a penchant for jarring the ball loose. Not only does he have the technique, but he has power to match. The Arizona native can simply overwhelm opposing offensive tackles.

Arizona’s 2024 class now ranks No. 43 nationally, per 247Sports Composite. That is third in the Pac-12, behind only Oregon (No. 8) and Stanford (No. 14) and just ahead of Arizona State (No. 44) and Washington (No. 49).

Since taking over ahead of the 2021 season, Fisch has overseen gradual improvement at Arizona. The Wildcats struggled mightily en route to a 1-11 showing in his first year, with six double-digit losses and a 21-19 home defeat at the hands of Northern Arizona sprinkled in. 

Last season, though, Arizona took a step forward. While it ended in a 5-7 mark, the 2022 slate featured an impressive season-opening win at San Diego State, an upset shocker at then-No. 12 UCLA and a season-ending 38-35 win against heated rival Arizona State. 

That reflects serious progress, and with Elijah Rushing on the way, that progress could very well continue.