ANOTHER DEVASTATING DEPARTURE: Miami Hurricane lose Top Experienced CB to Arizona Football

Arizona Football received two Power 4 transfers on the same day on Sunday, when Miami transfer Demetrius Freeney Jr. committed.
Freeney Jr. will transfer to Arizona after completing his second season with the Hurricanes and appearing in three games. He spent the majority of his time on special teams, but he also saw limited experience in the defensive lineup without registering a stat.

Same soup, only reheated.
The 6-foot-tall defensive back joined Miami after playing his 2022-23 season at the College of San Mateo, where he saw action in seven games as a freshman and posted 10 tackles, six pass breakups, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

The recruitment staff lead by Brent Brennan and Alonzo Carter has been enjoying the College of San Mateo bag. Incoming transfer wide receivers Reymello Murphy and Jeremiah Patterson were teammates with Freeney Jr. at San Mateo, while two more San Mateo defenders, Cyrus Durham and Johno Price, will join Arizona’s roster.

How does Freeney Jr. fit into the long-term plan
Arizona’s cornerback depth beyond Tacario Davis and Treydan Stukes, neither of whom will return after the 2024 season, was thin entering the offseason. As the third cornerback, Freeney Jr. will now battle with incoming Louisville transfer Marquis Groves-Killebrew and Price for time in the defensive rotation.

Despite the fact that some believe Arizona is becoming San José State in the Big 12, the truth is that Freeney Jr. is one of eight Power 4 transfers attending Arizona and one of six recruits by Brennan and his staff:

Demetrius Freeney Jr. – DB, Miami.
Lance Keneley of Edge, Stanford
Chase Kennedy – Edge, Utah
Michael Wooten – OT, Oregon
Marquis Groves-Killebrew – CB, Louisville
Kevon Darton (DL, Syracuse)
Alexander Doost – OT, Northwestern (holdover from Fisch).
Jack Luttrell – S, Tennessee (Holdover from Fisch)
After appearing in only three games last season, Freeney Jr. is projected to have three years of eligibility remaining with the Wildcats. With Gunner Maldonado and Dalton Johnson’s contracts about to expire, Freeney Jr. is part of a long-term strategy to shore up the defensive backfield in the near future.