Ayden Garnes, a cornerback from West Virginia, has committed to Arizona just days after visiting the Wildcats, he announced on Monday. Garnes chose Arizona over the Houston Cougars and has one year of eligibility remaining.
The 6-foot, 175-pound Philadelphia native played six games for the Mountaineers before a season-ending injury. He did not play in West Virginia’s 31-26 win over Arizona in Tucson in October. Garnes began his collegiate career at Duquesne, an FCS program, where he played for three seasons. In his one season with the Mountaineers, he recorded 25 tackles and a pass deflection. During his final year at Duquesne, Garnes earned an impressive 87.4 defensive grade from PFF, including a 90.1 coverage grade.
Garnes’ addition strengthens Arizona’s defensive secondary, which already includes standout players like nickel back Treydan Stukes, strong safety Dalton Johnson, safety and nickel back Genesis Smith, and safety Jack Luttrell. Stukes, Johnson, and Smith have combined for 431 tackles, eight interceptions, eight forced fumbles, and 29 pass deflections, with over 4,500 defensive snaps played at Arizona, according to PFF.
Arizona lost key contributors to the secondary, including multi-year starter Gunner Maldonado, who transferred to Kansas State, and star cornerback Tacario Davis, who entered the transfer portal. The Wildcats also saw cornerbacks Marquis Groves-Killebrew and Emmanuel Karnley, along with Demetrius Freeney and Jai-ayviauynn Celestine, enter the portal. Karnley, Freeney, and Celestine have since committed to Miami, Boise State, and Florida International, respectively.
Garnes is the fourth defensive back added to Arizona’s 2025 transfer portal class, which also includes cornerbacks Michael Dansby from San Jose State and Jay’Vion Cole from Texas, and safety Jshawn Frausto-Ramos from Stanford. Arizona’s transfer portal class for 2025 is ranked 22nd nationally by 247Sports, and 12th by Rivals, positioning the Wildcats as a strong contender in the transfer market.
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