Jedd Fisch shares what Arizona looks for in high school players

Arizona has a new look this season. Under head coach Jedd Fisch, the Wildcats brought in a whopping 28 new players in the spring. Despite folding in such a massive recruiting class, Fisch has high standards for recruits.

“It starts with where we go. We go to programs that win games. I want to bring in as many winners into our locker room as possible. If you could see some of the high school programs that we’ve recruited from recently, they’ve all been ones that have won state championships, all been ones that have competed at the highest level, that know what it takes to win games, work hard.

“I want those kids coming into our program. They have to know that we have a standard. Our standard is a 3.0 GPA or higher, for all 85 scholarship players. You can’t come in here and not expect to be held at a very high standard academically. It really doesn’t matter to me what eligibility means. It doesn’t matter to me when people talk about if he gets to this, he can get in. No, I want someone that’s committed to being a great student,” Fisch said at Pac-12 Media Day.

So far, Fisch’s lofty criteria haven’t translated to tallies in the win column. In Fisch’s first two seasons leading the Wildcats, the program is 6-16. In fairness, Arizona did post a four-win improvement last year. Then again, that’s not saying much when the comparison is a one-win campaign.

Players like freshman QB Brayden Dorman could change this unappealing narrative. As a four-star recruit, Dorman is the highest-rated incoming freshman at Arizona. The 6-foot-4 quarterback was the No. 22 quarterback in the Class of 2023, according to On3 Industry Ratings.

The team also added former five-star Justin Flowe from Oregon and three other former four-star recruits. No matter how the Wildcats perform on the gridiron, Fisch will continue to expect excellence off it.

“You have to be able to be willing and want to be willing to give to the community. Community service is a big part of it. It’s a privilege to play football. 50,000 people watch you play. If it was easy, 11 would watch 50,000 play. For us, you got to understand that privilege, and you’ve got to give back,” Fisch said.

Fisch and his fresh faces can start by trying to give their community a win on Sept. 2, when the team takes on Northern Arizona in its season opener.