Jordan HammThe Arizona Wildcats earned a massive win on the recruiting trail Friday evening when Downey (CA) quarterback Oscar Rios announced his commitment to the program.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Rios spent last week in Manhattan Beach at the Elite 11. He showed he belonged among the elite quarterbacks in this 2026 class.
In the last two years, Rios threw for 5,187 yards, 45 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also ran for 1,502 yards and 18 scores on the ground.
The Wildcats beat out the hometown UCLA Bruins for Rios’ commitment.
Where Arizona Stood Out with Oscar Rios
According to the quarterback, Arizona not only made the pitch for on-field success, but the coaching staff also paid attention to his priorities off the field.
When asked what drives him, Rios said his family and that he can be a role model for Latino quarterbacks everywhere. Arizona made sure those priorities were embraced when his family visited Tucson.
“They put our culture out there,” Rios said last week at the Elite 11. “(The coaches did) little things, they had me fly the Mexico flag on the backplate, back of the helmet. They gave me a flag. It felt like family for sure.”
Rios said he’s felt the love from the entire program with the likes of offensive coordinator Seth Doege, head coach Brent Brennan, wide receivers coach Bobby Wade and running backs coach Alonzo Carter leading the charge.
“That’s all family right there.”
The thought of playing under Doege also excites Rios.
“It’s more than a coach to me. That guy is like a big brother to me,” Rios said. “Even if I don’t want to hear it, he tells me everything I need to know. I’d be excited to play with him for sure.”
Oscar Rios is the 15th public commit of the 2026 class and the fifth from the state of California.
