Arizona Lands Big Ten Transfer Portal Linebacker
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After a slow start to the 2026 college football transfer portal window, Arizona head coach Brent Brennan and his staff have started to pick up some steam in recent days as they look to address their roster’s most pressing needs heading into next season.
The Wildcats have now secured commitments from 14 transfer portal prospects, most recently adding a former USC linebacker who was a blue-chip recruit in the 2025 class.
USC Linebacker Transfer Commits to Arizona
On Sunday evening, 247Sports’ Chris Hummer reported on X that Arizona had secured a transfer portal commitment from Matai Tagoa’i, a former USC linebacker. Tagoa’i’s commitment came shortly after an official visit to Tucson.
Arizona has signed USC true freshman LB transfer Matai Tagoa'i, @mzenitz and I have learned for @CBSSports.
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 12, 2026
He was a 4-star LB (No. 168 overall) in the 2025 class. Posted 4 tackles in 8 games this year. https://t.co/wuDo2IDSkC pic.twitter.com/WO1aElql7J
Tagoa’i is the second transfer portal linebacker Arizona has landed, joining Memphis transfer Everett Roussaw Jr. He’s a talented player who should make an immediate impact on the Wildcats’ defense in 2026.
247Sports’ transfer portal rankings list Tagoa'i as a three-star prospect, the No. 473 overall player in the portal, and the No. 29 linebacker.
Tagoa’i is originally from San Clemente, California, and was a four-star recruit in the 2025 class. He was pursued by several Division I programs, including Arizona, before ultimately committing to and signing with USC.
He appeared in eight games for the Trojans as a true freshman in 2025, primarily on special teams, where he recorded four tackles and one forced fumble. He joins the Wildcats with three years of eligibility remaining and is a significant portal pickup for Brennan and company.
While Arizona is expected to return Taye Brown next season, who was the team’s most productive linebacker in 2025, the Wildcats will likely be without both Max Harris and Riley Wilson, who have exhausted their eligibility.
The departures of Harris and Wilson created a need at linebacker for the Wildcats entering the portal, making Tagoa’i’s commitment even more important. While it remains to be seen whether the USC transfer will start for Arizona in 2026, he’ll undoubtedly see significant playing time next season.
With the addition of Tagoa’i, Arizona’s 2026 transfer portal class ranks No. 37 and No. 6 in the country, according to 247Sports. Brennan and his staff have brought in a perfect split of offensive and defensive players so far, with seven portal commits on each side of the ball.
While it’s not the top class in the country, Brennan has done a fantastic job of filling his roster’s most pressing needs and bringing in quality players who will directly contribute to the Wildcats’ success next season.
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Max Doresy serves as the Western United States College Recruiting Beat Writer On SI. He graduated from the prestigious Syracuse University – S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Before that, he worked for the Pro Football Network and was part of the recruiting department for Syracuse University's football program.
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