4-Star QB Devon Modster Commits to Arizona, Says He's Ready to 'Lead by Example'

Quarterback Devon Modster made the call on his college commitment Wednesday afternoon, electing to leave Southern California and become a member of the Arizona Wildcats:

The 4-star prospect picked Arizona over fellow finalists UCLA and Boise State. Modster landed a Wildcats offer last fall, which was followed by heavy interest from several Pac-12 opponents.

"I really like the way they run such a fast-paced offense," he said. "There are a lot of options involved there. They have the read-option, where you can actually hand it off, run it or throw it if you see someone open. It's a multioption attack."

Modster, a 6'2", 215-pound passer at Tesoro High School in Orange County, is the latest quarterback domino to fall in this 2016 recruiting class. Fellow 4-star prospects Tristen Wallace (Ohio State) and Jarrett Guarantano (Tennessee) committed earlier Wednesday.

K.J. Costello, considered the top-ranked quarterback in California, committed to Stanford three weeks ago. Modster, who competes minutes away from Costello's Santa Margarita Catholic High School, was left as one of the premier uncommitted passers among high school juniors.

"I'm the kind of guy who leads by example," he said. "I'm not the kind of guy that's going to curse at you or anything, but I'll put in the work and show other players what it takes to get better."

Modster, rated 10th nationally among pro-style quarterbacks in 247Sports' composite rankings, completed 58 percent of pass attempts in 12 games as a junior and led Tesoro to a nine-win season. He threw for 2,602 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2014, per MaxPreps.

His skill set also includes above-average mobility, as Modster finished second on the team with 680 rushing yards. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry en route to 12 rushing touchdowns. 

Modster's ability to attack opposing defenses in various ways seems well-suited for Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez. 

If he aims to become the next Wildcats star behind center, he must contend with various players at the position. Rising redshirt sophomore Anu Solomon took over as full-time starter last season and flashed big-time potential.

The Las Vegas product led the team to its first 10-win season since 1998, throwing for 3,793 yards and 28 touchdowns. He could be in line to orchestrate Arizona's offense through 2017 if his development remains steady.

Modster understands there's no smooth path to playing time once you make the leap to collegiate competition.

"You're always going to have to compete no matter where you go, with any team in any conference," he said. "College quarterbacks become starters for a reason."

The Wildcats averaged 35 points per game last season, and Modster will do what he can to ensure more offensive firepower enters the equation.

"I'm going to look around and see which receivers aren't committed," he said. "Even if they are committed, I'll try to get them to come play with me. I'll do what I can to persuade them and talk about the offense. I can't promise them the ball, but if we all work hard enough, they'll get their chance."

Modster is the fifth member of a recruiting class that also includes compelling California athlete Khalil Tate, who could also vie for time at quarterback. He intends to remain a part of that foundation, though he admits intrigue about exploring other parts of the country. 

"Once I'm committed, I'm committed. I'm not going to go shopping around," Modster said. "I would like to possibly take some official visits because it's a free trip, but if the coaches don't want me to, I'll respect that. They're my future coaches, so I won't take any officials if they won't let me.”

He doesn't plan to enroll early, but he could return to campus this season to cheer on his future squad. Modster can already envision himself taking center stage in Tucson. 

"I love the campus, the coaches are great, and it seems like the team is really close," he said. "I definitely want to mature and develop a little more leadership on the field. I want to be able to tell people where to go, lead by example and spread the offense as best I can."

All quotes obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analyst Tyler Donohue.

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.