Arizona 4-star QB commit Robert McDaniel flips to UCLA

After losing quarterback commit Madden Iamaleava to Arkansas on Wednesday, UCLA flipped Arizona commit Robert McDaniel. McDaniel did not sign with Arizona on Wednesday as was expected. McDaniel was one of two 2025 Arizona commits to receive a four-star rating. UCLA's was McDaniels' dream school.

Arizona has some insurance in the 2025 class with three-star QB Luke Haugo who signed with the Wildcats on Wednesday. McDaniel is the 446th prospect, 32 QB and 37th player in California out of Hughson in the 2025 class. Haugo is the 1,375th prospect, the 79th QB and the 13th prospect in Arizona out of Phoenix Higley.

McDaniel threw for 7.767, 97 touchdowns and 17 interceptions during his high school career with 461 rushing yards and another five scores. McDaniel has a higher grade than any QBs projected to be on the 2025 Arizona roster. That includes returning starter Noah Fifita. Huago will be the second highest-rated Arizona QB behind Fifita.

Four-star wide receiver Isaiah Mizell is the only player Arizona signed in the 2025 class with a higher rating than McDaniel. There were only 10 players on the 2024 Arizona roster with a higher rating than McDaniel. Several of those players will not be returning in 2024. Some will enter the NFL Draft and others are transferring.

"Some options appeared that I really wasn’t expecting and they appeared on signing day...I was able to see that Tino was going to UCLA and me having that relationship with him when he was at Indiana and seeing his pedigree putting quarterbacks all the time in the NFL, that’s how it shot off...I definitely was going to sign with Arizona. It was definitely out of the blue for sure."

Robert McDaniel told to Rivals.Com

Former four-star QB Brayden Dorman who was the highest-rated signal caller on the 2024 Arizona roster is entering the transfer portal. Arizona projects to return Fifita, second-team QB Cole Tannenbaum and Anthony Garcia with adding Haugo at QB in 2025.

Arizona could potentially add a transfer QB or someone late in the 2025 class. Au'tori Newkirk out of Norfolk, Virginia is 52nd in the 2025 class is the highest-ranked available QB. Massachusetts, Temple and Toledo are the only FBS programs to offer Newkirk. Arizona has not contacted Newkirk per his 247Sports profile.

There is an excellent group of QBs in the transfer portal. The top-rated transfer QBs are likely looking for an opportunity to start in 2024. Arizona could seek a young transfer QB to develop as the potential replacement for Fifita. Fifita has two seasons of eligibility remaining.