The University of Arizona football team announced 20 new additions to its 2026 signing class in the early period window on Wednesday, Dec. 3. The new recruits consist of six four-star prospects which puts the Wildcats 36th in the country and fourth best in the Big 12.
A huge jump compared to last year’s class which ranked No. 63 nationally.
The 2026 additions mark the best signing class for Arizona since the 2022 class, led by Tetairoa McMillan, Noah Fifita and more.
“This is the highest ranked average per player in the history of Arizona football, which I think that’s a big deal […]. We are excited about where we’re at right now and we can’t wait to get going on what’s next,” Arizona head coach Brent Brennan said.
Offense
Headlining the offensive side is four-star quarterback Oscar Rios from Downey, California. Rios is the highest-rated quarterback to sign with Arizona since 2001. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound freshman participated in the Elite 11 Finals, a showcase for top rated high school quarterbacks across the country, displaying their skills against the nation’s best.
“You will not believe the energy this young man has, he [Rios] has this smile that lights up the room, he’s got this contagious personality, I can’t wait for him to be here. He was one of those players from the first time we met him, you could tell he just had juice,” Brennan said.
Staying in the backfield is four-star running back Brandon Smith. The Fresno, Calif., product is ranked as a top-25 tailback in the country. Smith joins many recruits in this years’ class who are dual-sport athletes that run track.
Going out wide is 6-foot-4 receiver R.J. Mosley. The four-star product, like Smith, also ran track. Mosley competed in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 400-meter dash. Mosley comes in as a top-15 player in the state of California.
Four-star tight end Henry Gabalis comes in as the only tight end in the class. Gabalis, standing at 6-foot-6 is the No. 2 prospect in the state of Washington and a top-20 tight end in the country.
Moving up front is four-star offensive tackle Malachi Joyner. Joyner is one of three prospects to sign from the state of Arizona. The 295-pound freshman is the No. 3 recruit in the state and has experience playing on the defensive line and competed in track and field in the shot put and discus throw.
Rounding out the last offensive four-star prospect is fellow offensive tackle Justin Morales from El Paso, Texas. Like Joyner, Morales also competed in track and field and participated in the shot put. Morales held offers from schools like the Big 12 Champions Texas Tech University, American Athletic Conference Champions Tulane University, Georgia Tech University, among others.
Wide receiver Caleb Smith, offensive linemen Nathan Allen, Kaisi Lafitaga and Khalil Sanogo close out the 2026 offensive signing class as the lone three-star recruits.
Defense
Leading the Arizona defense is four-star defensive back Xaier Hiler. The 6-foot-4 corner from Denton, Texas is a top-30 player in the state and ranked as the No. 21 recruit in his position in the country.
Three-star safeties Hannibal Navies II from Grayson, Ga., and Griffin Tillis out of Spring, Texas, joins Hiler in the secondary. Navies II, is rated as a top-100 player at his position and gives the Wildcats some much needed depth in the secondary.
Arizona signed six defensive linemen, led by 360-pound Manoah Faupusa from Westminster, Calif. The three-star lineman led Santa Margarita Catholic High School to their first CIF-SS championship game appearance since 2011, and chose the Wildcats over schools like University of Miami, University of North Carolina and University of Colorado.
Joining Faupusa on the defensive front are three-star prospects Keytrin Harris and Kevin Moorer. Harris, from Chandler, Ariz., led Arizona Compass High School to this year’s Arizona Division Ⅲ state championship. Harris committed to Arizona over the SEC Champions University of Georgia, Texas A&M and more.
Moorer is the only recruit joining the Wildcats from junior college. The 275-pound defensive lineman comes from Hutchinson Community College and is a top-40 player in the nation. He chose the Wildcats over Temple, FAU and others.
Defensive ends Harvie Moeai and Prince Williams bolster up the trenches for Arizona. Williams, is rated as the No. 6 recruit in the state of Nevada and was named the 2025 Nevada MaxPreps Player of the Year. Moeai, was selected for this year’s First Team All-Region in the state of Utah and is the No. 22 overall player in the state.
Closing out the defensive side are linebackers Jaden Parker and Dash Fifita. Parker, weighing in at 230-pounds, is rated as a top-70 recruit in his position and recorded 10 tackles for loss, 124 total tackles and five sacks in his senior season. Fifita, from Huntington, Calif., was nominated for the Sporting News Midseason National Defensive Player of the Year award and is brothers with current quarterback Noah Fifita.
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