TUCSON, Ariz. — Dennis Bene jogged to the 50-yard line of Salpointe Catholic’s football field, stopping when his feet were atop the large maroon-and-yellow logo prominently displayed at midfield.



The coach began clapping his hands, signifying that players at Salpointe, a traditional high school football powerhouse in Arizona, had to get moving as they prepared for another playoff game. Salpointe shares a logo with USC, with the “S” and the “C” intersecting, and that logo catches everyone’s eyes on the crisp, synthetic turf.



That logo would be the perfect place to land a helicopter.



But no helicopter has landed on that logo, not even Kevin Sumlin’s “SwagCopter,” supposedly Arizona’s secret weapon in recruiting. That might be one reason the University of Arizona football program is wallowing in a state of mediocrity.



Sumlin, who has a son on Salpointe’s loaded football team, will...