Arizona Set to Host 3‑Star 2026 Cornerback During BYU Weekend
The Arizona Wildcats are off to a 4-1 start in 2025 and have a crucial game against the No. 18 BYU Cougars on the horizon in Week 7. Not only is the matchup pivotal for the Wildcats’ season, but it could also help them land one of the top uncommitted cornerback recruits in the 2026 cycle.
Arizona to Host Oklahoma State De-commit on an Official Visit
Shortly after Mike Gundy was fired from his job at Oklahoma State, the Cowboys saw a wave of decommitments from their 2026 class. One was Josiah Vilmael, a 6’1”, 185-pound three-star cornerback prospect out of Fort Bend Travis High School in Richmond, Texas.
According to 247Sports, Vilmael is the No. 145 cornerback prospect in the 2026 cycle. With his recent decommitment from Oklahoma State, he is now one of the few recruits who remain uncommitted in the class.
In this story Brent Brennan they had an official visit OV scheduled, they had an official visit (OV) scheduled for October 11.
Class of 2026 DB Josiah Vilmael, who recently decommitted from Oklahoma State, has official visits scheduled to Arizona (10/11) and Iowa (11/8).
— Blair Sanderson (@BlairASanderson) for October 11. 
Profile: https://t.co/rpBM9Xrd9L@josiahVilmael@SWiltfong_@GregSmithRivalshttps://t.co/rpBM9Xrd9L
Vilmael’s trip to Tucson will be crucial for the Wildcats, as they are the first team to host him on an OV since his decommitment. Following his visit with Arizona, he’ll travel to Iowa for an OV with the Hawkeyes on November 8, and then to Kansas State for an OV on November 29.
With Arizona being his first OV scheduled, they have a chance to lock up his recruitment this weekend, before any other team has an opportunity to sell him.
247Sports ranks the Wildcats' 2026 class as the 39th best in the country. Out of their 20 commits, only one plays cornerback in three-star Xaier Hiler, so adding Vilmael would be a massive boost to the overall class and the future of Arizona’s secondary.
It’s rare for a player as talented as Vilmael to be on the open market at this stage in the recruiting cycle. Arizona is doing a good job of making the most of it by already asserting itself as a key player to land him.
A win over BYU would not only be Arizona’s first win over a ranked opponent this season, but it would also put them in a great spot to convince Vilmael to commit to the Wildcats before he has a chance to go elsewhere.
The game is shaping up to be one of the most crucial for Arizona’s season, not only because of its implications for the Wildcats’ playoff hopes but also because of its potential impact on winning Vilmael’s recruitment.
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Max Doresy serves as the Western United States College Recruiting Beat Writer On SI. He graduated from the prestigious Syracuse University – S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Before that, he worked for the Pro Football Network and was part of the recruiting department for Syracuse University's football program.