Arizona football: Wildcats add ex-Michigan State offensive lineman Thiyo Lukusa

It appears that Rich Rodriguez has added yet another new member to the Arizona Wildcats’ roster, as former Michigan State offensive lineman Thiyo Lukusa announced Saturday that he is joining the Wildcats.

Lukusa was a high-end three-star recruit with big time offers coming out of Wayne, New Jersey in 2016. He held offers to Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee, among others. He was ranked No. 374 in the nation, and No. 40 overall among all offensive tackles.

The 6-foot-5, 305 pound lineman played in eight games as a true freshman for the Spartans, and was projected to be the starting right tackle for the 2017 season.

In February, he announced that he was quitting the team.

“I really haven’t been in love with football since I was in high school,” Lukusa told the Detroit Free Press. “It’s been awhile, probably since I was a sophomore or junior. I went home for Christmas and had a great time with my family up north -- just being away from football and doing other things and working out and playing basketball and running”

After being released from his scholarship, Lukusa enrolled at Northwestern Michigan College.

Given that he played in 2016 for MSU, Lukusa will have to sit out in 2017 due to NCAA transfer rules, making him eligible for the 2018 season.

Arizona has experience on the offensive line, but not a lot of depth, so while the Wildcats will have to wait a year for Lukusa’s services, he will be a much-needed body in the future.