He’s the 11th Wildcat to follow Fisch to Seattle
On Thursday, Arizona saw a pair of top defensive players remove their names from the NCAA transfer portal and return to school for another year, sparking hope that the Wildcats could bring back even more of those top contributors.
It won’t be all of them, though, as linebacker Jacob Manu has opted to follow his former head coach to Washington.
BREAKING: Arizona standout transfer LB Jacob Manu has Committed to Washington, he tells @on3sports
The 5’11 225 LB totaled 206 Tackles, 7.5 Sacks, 6 PD, & 1 INT in his time with the Wildcats
2023 All-PAC-12 1st Team
1 year of eligibility remaining https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/3DRhEgN97Z
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 20, 2024
The 5-foot-11, 225-pound Manu becomes the 11th Arizona player to transfer to Washington since Jedd Fisch left the Wildcats in mid-January. The previous 10 were last offseason, with several (including running back Jonah Coleman and cornerback Ephesians Prysock) having a big role for the Huskies in 2024.
Manu will be heading to Seattle for his final year of college eligibility while still rehabbing a knee injury suffered in October that knocked him out for the last five games and required surgery. It is unlikely Manu will be able to participate in spring practice.
A 3-star prospect who was one of four Servite High School teammates to sign with Arizona in the 2022 recruiting class, Manu started 27 games for the Wildcats. He had 217 tackles in three seasons, including a team-best 116 in 2023, and also recorded 16.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
Manu is the second ex-Servite Wildcat to announce his transfer, following tight end Keyan Burnett to Kansas. Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, leaving quarterback Noah Fifita as the only returner from the quartet.