The Arizona Wildcats have made recruiting within Arizona’s statelines the biggest priority of the 2020 cycle and beyond. Head coach Kevin Sumlin understands the importance of building the program from within the state and the staff has started taking action.
The Wildcats have zeroed in on multiple players within Arizona and have been recruiting them aggressively. One is Phoenix-area recruit Malik Reed. The 6-foot-2, 210 pound linebacker, from Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona, holds five offers as of now. Arizona, Wisconsin, Indiana, Washington State, and Yale comprise his offer list. Reed finished his junior season with 42 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. We caught up with Reed to discuss his recruitment, his offseason plans, and interest in Arizona. AZ Desert Swarm: Out of your offers, who is standing out the most to you at this stage of your recruitment? Malik Reed: “Wisconson and the University of Arizona. Indiana is also in the mix too. I just haven’t been out there yet.” AZDS: What is it about each of those schools that makes them stand out? Reed: “I really like the coaching staffs at U of A and Wisconsin. I feel like U of A is on the rise and Wisconsin is a great school that is already there competing for the Big 10.” AZDS: Focusing more on Arizona, how is your relationship with the coaching staff? Who do you have the best relationhsip with? Reed: “My relationship with the Arizona staff is great. I really like the staff down there. They seem real and authentic. I have a good relationship with all the coaches, but I would say I probably have the best relationship with coach (Taylor) Mazzone. I also have a good relationship with coach Meat (Demetrice Martin).” AZDS: You have taken multiple visits down to campus. What has it been like getting to know the program? What stands out on your visits to Tucson? Reed: “It’s been great getting to know the program and seeing what everybody is about. What stands out to me on my visits to Tucson is the atmosphere there. It’s great that everyone is working to achieve one goal. They really care about their players.” AZDS: What does the coaching staff say they like about your game and what you could bring to Tucson if you were to chose Arizona? Reed: “They like the fire and motor that I play with. They also like how I have a nose for the ball. I’ve also gotten a lot better in other parts of my game since we last spoke.” AZDS: Kevin Sumlin has made recruiting the state of Arizona a major priority and the whole staff has shown that they are serious about it. What does that mean to you as an in-state player? Reed: “The fact they are doing that is great. As an in-state player, it’s a plus too when some of my teammates stay in-state. It makes me want to stay home.” AZDS: What aspects of your game do you feel you need to work on this offeseason? Reed: “I feel like my pass coverage could use some work, but then again, I’m trying to improve every aspect of my game everyday. AZDS: What aspects of your game do you feel are your strongest? Reed: “I feel like my ability to rush the passer and stuff runnning plays are the strongest parts of my game.” Reed is, without a doubt, one of the best pass rushers in the state. His assessment of his strengths above was spot on. Reed pretty much lives in the backfield, evidenced by his 20.5 TFLs and 8.5 sacks. He has a great first step off the snap and has great initial explosiveness. His speed and overall quickness allow him to get into the backfield in a hurry. The interesting thing is he is able to stop and change direction just as quick, so even if he over-pursues, he can recover quickly. Reed is a solid tackler as well. He does hit hard but, more importantly, he wraps up his target and drags him down. He does have the ability to play inside or out, however, if he will need to work on his pass coverage if he moves inside. He has already identified this shortfall, as mentioned above. His junior highlights are below.
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