College decisions are made easier for highly-touted prospects because of how close a great program is to them. Coach Jedd Fisch and Arizona football have been the latest program to benefit from it. They got the commitment of Elijah Rushing over Notre Dame football and Oregon football through their proximity.

Elijah Rushing is a highly-touted high school prospect and an Arizona native. The Wildcats get a homegrown edge rusher that has five stars under his belt, per Ari Wasserman of The Athletic. Jedd Fisch is set to mentor the 27th-best prospect in the nation. Rushing is also the 3rd-best edge in the USA, and the best in Arizona.

A huge reason for the young edge's commitment could be the family connection. Cruz Rushing went to play for Arizona football after giving his father's alma mater, Florida football, a shot. The brothers are now playing for the same team which makes for a loaded team chemistry.

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Nepotism is definitely not why Elijah is a blue-chip recruit in the eyes of programs like Notre Dame football and Oregon football. His skill sets on the field gobbled up opponents. The 6-foot-6 behemoth terrorized varsity football as he totaled 73 tackles and four forced fumbles in 12 games. Furthermore, his latest stint also rewarded him with 13.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. Elijah Rushing is a top recruit for a reason.

Coach Fisch is rising up the 2024 team recruitment ranks. They just got the highest-ranked recruit in their program's modern-era history. Moreover, recruitment season is still in full swing. A lot of untapped potential prospects have yet to commit.

Will the Wildcats have enough time to build a championship-winning roster?