EXCLUSIVE: Arizona Commit Malachi Joyner Talks 2026 Class

The month of June was a busy recruiting period for Arizona football as head coach Brent Brennan and his staff hauled in 11 of the current 20 commitments following official visits to Tucson. 

Arizona’s coaching staff has been hard building up the recruiting class and has focused on building up the front line both on the defensive end and offensive side of the football. In all, the Wildcats have nine prospects that play in the line of scrimmage.

Brennan’s 2026 class sits at No. 44 according to 24/7 Sports recruiting rankings. Also right now, UA is sixth in the Big 12 sitting one spot behind in-state rival ASU.

One of the prospects up front is offensive lineman Malachi Joyner, who is a 6-foot-4, 300-pound player out of Gilbert, Ariz. that committed at the start of June.

Since his decision, Arizona has gotten tougher up front in its recruiting class and has added a highly talented quarterback in four-star Oscar Rios.

We took the time at Arizona WIldcats On SI to reach out to Joyner to talk about what he sees in the 2026 class and his relationship with offensive line coach Josh Oglesby.

Q: Why did you pick Arizona?

Joyner: “I’ve always loved UA as a kid,” he said. “The coaching staff and coach Oglesby also played a big part in my decision.” 

Q: What does it mean to you to see UA land other major recruits in the state?

Joyner: “It doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want to stay in state and play for a great program?”

Q: What are your thoughts on potentially playing with Oscar Rios?

Joyner: “It’s cool, I don’t know much about him,” he said. “I’m sure he’s a great addition to the 2026 class.”

Q: How has it been like getting to know coach Oglesby?

Joyner: “I love coach Oglesby,” he said. “He’s the first coach to take a chance on me. And I like his coaching style, he’s really close to the boys but coaches hard when they are on the field.”

Q: Why is Brent Brennan the right coach for you?

Joyner: “Seeing the way he interacts with the players and other coaches was an eye opener for me,” he said. “ You can tell he loves his players and built a family in the short time he’s been at UA.”