Arizona Wildcats Flip Three-Star Linebacker Recruit To Boost Their 2025 Class
It's no secret that Arizona is struggling right now, losers of three straight heading into their must win matchup against West Virginia on Saturday that will likely determine if they play in a bowl game or not.
Compared to preseason expectations, this campaign has been a disaster so far for the Wildcats.
Not only does that impact things on the field this year, but it also affects how well they might be able to recruit under head coach Brent Brennan going forward.
Arizona's best 2025 commit, four-star wide receiver Terry Shelton, has already heard from other programs around the country regarding the struggles the Wildcats have had, and even though he's expressed he is still firmly on board, he did admit he's taking into account this losing streak.
Fortunately, things aren't all doom and gloom surrounding this program right.
Despite the recent issues Arizona has had, they were able to flip 2025 three-star linebacker Carter Jones.
COMITTED!!! 🐻⬇️ #BearDown #BTFD @CoachBrennan @CoachGonz @ArizonaFBall @BarstoolArizona @Gaizka_UofA @jasonscheer @MichaelJLev @JustinESports pic.twitter.com/0Il0i143xo
— Carter Jones (@carterjones07) October 25, 2024
The Irvine, Calif. native was originally committed to the University of California back in December 2023, but Brennan and his staff never stopped recruiting him and eventually were able to flip his decision after he decommitted from the Golden Bears a few days ago on Oct. 23 before he announced his new pledge.
"I wasn't too serious [about flipping] until after my official visit this past weekend. I always knew Arizona was a great place and I liked the coaching staff and atmosphere. It was a super hard decision for me, but getting to see it on the official visit just made me realize that I wanted to go there," he said per Chad Simmons of On3.
At 6-feet tall and 205 pounds, Jones is ranked as the 157th linebacker in the country via 247Sports Composite Ranking.
While the three-star isn't a headliner in this class by any means, it is a win over another Power 4 Conference team who also recruits the same caliber of player the Wildcats pursue.
"The college town atmosphere and the support of the students and the fans and their love for Arizona football were big reasons why. Coach Brennan and coach Gonzales were factors too. Coach Brennan really worked hard to build a relationship with me. He respected that I was committed to Cal but never stopped recruiting me. Seeing what he did at San Jose State and getting to know him and his family personally created a huge bond between us," Jones added.
That is a great sign for Brennan and his staff when it comes to recruiting.
What will help even more is if they can finish this season off strong and play in a bowl game.
