Arizona Football lands Miami transfer defensive back Demetrius Freeney Jr.
By Mason Duhon
Arizona Football landed two Power 4 transfers on the same day on Sunday when Miami transfer Demetrius Freeney Jr. announced his commitment.
Freeney Jr. will transfer to Arizona after spending his sophomore season with the Hurricanes and seeing action in three games. He spent most of his time on special teams, but he also saw sparing action in the defensive lineup without recording a stat.
Same soup, just reheated
The 6-foot-tall defensive back landed at Miami after playing his 2022-23 season at the College of San Mateo, where he saw action in seven games as a freshman and posted 10 tackles, six pass breakups, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery,
The College of San Mateo is a bag that this Brent Brennan- and Alonzo Carter-led recruiting staff have been enjoying. Incoming transfer wide receivers Reymello Murphy and Jeremiah Patterson were both teammates from San Mateo who played with Freeney Jr., and two more San Mateo defenders are joining Arizona's roster in Cyrus Durham and Johno Price.
How Freeney Jr. fits into the long-term plan
Arizona's cornerback depth beyond Tacario Davis and Treydan Stukes — neither of whom will return after the 2024 season — looked slim entering the offseason. Now, Freeney Jr. will compete with incoming Louisville transfer Marquis Groves-Killebrew and Price for time in the defensive rotation as the CB3.
Despite some holding the perception that Arizona is becoming San José State in the Big 12, the truth is that Freeney Jr. is one of eight transfers joining Arizona from Power 4 squads and one of six that Brennan and Co. recruited:
- Demetrius Freeney Jr. – DB, Miami
- Lance Keneley – Edge, Stanford
- Chase Kennedy – Edge, Utah
- Michael Wooten – OT, Oregon
- Marquis Groves-Killebrew – CB, Louisville
- Kevon Darton – DL, Syracuse
- Alexander Doost – OT, Northwestern (holdover from Fisch)
- Jack Luttrell – S, Tennessee (holdover from Fisch)
After only seeing action in three games last year, it's likely that Freeney Jr. will still have three years of eligibility remaining that he can use with the Wildcats. With Gunner Maldonado and Dalton Johnson's tenures also soon to expire, Freeney Jr. is part of a longer-term plan to shore up the defensive backfield for the near future.
LK. Former Stanford Edge Rusher Lance Keneley commits to Arizona Football. dark. ICYMI
Don’t forget to follow us at @ZonaZealots on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of Arizona news, opinions, and recruiting updates!