NAU HC Brian Wright Recaps Historic '26 Recruiting Class

In Year 3 of the Brian Wright era at Northern Arizona, the Lumberjacks have lured in their highest ranked high school recruiting class in school history after compiling a 15-10 record and one playoff appearance in his first two seasons with two of the toughest schedules in FCS.

The '26 class ranks 125th in the country by 247Sports, which includes FBS teams. Their class ranks 3rd in both the Big Sky Conference and all of FCS and is ranked higher than multiple FBS teams including Penn State, Coastal Carolina, Navy, UConn, & UAB.

The class has 19 total HS commits (+ 1 JUCO and 1 NFL Academy recruit), with 18 of them signing their NLI during the early signing period. Six of them are from AZ, eight are from California, two from Colorado, one from Nevada, and one from Utah.

Clovis East (CA) 3-star RB Lindsey Graves is the highest ranked recruit in the class as the 142nd-ranked running back in the country and 179th-ranked California recruit and ALA Queen Creek 3-star ATH Khalil Bender is the highest ranked Arizona recruit in the class as the 165th-ranked athlete in the country and 34th-ranked overall recruit in the state.

Instrumental in landing 6 of the best players in AZ and the 3rd-ranked overall class in FCS were former Liberty assistant coaches Tim Roschmann (Director of Player Personnel & Recruiting) and Stephaun "Tank" Peters (Assistant WRs Coach).

During a Dec. 11 zoom press conference, Arizona Varsity's Adam Beadle and I both asked Wright about the impact that Roschmann and Peters have had on this recruiting class and how impactful their local Phoenix Metro ties have been in building it.

"I think it's really important," Wright said. "Both guys have done an outstanding job for us in really helping us build this roster to what it is and what it'll continue to be. They do a great job with [local high school] connections and they do a great job building other connections... we're going to owe them a new phone."

Another big topic that was covered during the press conference was the transfer portal. According to Wright, only 14% of players that left NAU in the past 3 seasons either got comparable or more playing time at their new destination. The other 86% either got less playing time or did not find a new home at all.

Among that 14% is Hamilton alum Alex McLaughlin, who led the 9-4 Washington Huskies with 94 tackles (62 solo) while also recording 6 PBUs, 2 INTs (1 pick six), and 1 scoop & score to earn him an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention after transferring from NAU.

ALA Queen Creek alum Sam Hunsaker also entered the transfer portal this offseason and also is expected to be pursued by Power 4 programs including Arizona and Arizona State after making 45/45 PATs and 11/15 field goals (5-7 from 30-39 yards, 4-5 from 40-49 yards, & 1-2 from 50+ yards) this season for the Lumberjacks.

One of the most difficult parts of coaching FCS football or even Group of 5 football in today's era is player retention.

Like McLaughlin and Hunsaker, many top players every season enter the transfer portal in hopes of receiving better NIL payments and a better opportunity to chase their dream of playing in the NFL by transferring to either Power 4 (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, or ACC) or Elite Group of 5 programs (Boise State, Tulane, James Madison, etc.).

It's become so commonplace that many FCS and Group of 5 coaches use this as a recruiting tactic to land highly touted high school and JUCO recruits that they likely would not have had a chance of landing 5-10 years.

Some of them say that their pitch is for recruits to come to their school to get on the field early as a freshman and/or sophomore before transferring to a Power 4 program and receiving much more NIL money and playing time opportunities than they would have as a high school senior.

"We certainly talk about that when we're in the recruiting process," Wright said. "It's where we are right now in college football. I think we definitely have to address it with [recruits] and talk through it. It is a part of our program if it's done the right way."

Wright also added that the end goal for many players is the NFL, which is "where the real security and the real money is," and doesn't want his players to lose sight of that goal.

To recap the soon-to-be AZHSFB alumni that will be joining the Lumberjacks either next month or in the summer:

Francisco Orduno Jr, Mountain Pointe K

247Sports Rating: N/A

Other D-I offers: None

The Pride's star kicker went 42-for-45 on PATs and 12-for-14 on field goals with a long of 51 yards in his senior season. Orduno has arguably the biggest leg in AZHSFB and many believe his field goal range is as deep as 62-63 yards if given an opportunity.

Khalil Bender, ALA Queen Creek ATH

247Sports Rating: 3-star, 84.00

Other D-I offers: Arizona, Idaho, Eastern Washington, & Western Illinois

Bender already had caught the attention of AZHSFB media and fans before even stepping foot onto ALA Queen Creek's campus.

In 2023 as a sophomore at McClintock, Bender caught 66 passes for 1,145 yards and 11 TDs in just 10 games.

He followed that up with 64 receptions for 1,000 yards and 9 TDs while also recording 6 INTs, 4 PBUs, 1 fumble force, 1 fumble recovery, and 25 tackles (9 solo) as a junior.

Shortly after his junior season, he made the difficult decision to transfer to ALA Queen Creek for his senior year. He already held D-I offers from NAU and Arizona from the previous summer, but his recruitment really began to blow up after he transferred.

He was rated as a 3-star recruit in February and picked up offers from Western Illinois, Idaho, and Eastern Washington in the spring.

After sitting the first five games of the 2025 season due to AIA transfer rules, Bender caught 36 passes for 684 yards and 10 TDs (1 rush) in 8 games with the Patriots as a senior before signing with NAU on December 3rd.

Donivan Dixon, Cactus Shadows QB

247Sports Rating: 3-star, 83.00

Other D-I offers: Utah (as RB), New Mexico State, Army, Air Force, & Montana State

One of the most polarizing players in the Arizona 2026 class is Donivan Dixon. As a 4-year starter for the Falcons, Dixon completed 61.1% of his passes for 9,674 yards and 102 TDs while rushing 421 times for 4,110 yards and 45 TDs in 44 career starts.

As a senior, Dixon completed 69.7% of his passes for 3,377 yards and 36 TDs alone while also rushing 122 times for 1,391 yards and 15 TDs, earning him many postseason accolades as both a junior and senior.

He was the 2023 BJ Media Underclassman of the Year and the 2024 BJ Media QB of the Year while also finishing second in QB of the Year voting this season.

Bryce Greer, Casteel OL

247Sports Rating: N/A

Other D-I Offers: None

Greer was the heart & soul of the 2025 6A champion Casteel Colts. Battling through an MCL injury he suffered in Week 2, he still was able to play the majority of his team's 14 games during their journey to Mountain America Stadium.

At 6'3 and 285 pounds, my guess is that he will play more at guard than at tackle at the next level. The tap shows that he is one of the most underrated offensive linemen in the state and his teammates and coaches will tell you that he's an even better leader and person than he is a football player.

Cannon Garday, Liberty LB

247Sports Rating: N/A

Other D-I Offers: New Mexico State, Army, Montana, Montana State, Eastern Washington, Lafayette, Fordham

Why Garday wasn't ranked on 247Sports is beyond me, but his plethora of other D-I offers before tearing his ACL this past summer is proof at how impressive his junior season was.

Garday recorded 78 tackles (43 solo), 7 sacks, 11.5 TFLs, 9 PBUs, and 1 fumble force in his 13-game junior season to help Liberty win their second of two back-to-back Open Division titles behind the best defense in the state.

Garday made the switch to linebacker from strong safety/nickel after his sophomore season to make room for Arizona State commit Zeth Angel Thues when he transferred in before the 2024 season, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions that the Liberty coaching staff has made.

Once he is healthy, Garday is likely going to prove how much of a steal he was for the Lumberjacks and have an early impact.

Xavion Brazil, Hamilton DB

247Sports Rating: N/A

Other D-I Offers: Montana State

Brazil was part of an absolutely loaded Hamilton secondary that features 5 other players with D-I offers. He recorded 23 tackles (11 solo), 3 PBUs, and 2 TFLs in his senior season.

His frame at 6'1" and 170 pounds as well as his 4.5 laser 40-yard dash are measurables that transfer well to the next level and will making him an intriguing prospect to keep our eyes on in Flagstaff.