Nowadays, in the current landscape of collegiate athletics, players are represented by agents. That includes recruits, too.
Yes, there are 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds who have representation besides their parents to negotiate revenue-sharing contracts with teams and coaches.
Welcome to college football in 2025.
Many agents earnestly help their clients find their path at a very crucial point of their lives, while others leverage their relationships and experiences for a large payday.
For Arizona defensive tackle commit Keytrin Harris, his agent "is like my fairy godmother," he said. Harris is represented by former Arizona star quarterback Ortege Jenkins, the founder and president of One Body Sports Management in Los Angeles.
Jenkins currently represents San Jose State linebacker Sirr Bible, Nevada wide receiver Daijon Calimon and Sacramento State running back Damian Henderson II -- who are all Los Angeles-area products. Jenkins has multiple clients in the 2026 and '27 recruiting cycles, including Harris and Manoah Faupusa, a 6-2, 360-pound defensive tackle at Santa Margarita Catholic (California).
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Jenkins met Harris when he was a coaching consultant at Narbonne High School, helping standout quarterback and Florida State commit Jaden O'Neal, who is also represented by Jenkins. Harris was a defensive lineman for Narbonne before he moved to Chandler, where he's playing at AZ Compass Prep.
"Keytrin came in, his mom saw how I conducted business and coaching methods and style and how to relate to the players, and then we connected," Jenkins said.
Jenkins has been "helping (Harris) from the business-management side and helped him understand what he's getting into when he gets to college," said the former Arizona quarterback.
Harris said Jenkins "came in and showed me the right way, the right path and showed me how to be patient."
"Nowadays, college is a business, so you gotta make sure you go in there and you're ready to go," added Harris. "Him just stepping in as a role model for me and keeping my head on the right path and continue to train and work out, that was a huge moment for me."
When Harris visited Arizona, the defensive lineman learned about Jenkins' place in UA football lore and the famous "Leap by the Lake" play against Washington in 1998, which is one of the most iconic plays in Arizona history.
"I didn't believe him at first and then they played a video and it's actually him leaping in the end zone," Harris said.
Jenkins has two rules he follows as an agent.
"Fit first, finance second," he said.
The former is the most important -- and, yes, that means potentially steering players to schools that aren't the UA, a school and program Jenkins played for and loves to this day.
"If the fit is good and the U of A is the place to be, then we go there," Jenkins said. "It just depends on the fit. I'm always going to get guys in front of (Arizona's) recruiting department and coaches that I believe can help impact the program and have them take a look. Sometimes they like it, sometimes they don't.
"In the recruiting process, it's all about where the kid wants to be. I don't have any push, because I'm not going to be there. I love (Arizona's) coaching staff. I love Brent Brennan, I played with (defensive line coach) Joe Salave'a, I played with (wide receivers coach) Bobby Wade, so these are guys I have a great connection with. I feel comfortable when I'm sitting parents and kids in front of these guys."
Salave'a "was a huge reason why both Manoah and Keytrin committed to the U of A," Jenkins said.
Harris, Faupusa, Las Vegas defensive end Prince Williams, Salt Lake City-area edge rusher Harvie Moeai and American Samoa defensive tackle Kaisi Lafitaga are five of Arizona's commits for 2026. The Wildcats' 20-player recruiting class is rated No. 41 nationally and seventh in the Big 12, according to 247Sports.com.
The 6-3, 290-pound Harris is "a fantastic kid, great character," Jenkins said. Harris is "definitely looking into becoming an early enrollee" in the spring to "learn the playbook and get in shape," said the future Wildcat.
"He's a big, aggressive football player that can play inside," Jenkins said. "It's good to have him onboard. Keytrin is going to make a special impact when he gets to Tucson in January."
Harris joined "Spears & Ali" on ESPN Tucson to talk about his commitment to Arizona and what separates the UA from other schools.
Who spearheaded your recruitment?
A: "Coach Joe (Salave'a) called me during my junior year and gave me an offer. It's funny, when Coach Joe was coaching at Miami, he offered me. I built a connection with him my whole junior year. I love the defensive scheme. I can definitely see myself playing there, moving around on the front line and dropping back into coverage."
How would you describe Salave'a as a coach?
A: "Coach Joe is a very passionate coach. He doesn't just love the game, he loves coaching the game. He takes his time when he talks to players and he goes through the drills with you, so you're watching someone do it right in front of you."
What's your assessment of Arizona and the direction of the program under head coach Brent Brennan?
A: "I feel like the program is making huge progress. Coach Brennan is doing a great job and isn't folding under pressure. They lost a couple of games, but they showed that they were able to compete with top teams in the division."
Do you take responsibility in recruiting other players to Arizona?
A: "Before I took my official visit to the U of A, I knew that was my home, so I made a couple of calls, got a couple of guys to join me on the defensive front. It's going to be a great team next year. There's a lot of freshmen are going to impact the '26 class. ... Me, Manoah, Prince, I've been playing with those guys since we were young, so we already had a connection. Once I saw U of A was in their top four or top three, I knew I had to get those guys to commit with me, because those are some guys I trust to play on the defensive line."
What separated Arizona from other schools?
A: "A lot of teams preach brotherhood, so what separated the U of A from other schools is I got to spend a lot of time off-campus and witnessed the brotherhood that the U of A has. I was with the defensive guys on my recruiting trip, but we all came together and I got to meet the whole team, from the quarterback all the way down to the kicker."
Between now and when you arrive on campus in January, what are you focused on?
A: "My plan before I get on campus is to be in shape stamina-wise and go sideline-to-sideline. I just want to go in and be a student of the game and learn the playbooks and learn the ways."
Homecoming under the sun
Arizona's homecoming matchup with the Kansas Jayhawks will kick off at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8, on ESPN2.
It will be Arizona's seventh straight game with a kickoff time at 6 p.m. or earlier. Arizona's first road game against Iowa State kicked off at 4 p.m., and the Wildcats most recently faced Houston at 9 a.m.
Arizona's contest with Kansas will mark the seventh all-time matchup between the Wildcats and Jayhawks -- the first since the UA joined the Big 12 last year.
The Wildcats last faced Kansas in Tucson in 1966. In the first matchup in 1936, the Wildcats and Jayhawks tied, 10-10. Arizona is 2-3-1 in the all-time series against KU.
Kansas (4-4) is riding a two-game losing streak after losing to Texas Tech and Kansas State. KU hosts Iowa State on Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
Arizona (4-3) squares off with Colorado (3-5) at Folsom Field on Saturday at 4 p.m. on FS1.
Extra points
-- The FS1 broadcasters for the Arizona-Colorado game are Tim Brando (play-by-play), Devin Gardner (analyst) and Josh Sims (reporter).
-- Arizona is now a 4.5-point favorite to beat the Buffaloes on Saturday after opening as a 5.5-point favorite, according to Action Network.
Contact Justin Spears, the Star's Arizona football beat reporter, at [email protected]. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
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Sports Reporter
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