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Elijah Rushing, a five-star 2024 edge rusher at Salpointe Catholic, announced his verbal commitment to the hometown Wildcats at the Stevens Strength and Conditioning center on the Salpointe campus. Rushing selected the UA over Oregon, Notre Dame and Tennessee.

鈥淚鈥檒l say being a hometown kid, born and raised in the heart of 蜜柚直播, this decision holds a special significance for me,鈥� Rushing said. 鈥淎n opportunity to represent my state, my community, and my family on the football field is a dream come true. It鈥檚 a chance to give back to the place that has shaped me both as an athlete and as an individual.鈥�

Rushing’s commitment is a two-fer: Not only is the 6-6, 250-pound defensive end, who is the eighth-best prospect and top edge rusher in ’s ranking system, the highest-rated 蜜柚直播an to play for the Wildcats, he’s the first-ever five-star 蜜柚直播 native to stay home in the modern recruiting era. More notably, Rushing is the highest-rated overall recruit to commit to 蜜柚直播; he passed sophomore star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who the headliner for the first official recruiting class under head coach Jedd Fisch in 2022.

鈥淲hen you think about it from that perspective, it鈥檚 pretty special,鈥� said Salpointe Catholic head coach Eric Rogers. 鈥淚 give that coaching staff a lot of credit. They worked extremely hard.

鈥淭he culture that 蜜柚直播 has is pretty special right now,鈥� Rogers added.

鈥淭hat coaching staff is doing a tremendous job. They鈥檙e not afraid to recruit anybody, and that started with T-Mac last year,鈥� he said. 鈥淏eing able to get him and bring him to 蜜柚直播, that showed 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to build something special.鈥� At the end of the day, talent wins. Right, wrong or indifferent, you gotta have guys who can execute and get it done at a high level.

鈥淭he more of those guys you can have, the more you can win football games. The culture is there, the commitment is there, all of it is in place. Now it鈥檚 just about getting players, and now they鈥檙e starting to do that. I鈥檓 hoping now that Elijah is committed to 蜜柚直播, this can really get more players to come.鈥�

Not long ago, it was conceivable that 蜜柚直播 wouldn鈥檛 land Rushing considering his older brother and former Salpointe Catholic star Cruz Rushing was a walk-on at Florida, and their father, George Rushing, was a tight end for the Gators under 鈥淗ead Ball Coach鈥� Steve Spurrier. Then Cruz Rushing transferred to the UA as a scholarship backup safety.

鈥淔amily is everything to me, and the opportunity to play alongside my older brother at the collegiate level is a blessing beyond words,鈥� Rushing said on Thursday. 鈥淥ur bond as brothers extends far beyond the football field, and the thought of sharing his experience with him is truly a blessing.

鈥淲e have supported and pushed each other from day one. Now we have the chance to continue that journey together. We will not only represent our family name but also inspire others to chase their dreams relentlessly.鈥�

With the older Rushing suiting up for the Wildcats in the spring, Elijah Rushing was a frequent guest at 蜜柚直播鈥檚 spring practices. Attending spring practices allowed Rushing 鈥渢o learn from the coaches ... how to be a better defensive player.

鈥淚 think they鈥檙e doing a great job. (蜜柚直播 edge rushers coach Jason) Kaufusi is a development coach and he has really stepped up, and I can see that the guys are getting to do big things,鈥� Rushing said on ESPN 蜜柚直播 in April. 鈥淭he program is going in the right direction, and I like the coaches who are at the helm of it.鈥�

Once the visiting period started for the 2024 recruiting cycle in January, 蜜柚直播 made its presence felt.

鈥淭hat very first day in January, when coaches were allowed to get on the road and get on high school campuses, the entire (UA) coaching staff showed up at 6 a.m. 鈥� every single coach,鈥� Rogers said. 鈥淭hat left a lasting impression, there鈥檚 no doubt about it. That was special, and it meant a lot to our football program and kids. That kick-started everything. It鈥檚 been a constant open relationship since then.鈥�

The other schools in the Rushing sweepstakes also made a valiant effort, but playing in 蜜柚直播 was sentimental for Rushing.

鈥淓very chance they could be on campus, they were on campus; every one of those schools. Elijah and his family had great relationships, but it has to get narrowed down to something, right? ... I think what it ultimately came down to was staying at home. 鈥業 want to be home, I want to play in front of the hometown crowd, play with my brother and play in front of family and friends. I just want to be home.鈥欌��

Rushing bucked the trend of Salpointe Catholic stars to spurn 蜜柚直播. Notable Lancers the Wildcats whiffed on include Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (Texas); safety Lathan Ransom (Ohio State); offensive linemen Matteo Mele (Washington), Bruno Fina (UCLA) and Jonah Miller (Oregon); also, one-time Lancer and former Tanque Verde offensive tackle Jack Endean (Oklahoma State). 蜜柚直播 also halted recruiting former UA commit Treyson Bourguet, who鈥檚 now the starting quarterback at Western Michigan. Former Salpointe Catholic All-American offensive lineman Kristofer O鈥橠owd chose to play at USC in 2007.

In 2024, the Wildcats have commitments from Salpointe Catholic three-star edge rusher Keona Wilhite and now Rushing.

The Wildcats have six in-state commits for their 18-player 鈥�24 recruiting class, the most by the Fisch regime.

鈥淚 understand the responsibility that comes with wearing the Wildcat jersey, and I promise to approach every practice, game and every moment with steadfast dedication and passion,鈥� Rushing said.

鈥淚鈥檓 committed to giving my all pushing my limits and contributing to the success of our team. Together, we will leave our mark on the football field and continue the proud tradition of the 蜜柚直播 Wildcats. ... I鈥檓 excited to embark on this new chapter and make you all proud.鈥�