Arizona freshman OL Jacob Reece’s playing career in doubt after heart condition diagnosis

A member of Arizona’s top-tier 2022 recruiting class has been diagnosed with a medical condition that could end his college career before it starts.

Offensive lineman Jacob Reece, who signed with the UA in December, announced Friday he has been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

The 6-foot-5, 295-pound Reece, a 3-star prospect from Salt Lake City, arrived in town midway through spring practice with the hope of being able to participate in some workouts. During his physical, though, a heart murmur was detected that required further testing, and that led to the HCM diagnosis.

Reece said such a diagnosis would require him to abstain from all physical activity for three to six months, with the possibility that he might not be able to play football again. He and his family have sought a second opinion, with Reece’s tweet indicating he recently completed a stress echo test that measured his heart rate while jogging.

Reece is one of three offensive linemen the UA signed in December, when it landed the No. 21 recruiting class in the country, its best since 2006.