4-star California OL Raymond Pulido flips commitment from Alabama to Arizona

There are a lot of signs you can point to in the past year or so that indicate Jedd Fisch’s “process” that he speaks of ad nauseam may be actually working. Flipping a recruit from Alabama belongs on that list.

Arizona has earned a commitment from 4-star California offensive lineman Raymond Pulido, who had been committed to Alabama since August. 247Sports’ Greg Biggins reports that Pulido will sign with the Wildcats when the Early Signing Period begins on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-6, 345-pound Pulido is ranked by 247 as the No. 394 player in the 2023 recruiting class, as well as the 26th-best interior offensive lineman and the No. 27 prospect from California. His composite score of 0.8925 is second-best among the UA’s 2023 commits (behind only 4-star quarterback Brayden Dorman) and would make him the highest-rated offensive lineman to sign with the Wildcats since Michael Eletise in 2016.

Named the Los Angeles Times’ Lineman of the Year, Pulido played his senior season at Apple Valley (Calif.) High School after spending his first three years at Don Bosco Prep.

Arizona made Pulido’s top 5 back in June, and according to Rivals.com’s Matt Moreno the flip was the result of UA offensive line coach Brennan Carroll continuing to show interest despite being committed to a perennial national power. Arizona’s persistence is reminiscent of its flipping of 4-star receiver Tetairoa McMillan from Oregon last December.

Pulido is Arizona’s 21^st known commitment in the 2023 class, the fourth to come on board in the last three days. The Wildcats got pledges from 3-star cornerback Emmanuel Karnley and 3-star wide receiver Malachi Riley on Friday and one from 3-star receiver Trech Kekahuna on Saturday.