5-star Tucson edge Elijah Rushing, an Arizona target, to announce commitment July 6

Arizona could be a little more than a week away from landing the biggest recruit in program history.

Elijah Rushing, a 5-star edge rusher from Tucson’s Salpointe Catholic High School, will decide between the UA, Notre Dame, Oregon and Tennessee when he announces his commitment on July 6.

he 6-foot-5, 251-pound Rushing is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 25 player in the 2024 recruiting class, as well as the third-best edge and the No. 1 prospect from Arizona. His composite rating of .9879 would be the highest of any player to sign with the Wildcats, topping Tetairoa McMillan’s .9779 from the 2022 class.

Rushing, whose older brother Cruz Rushing is a defensive back on the UA roster, took an official visit to Arizona on June 2, but has since made visits to his other three finalists.

Arizona has 17 commitments for its 2024 recruiting class, which 247Sports currently ranks 41^st overall. That includes four defensive linemen, the highest-rated being 3-star Salpointe teammate Keona Wilhite.

There are no Crystal Ball picks in yet for Rushing, but Arizona making his final four is already a major accomplishment. Under Kevin Sumlin, a pair of highly rated prospects from Salpointe—running back Bijan Robinson, who went to Texas and was a first-round NFL draft pick this year, and safety Lathan Ransom, who went to Ohio State—barely gave the Wildcats any consideration.