Jamarye Joiner and Ma’jon Wright to return to Arizona, boost receiving corps under Jedd Fisch

The Arizona Wildcats got a huge boost to their receiving corps Thursday when Jamarye Joiner and Ma’jon Wright both announced they are withdrawing from the transfer portal.

They had entered it after Kevin Sumlin was fired in December but, at least in Joiner’s case, opted against leaving the UA after having conversations with new head coach Jedd Fisch and new wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings.

Their returns mean the Wildcats will bring back four of their top five receivers to begin the Fisch era, the other two being Brian Casteel and Tayvian Cunningham.

Stanley Berryhill III, their leading receiver, has already announced his transfer to Ball State. Lesser targeted pass-catchers like Drew Dixon and Boobie Curry entered the transfer portal too, though they have not announced their next destinations yet.

Joiner, a redshirt sophomore who played locally for Vail’s Cienega High School, started as both QB and WR for the Wildcats in three seasons. He appeared in two games as a passer in 2018, going 3 for 4 in a loss at Utah, before getting switched to receiver prior to the 2019 season.

That move allowed the 6-foot-1, 214-pound Joiner to flourish. He led Arizona with 34 catches for 552 yards and five touchdowns in 2019, including a breakout 7-catch, 140-yard, 2-TD performance at ASU.

Offseason foot surgery would have caused Joiner to miss the beginning of the 2020 season had it not been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and he finished with 12 catches for 111 yards and a TD while also handling punt and kickoff return duties.

Wright, a 3-star prospect in the 2020 class that Arizona landed out of Florida, was second on the UA in receptions (15) and receiving yards (176) and also had a touchdown catch. He started two of Arizona’s final three games, one of the few bright spots in those games.