Tracking every Arizona Football pickup on National Signing Day
By Mason Duhon
Arizona dips into JuCo pool
High schools and other division I colleges aren't the only places with talent on a football field. Junior Colleges have proven to be an excellent proving ground for players who hope to reach the next level. This is an area that Arizona has been trying to dabble in: both tackle Joseph Borjon and defensive lineman Keanu Mailoto both played JuCo ball at Mt. San Antonio College. They decided to double-dip on the College of San Mateo to bolster the defensive side of the ball.
. . CD. Cyrus Durham. 511. . San Mateo (JuCo): 2023. Cyrus Durham. DE. player
Durham played linebacker at San Mateo, but the Arizona staff is planning to move him to defensive end, per Jason Scheer of 247 Sports. The traits are too juicy not to: he's a towering 6-foot-4 and his 240-pound weight puts him right in line with other edge players on Arizona's roster. Position switches can be difficult and the coaching staff has to develop him, but not every linebacker racks up 10.5 sacks in a season.
Aside from his pass-rushing prowess, he also has a real nose for where the ball is; he tallied 18.5 TFLs, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble last year. Durham sniffs out the ball and isn't afraid to hunt down the ball-carrier with a vengeance, but he can also get his arms up and into throwing lanes to even further disrupt an offense.
JP. . Johno Price. player. CB. 511. San Mateo (JuCo): 2023. . Johno Price.
Price, like his teammate, will also be making a position switch when he arrives at Arizona. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound former safety will be making the switch to cornerback to replace some of the size and production vacated by Ephesians Prysock heading to Washington. He showed a fantastic ability to track the ball and make teams pay for throwing on him while also being utilized to rush the passed on occasion.
Price only tallied 13 tackles and one TFL this season, which is largely unimpressive. However, Price notched two interceptions and four pass breakups for San Mateo last year, so it's extremely understandable why teams wouldn't want to throw his way. He also managed to tally a sack despite being a defensive back, and bodes well for some interesting corner-blitz calls next year on defense.