Arizona needs to increase blue-chip players on its roster

CBS Sports released its blue chip ratio on Thursday, with 18 teams over 50 percent of their rosters with five- and four-star players. Teams with over 50 percent of their roster with blue-chip players have won every national championship since 2011.

Arizona is not close to a blue-chip ratio of 50 percent. Eight players on the 2025 Arizona roster, according to the 247Sports team talent composite, were four-star signees. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Leviticus Su'a and 2025 wide receiver signee Isaiah Mizzell are the only blue-chip players on the 2025 Arizona roster who originally signed with the Wildcats.

Cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew, defensive lineman Tiaoalii Savea, quarterback Braedyn Locke, running back Kedrick Reescano and safety Jshawn Fausto-Ramos are transfers to Arizona who signed with other programs at the beginning of their collegiate careers.

The blue chip ratio counts primarily players that sign with other programs. Bud Elliott, who wrote the article on blue chip ratio on Thursday, examined the traditional blue chip ratio with players that are still with the programs they signed with and transfers. In the past the blue-chip ratio did not include transfers.

"The Big 12 likes to argue that it is the deepest league, but it has zero national title contenders. You could put together an all-star team of the top two Big 12 teams and it wouldn't even be a title favorite. 17 teams had more players drafted than the top Big 12 team did. "

Bud Elliott, CBS Sports

Mizzell was the only 2025 Arizona blue-chip signee. Four-star quarterback Oscar Rios is currently the only blue-chip commit in the 2026 Arizona class. The 2023 Arizona team that finished 10-3 had 14 blue-chip players on the roster. Many of those players have since transferred to Washington to join former Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch.

None of the 18 teams nationally with a roster that has a blue-chip ratio of at least 50 percent are in the Big XII. Arizona head coach Brent Brennan and his staff have the opportunity to compete in the Big XII with significantly less talent than the other three power conferences.

Former Arizona Pac-12 rivals Oregon and USC are the only teams in the Mountain or Western time zones with a blue-chip ratio over 50 percent. Oregon is fifth nationally at 78 percent and USC is 15th at 57 percent. If Arizona is going to compete to earn CFP berths, significantly improving its blue chip ratio is critical.