Arizona lands Northwestern transfer safety Gunner Maldonado for 2021

Jedd Fisch has landed his first commitment as head coach at Arizona, and it's someone who has called Arizona home. Northwestern safety Gunner Maldonado will be returning to Arizona to continue to the rest of his career after announcing his plans to transfer to UA after just one season in Evanston. The Chandler native was a standout player for in-state powerhouse Chandler High and was heavily targeted by the Wildcats during the 2020 recruiting cycle.

Ultimately he decided to leave home like so many other in-state players in favor of moving to the Midwest to play at Northwestern. Maldonado played in three games this season with one tackle in the opener against Maryland. He also played in games against Michigan State and Iowa.

Maldonado was one of Arizona's top targets overall in the 2020 class as he shined in the secondary at Chandler. UA was one of the programs heavily in the mix as he narrowed down his options two summers ago.

An official visit to Northwestern changed his recruitment, however, and he ultimately made the move across the country.

“It was tough because the majority of my family lives in Arizona,” Maldonado said at the time when he made his original decision. “The coaches out here showed me a lot of love and I appreciate it. But going to Northwestern was the best option for me.”

Arizona State, Iowa State, Indiana and Memphis were other programs that offered Maldonado out of high school while BYU offered him recently after he made the decision to enter the transfer portal.

UA also recently offered another Northwestern player in the NCAA transfer portal with the Wildcats deciding to become involved with running back Drake Anderson after he made the decision to leave the program. Anderson, a sophomore, also played at Chandler High.

Maldonado should have an opportunity to play right away assuming the proposed one-time transfer rule is approved by the NCAA this month. The Wildcats have been hit hard with transfers at the safety position over the last year and need immediate help at the position.

New defensive backs coach Chuck Cecil served as Maldonado's lead recruiter for the Wildcats.

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