Uniontown is a small town in Western Pennsylvania located approximately 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, with a population of less than 10,000 people. It also happens to be where Arizona wide receiver Rodney Gallagher III calls home. After spending the last three seasons at West Virginia, less than 30 miles from his hometown, he’s now over 2,000 miles away from home as he prepares for his final season of college football in Tucson. It’s a big change for a blue-collar young man from a blue-collar town. Why Tucson? Why now? For Gallagher III, the decision to spend his final season in college at Arizona was an easy one – because he believes in the Wildcats.
Arizona was the only official visit Gallagher III took when he entered the transfer portal back in January. Once he arrived in Tucson, he knew the Wildcats were the team for him.
“I came here for the fit, and I came here for the culture. It just felt great, and they were the only official visit I took. After I got done here, I just told my dad, that came with me that, ‘yeah, I wanted to be here.’ And then meeting Bobby and meeting Coach Doege and Coach B, and just listening to what they had to say about my game and watching my film and stuff, I knew off the bat I wanted to play for him. It’s been nothing but special, and I’m just glad I chose Arizona.”
That belief is mutual – Gallagher III believes in the Wildcats and his coaches believe in him.
“For him to trust us and want to come all the way over here to Arizona, and for him to be having a good experience like he’s having really makes you feel good as a coach, knowing that you know he’s a great fit, and you know he’s going to have a great opportunity to be really big for us this season,” said wide receivers coach Bobby Wade.
Coach Wade expects Gallagher III to do big things for the Wildcats this season, but he also has the task of managing a loaded receiver room in Tucson this season. As part of that, he’s had to be honest about where Gallagher III sits on the depth chart. But through those candid conversations, Coach Wade says that’s where he’s been the most surprised by Gallagher III and truly seen his belief in Arizona shine through.
“For him to come here and choose to understand that you know he’s going to start sitting behind Gio [Richardson]. You know, just being completely honest, the way Gio’s playing and his development and the way he’s growing, for Rodney to be able to take that as a nod of confidence, but also a challenge for him to still choose to want to come to Arizona and play that role, knowing that he’s going to have plenty of opportunities to help this football team win, says a lot about who he is and then what he thinks about this team,” said Wade.
“It would be different if we were a team that he didn’t believe in, a team that he didn’t think was going to go, hopefully into the College Football Playoffs, and you know, play play a lot of football this year. I don’t think it would have been the same, but I’m really grateful for him to be here.”
It’s not like Gallagher III didn’t have opportunities during his time at West Virginia. During his career with the Mountaineers, the former four-star basketball recruit hauled in 64 receptions for over 600 yards and three touchdowns, all of which came in the 2024 season. But after spending the past season under former Arizona head coach Rich Rod, Gallagher III knew he was looking for a change. The coaches? Check. The conference? Check. The level of competition at receiver? Check. But the x-factor? Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita.
“Honestly, just Noah Fifita. Playing for a legit quarterback, Heisman quarterback,” said Gallagher III. You know, he’s special, and he knows the game in and out. And it’s a guy that you know just wants you to be great just for him, and he just looks out for us, and we look out for him.”
Arizona’s offensive coordinator, Seth Doege, knows a thing or two about being – and coaching – a “legit quarterback” in the Big 12. The former Texas Tech gunslinger was instrumental in revamping the Wildcats’ season a year ago and believes Gallagher III will be a one of the keys to Arizona’s success this fall.
“Starting in the spring, I fell in love with Rodney…if you want to play in the slot, you better have great feel for space and you better be really tough. Well, Rod’s both of those.”
For now, Gallagher III, Richardson, and the rest of the wide receiver room, with the help of Noah Fifita and Bobby Wade, will continuing sharpening iron with iron. But as August turns to September and fall begins to approach, know that Fifita, Wade, Richardson and the rest of the receivers believe in Rodney Gallagher III, but more importantly, that he believes in the Arizona Wildcats.