When “Juice County” players like Noah Fifita, Tetairoa McMillan, and Keyan Burnett committed to the Arizona Wildcats’ 2022 recruiting class, it changed the direction of the program under then-second year head coach Jedd Fisch, who was coming off a 1-11 season. It looks like Brent Brennan and Co., who are coming off a 4-8 season, could be on a similar trajectory heading into year two in Tucson. On Saturday, Arizona landed a commitment from 2026 three-star Southern California defensive lineman Manoah Faupusa.
The 6-foot-2, 360-pound Faupusa has played through the state of California during his high school career, but will play his senior season for the Santa Margarita Catholic Eagles, the same high school as fellow Wildcat commit Dash Fifita, the younger brother of Arizona starting quarterback Noah Fifita. Faupusa held offers from 14 programs, including Miami, Texas, and USC, but ultimately narrowed his choices down to Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes and Bill Belichick and the North Carolina before ultimately committing to Brent Brennan and the Arizona Wildcats.
Per 247Sports.com composite ratings, he is the 91st-best player from California, No. 119 defensive lineman, and No. 1,112 overall prospect in the class of 2026. Internally, he is the No. 68 player from the Golden State and 90th-best defensive lineman. Faupusa has played both ways in high school, but will more than likely lineup on the defensive side of the ball while in Tucson.
Greg Biggins, National Recruiting Analyst for 247Sports.com, described Faupusa as, “impossible to move in the middle of the defensive line,” adding “he’s much more advanced as a run stuffer than a pass rusher right now but for his size, he’s not stiff and actually moves pretty well.”
Manoah Faupusa becomes the 18th member of the Arizona Wildcats’ 2026 recruiting class. He’s just the third defensive lineman for Joe Salave’a and the defensive staff, joining edge rushers Harvie Moeai from Utah and Prince Williams from Nevada, who committed on the 4th of July. With key commitments from four-star quarterback Oscar Rios, linebacker Dash Fifita, and now Faupusa, could Juice County 2.0 be loading in Tucson?
[…] running back Brandon Smith, three-star edge Prince Williams, and three-star defensive linemen Manoah Faupusa and Keytrin Harris. He is also the fifth prospect from the Lone Star State, which has become an […]