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Arizona Lands 2028 Recruit  Simote Tupou
Sep 2, 2023; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Jayden de Laura (7) helmet on the field after a victory over Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zac BonDurant-Imagn Images Zachary BonDurant-Imagn Images
Arizona Wildcats Big 12 Media Day Talk

Arizona has been red hot on the recruiting trail for the 2026 class that has worked itself up to No. 40 nationally and sixth in the Big 12 according to 24/7’s recruiting services. Now, Brent Brennan and his staff have received a commitment for the 2028 class in defensive lineman Simote Tupou, who made his decision on his social media.

As of right now, Arizona and head coach Brent Brennan are one of very few schools which has a commitment for the 2028 class. This puts them extremely high in that class ranking but things might/will change when that class' signing day comes around.

“I chose Arizona because of the love and support I have been receiving from coach Joe Salave’a,” Tupou told Si. “I committed so early because I trust the plan that coach Joe has for me.”

During his short time as the defensive line coach for Arizona, Salave’a has been hauling in high-level defensive linemen as he tries to rebuild a defensive line that will be critical for the program in the future.

Since becoming the Arizona head coach, Brennan has talked about maintaining the recruiting ties that Jedd Fisch and his staff fixed. Thus far, he has been able to maintain those pipelines and has strengthened them with adding Salave’a to his defensive staff.

“I have seen the campus on a spring visit,” he said. “And I like their weight room a lot and the staff.”

Although the official visits for the 2028 class are some time away, Tupou has been able to get to Tucson and has been impacted by the weight room and facilities he has seen.

This is going to be a major recruit for Arizona to hold on to for the 2028 class. However, there is still a long time from here and national signing day for the class.

Anytime you can get a defensive lineman, who is listed at 6-foot-1, 23-pound edge rusher that is still an underclassmen in high school to commit to a program, it is a major deal.

Arizona won the current recruiting war over Cal, Colorado State and SMu at this point in time.

Still, there is a long way from this commitment and national signing day. As Tupou continues to develop, Arizona will be fighting off major programs that will be trying to get him to flip his commitment.

Please be sure to let us know your thoughts on the addition of Simote Tupou for the 2028 recruiting class. To do so, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.


This article first appeared on Arizona Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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