Arizona safety Scottie Young enters transfer portal

Arizona Wildcats safety Scottie Young Jr., one of the team’s most productive players, has entered the transfer portal, he announced Thursday on Twitter.

“I want to thank the University of Arizona and every Coach I had here for giving me the opportunity to play college football and also be a part of my career at Arizona,” Young wrote. “I would like to thank all my teammates for the lifelong relationships we built and the lasting memories. Thank you for being there through my high and low moments. I am very thankful for the UA. These past three years have been amazing and I would not trade it for anything, but after talking with my family and all the coaches I have decided to enter my name into the transfer portal and finish my eligibility at another university.”

The senior has logged 116 tackles (nine for loss), five interceptions, and seven pass breakups over the last three seasons, starting in 30 of 32 games he appeared in.

In 2019, Young was fourth on the team and first among defensive backs with 66 total tackles (2.5 for loss) while notching three pass breakups and an interception.

Troy Young, Chaco Ulloa and Xavier Bell announced their transfers earlier in the offseason, so Scottie Young’s departure leaves the Wildcats even more thin at safety, where Jarrius Wallace, Christian Young, Jaxen Turner, and Rhedi Short are the only scholarship players at the position. Only Christian Young and Wallace have extended experience. UA’s 2020 recruiting class did not include any safeties.

It’s unclear why Scottie Young would transfer, but it’s worth pointing out that Arizona totally revamped its defensive coaching staff in the offseason.

Young had off-the-field issues in late 2017 when he was arrested in connection with a domestic violence incident. He was charged with a misdemeanor and suspended from all team activities. He was held out of spring football in 2018 as well as the season opener against BYU.

By all accounts, Young learned from that incident and became one of the team’s most prominent leaders.

“I think Scottie has really upped his game,” head coach Kevin Sumlin said in August. “He’s become a leader, he’s communicating, he’s a much different player, a much different guy than he was when I first got here. Just how he handles himself, how he talks to the players, how he talks to everybody else. I’ve been really pleased with his progress.”