This isn't supposed to happen. Teams aren't supposed to get five-star recruits coming off 1-11 seasons. Somehow, though, Jedd Fisch has done the unthinkable and flipped the No. 1-rated player in California from Oregon to Arizona.
Five-star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is headed to Tucson where he will be accompanied by current Servite High School (Anaheim, California) teammates Noah Fifita, Keyan Burnett and Jacob Manu. McMillan, Fifita and Burnett will all arrive on campus in January to begin their careers with the Wildcats as midyear additions.
All three received diplomas on Wednesday at Servite's Signing Day ceremony to signify that their time in high school has come to a close.
That Arizona landed a five-star recruit is certainly going to send shockwaves around the college football recruiting world. Arizona?! The 11th-ranked recruit in the class?!
Yup. It's happening, but it was no accident.
This has been part of the plan seemingly since Fisch took the job and was able to identify the early targets that would help build his program. Fifita was one of the prospects at the top of the list, because every skill player needs someone to throw them the ball.
His friendship with McMillan (they each call each other best friends) is important. It's arguably the biggest part of why he's going to be playing for the Wildcats. Still, UA needed more than just that to make this all happen.