Jarrell Bennett has been friends with Cortez Johnson since they were little kids. Then they were rivals on different high school teams in New Orleans. Soon, they will be football teammates at the University of Arizona.

Bennett, a speedy 5-foot-10, 155-pound receiver/returner from Edna Karr High School in New Orleans, committed Friday to the Wildcats. He was recruited by running backs coach Garret Chachere, who has long ties to Louisiana.

Johnson, a true freshman, is one of two Louisiana players on the Arizona roster, the other being cornerback Jonathan McKnight. The Cats also have a commitment from defensive lineman Gerron Borne from East St. John High in Reserve, La.

“I talked to Cortez about Arizona and he said everything was good,” Bennett said. “He said it was a good atmosphere. And he said about the academics that they really take time to help, to make sure you’re a student first.”

With or without Johnson, Bennett said he sensed he had a football home in Arizona when he looked at its offense. He said Karr High, which is ranked preseason No. 1 among large schools in the New Orleans’ metro area, runs a five-wide spread offense.

“When I did my research in all the schools, I just liked the style of offense and I think I would fit,” he said of Arizona’s spread attack.

“What I do best is the thing I do after the catch,” he added. “I make the plays after the catch.”

He said he had 68 catches for about 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, and he had a few returns for touchdowns. “My favorite part is the punt return,” he said. (In the video embedded above, you can see two two punt returns for scores starting at about the 7:50 mark.)

Bennett, who said he picked Arizona over TCU and Baylor, says he has been timed in 4.46 seconds for 40 yards. He projects as a slot receiver who can go turbo in the open field and has quick feet to avoid tackles in traffic.

He is the first wide receiver in Arizona’s recruiting class, which is lineman-heavy. Of the 15 players who have committed, nine play on the line.

Coach Mike Stoops said recently that Louisiana is becoming a good recruiting area for the Wildcats, thanks to the presence of Chachere and quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo, who also has deep coaching ties to the state.

Arizona hopes to further open the pipeline, as the Cats also are recruiting Edna Karr defensive lineman Darrian Dyson and others from one of the top teams in New Orleans.

Bennett is not yet rated by Rivals.com or Scout.com. He is rated a three-star recruit by 247sports.com.

Arizona Wildcats 2012 football recruiting class