Arizona Wildcats Land Massive Visiting Date for Top 2027 Recruit

Arizona has been busy filling out its 2026 recruiting class. However, Brent Brennan and his staff will be getting a visit from a major 2027 recruit.

Three-star running back Duece Jones-Drew from De La Salle High School. | Duece Jones-Drew's X account

Over the years, Arizona football has seen highs and lows not only on the field but also in recruiting battles with coaches trying to bring high-level talent to Tucson and help build the program.

The highest rated recruiting class in program history was the 2022 class where then-head coach Jedd Fisch landed five-star recruit Tetairoa McMillan headlining the class that also featured Noah Fifita, Genesis Smith, Jonah Savaiinaea, Jacob Manu Taye Brown, Tacario Davis, Ephesians Prysock, Jonah Coleman and others that have made major impacts on the program and some that are still on the roster.

One of the most used sayings in college sports is “recruiting is the lifeblood of the program.”

Although it is a saying that is used all the time, it is completely true, even in the world of the transfer portal that we live in today.

Clearly the 2024 season was extremely disappointing for head coach Brent Brennan and his staff in their first year at Arizona. And poor play could lead to poor recruiting, which could hurt the program long term.

Scrimmage Highlights ⬇️ can’t wait for week 1. pic.twitter.com/5qlnJInNxt

— Duece Jones-Drew 3⭐️ (@Duecejd2) August 25, 2024

However, credit Brennan and his staff for the recruiting class that they were able to put together despite the struggles of the 2024 season. The 2025 class finished 49th nationally in the On3 industry comparison rankings.

Right now, the staff is focusing on the 2026 class, which at the moment sits 52nd nationally with 20 commits.

However, it was reported by 24/7 Sports’ National Recruiting Editor Brandon Huffman that running back Duece Jones-Drew has scheduled a visit to Tucson for Oct. 11, which is when the Wildcats face off at home against BYU.

Now, if the name sounds familiar, it should because Duece is the son of UCLA legend Maurice Jones-Drew.

Deuce is rated as a three-star running back that has a frame of 5-foot-8, 180 pounds out of De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., and is starting to see several Power 4 teams show interest in the young back.

Dec 3, 2005; Los Angeles, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; UCLA Bruins running back Maurice Jones-Drew (21) carries the ball against the Southern California Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Peter Brouillet-Imagn Images | Peter Brouillet-Imagn Images

The first Power 4 program to offer Duece was Utah on Oct. 13, 2024, which was followed by Cal and UCLA shortly after. Arizona got involved during the summer when they offered him on May 25, becoming the fifth power program to do so.

Now, Arizona has an uphill battle to win this recruiting war given that Duece is a legacy recruit for UCLA as the Bruins and head coach DeShaun Foster are trying to rebuild the program.

However, the Wildcats have one of the best running back coaches in the country in Alonzo Carter, who is known as one of the top recruiters nationally and has ties to many high school programs around the nation.

Please be sure to share your thoughts on the recruitment of Duece Jones-Drew as we keep you updated on his recruiting process. To do so, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.