Quali Conley took a chance on Arizona last year by following his former San Jose State coaches to Tucson. The decision paid off with a productive senior year, and now, a chance to compete for an NFL roster spot.
Conley signed with the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday as an undrafted free agent after going unselected in the NFL Draft.
Official ✍️@QualiConley is on his way to Cincinnati! pic.twitter.com/IoNUjsN9xn
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) April 27, 2025
Conley led Arizona in 2024 with 745 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground to go with 245 receiving yards. He had four games with 90 or more rushing yards.
Conley is the second Wildcats running back from last season’s team to join an NFL team, after Jacory Croskey-Merritt was taken in the 7th round of the draft by the Washington Commanders. Croskey-Merritt was one of four Wildcats drafted, the program’s most draft picks since 2008.
Conley, a 5-foot-10 running back from Fresno, Calif, began his career at Utah Tech (formerly Dixie State) before transferring to San Jose State in 2023. When SJSU coach Brent Brennan accepted the Arizona job in January 2024, Conley followed him to Tucson.
Conley joins a Bengals team that struggled to establish the run last season. Cincinnati averaged 92.6 rushing yards per game, which ranked 30th in the NFL. The Bengals also drafted Texas Tech running back Tahj Brooks in the sixth round.