Ranking Arizona’s Top Transfer Portal Acquisitions So Far

The Arizona Wildcats have already had a busy offseason as they replenish their roster following a 9-4 season and a Holiday Bowl loss to SMU. Aside from the first signing day for high school recruits, they've also been taking advantage of the transfer portal.

While players in the portal can still commit at any time, the window to enter the portal has closed, meaning there cannot be anyone entering the portal who has not already declared it in some fashion. According to On3, Arizona currently owns the country's 28th-ranked transfer class, with 28 commits for the fall.

Arizona transfer portal — 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

Here are a few of the top players that the Wildcats have pried away from other programs.

1. Defensive back Daylen Austin

As a former four-star recruit of the Oregon Ducks, Austin might be the biggest coup the Wildcats have pulled off so far this offseason. Austin spent two seasons in Eugene, appearing in 17 games, including all 14 for Oregon's College Football Playoff squad this season. He was primarily a special teams player and finished the 2025 season with 10 tackles.

With all the departures in the secondary, Austin has a chance to play a role for Arizona immediately. His 6-foot-1, 199-pound frame fits perfectly with the elite players the Wildcats will lose to the 2026 NFL Draft. At this point, Austin's hype is mostly based on potential, but it's rare that Arizona pulls in a recruit with so much promise.

2. Defensive back Malcolm Hartzog

Hartzog has a wealth of power conference football experience as a borderline All-Big Ten player at Nebraska over the last four seasons. He was even the program's Freshman of the Year during his debut season, and eventually had the honor of wearing a single-digit number, which requires a team vote at Nebraska.

That vote of confidence says plenty about the type of player he is, and his production has backed it up. He leaves Nebraska with over 100 tackles, 13 passes defended, and eight career interceptions. He's not the usual size we see in the Wildcat secondary, but he's without question one of the more accomplished players in this group.

3. Linebacker/defensive end Cooper Blomstrom

Blomstrom comes to Tucson after three seasons at Georgetown, blossoming into a playmaker over the last two years. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound defender has become a load for offenses, making 62 tackles, including 24 TFLs and 15 sacks over his last 23 games. He's an All-Patriot League player and can be a difference maker for the Wildcats up front.

4.Linebacker Matai Tagoa'i

"Stealing" high-potential players from former PAC-12 rivals appears to be a theme among the top players in this transfer class. Tagoa'i is a long and athletic linebacker from USC who was ranked as the 168th recruit and No. 14 linebacker in last year's recruiting class. He made three tackles and forced a fumble in his one season with the Trojans.

5. Tight end Cole Rusk

Arizona will be the fourth school in six years for the graduate transfer, and the Wildcats could use his experience. He's dealt with some injuries during his career and never really got a chance to contribute much for Illinois over the last two seasons. However, before joining the Fighting Illini, Rusk had an extremely productive year at Murray State, putting up 507 yards and six touchdowns while being named a third-team FCS All-American.

The production has been there when Rusk is healthy, and Arizona's track record with tight ends could make this a perfect match.

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