Wildcats Extend Offer to Talented 2028 Quarterback

Since the end of the 2025 season, Arizona head coach Brent Brennan and his staff have hit the high school recruiting trail hard, extending offers to hundreds of prospects and making progress with some of their top targets.

While the Wildcats’ primary focus has been on the 2027 cycle, they are also targeting several recruits in the 2028 cycle, including recently extending an offer to a three-star quarterback from Texas.

Arizona Offers 3-Star 2028 Quarterback

On Jan. 27, Arizona extended an offer to Tristin Gaines, a three-star quarterback from Waller High School in Waller, Texas. He shared on X that the Wildcats’ offer came after a conversation with offensive coordinator Seth Doege.

#AGTG✝️ After great conversation with @CoachDoege I’m blessed to receive a 🅾️ffer from @ArizonaFBall blessed🙏🏾! @waller_football @MarcusMendoza @CadeBartlett @ThrowItDeep pic.twitter.com/Uo8lTcUpbs
— Tristin “TK” Gaines (@TKGaines0) January 27, 2026

“AGTG After great conversation with [Coach Doege], I’m blessed to receive an offer from [Arizona Football] blessed!” Gaines wrote.

Arizona is the ninth Division I program and eighth Power Four school to offer Gaines, joining Baylor, Houston, TCU, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, and SMU. He’s coming off a strong sophomore season at Waller, where, according to his X, he threw for 2,016 yards and 22 touchdowns, while adding 542 yards and 9 scores on the ground.

Nov 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) celebrates a touchdown against the Baylor Bears in the first half at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Although it’s still early in his process, Gaines has already established himself as one of the top signal-callers in the country. Rivals’ industry rankings list him as the No. 142 overall player in the 2028 class, the No. 10 quarterback, and the No. 15 prospect from Texas.

Several schools are targeting Gaines, and a few have already made progress with the young quarterback. Texas has hosted him on campus multiple times, and he was just in Austin for the Longhorns' Junior Day a couple of weeks ago. Other in-state programs, including Houston and Baylor, have also been consistently recruiting him.

Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Brent Brennan against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While Arizona will need to make progress in Gaines’ recruitment over the next few weeks, the good news for the Wildcats is that it’s still very early in his process, and he’s unlikely to make a decision anytime soon.

Brennan and his staff have made quarterback a priority early in the 2028 cycle, as Gaines is now the seventh signal-caller in the class the Wildcats have offered since the start of the new year, joining players such as four-star Kingston Preyear and three-star Chase Curren.

Arizona helme — Nov 25, 2022; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of an Arizona Wildcats helmet on the field during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Although it’s far from a guarantee that Arizona will land Gaines, extending him an offer at this stage of his process should position the Wildcats as serious contenders for one of the top quarterbacks in the 2028 class.

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