Given the fact that National Signing Day is on Wednesday, this week’s War Room will be a little lighter than usual.
Football news
* Senior Bowl
Arizona’s two representatives each had impressive performances Saturday afternoon in Mobile, Ala.
After reports throughout the week of practices that Nick Foles was having a less-than-impressive showing because of his lack of footwork and accuracy, the quarterback had the most impressive Senior Bowl performance among the peers at his position.
Foles completed 11 of 15 passes - 73.3 percent, or 16.2 percentage points higher than the next best signal caller - for 136 yards and a touchdown. Of the six quarterbacks in the contest, he and Boise State’s Kellen Moore were the only two that did not throw an interception.
The score was a 20-yard, in-traffic strike to none other than former UA teammate Juron Criner, whose own performance increased once Foles entered the game in the third quarter.
Criner finished with six catches for 77 yards and the touchdown. Only Arkansas’ Joe Adams had a more impressive receiving stat line with eight catches for 133 yards.
Familiarity as teammates clearly helped both Foles and Criner, and both players alluded to that as an advantage coming into the practices and game.
Criner, who is actually 6-2 instead of 6-4 like he was listed at UA, impressed scouts with his ability to effectively put his 220-pound frame to use by shielding defenders. His reliable hands also received praise as he was able to catch balls in traffic and over the shoulder.
Foles, meanwhile, received mixed reviews that improved by the third day of practices. However, Foles is still being projected as a second- or third-round draft pick.
Criner boosted his draft stock from the late to middle rounds.
Next up: The NFL combine in late February.
* Future Wildcats
I had the chance to speak with the high school coaches of both Dwight Melvin and T.D. Gross, committed 2012 recruits who did not waver through the coaching change from Mike Stoops to Rich Rodriguez.
The topic of conversation: How these players fit in and where.
Melvin, a three-star defensive end from Laveen (Ariz.) Fairfax, will be someone that the coaching staff could try to plug into other positions such as tackle, linebacker and even fullback.
With a porous pass rush last season and departing senior defensive ends and starters C.J. Parish and Mohammed Usman now out of the picture, Melvin’s most immediate impact would likely be felt by staying put.
Kevin Belcher, his high school coach, said the 6-1, 245-pounder has received visits from UA coaches Tony Dews, Tony Gibson and Bill Kirelawich since being hired.
“The coaching staff pretty much has articulated it’s open for anyone - from a senior to a freshman,” Belcher said about the opportunity for immediate playing time. “So, Dwight, having that information, has been working very hard just so that he can impress his position coach, impress his defensive coordinator and have the opportunity to see the field.
“Athletically, he’s extremely athletic. His hands are very quick, he has quick burst off the field, he’s extremely strong, he’s an unselfish player. He played fullback at times for us his junior year, and when we had some injuries and we knew our season would be a little different and we needed more offensive linemen, he volunteered to play offensive line this year. He never came off the field; he played O-line, D-line, special teams.”
Gross, meanwhile, is a two-star offensive lineman from Santee (Calif.) Santana and actually played for his father, Dave Gross.
At 6-6, 260 pounds, T.D. Gross actually served as a tight end and finished with as the school’s second-leading receiver all-time while playing on varsity all four years.
But make no mistake about it, T.D. Gross was an offensive lineman at heart and knew where his future would be at the college level, his father said.
“I think (the Wildcats) really want offensive linemen - tackles, in particular - that can move, get to the next level,” Dave Gross said. “And they may play with a guy that’s 290 instead of 310 and be really happy with it.”
With all five starters on the UA offensive line expected to return, there is no immediate need for T.D. Gross to contribute right away. However, with a unit that had its share of injuries and plugged in backups for extended periods of time, T.D. Gross would add depth to a team that is now changing offensive schemes.
As Rodriguez has said since he was hired, returning UA players will have past performances taken into account but will also be re-evaluated in spring practice.
A plan for T.D. Gross’ freshman year “hasn’t really been discussed” yet, his father said.
“But I would suspect that they’re going to wait and see what weight he comes in at and what kind of depth they have and just do what’s best for their program,” Dave Gross added. “T.D. knows that the team comes first, and if they want him to redshirt he’s willing and ready and excited to do that. If he can fit in somehow, the same thing there.
“He’s just training and getting ready and lifting and running, and taking care of business in the classroom. He’ll be ready to go, whatever they want him to do.”
Basketball news
* The loss of Kevin Parrom
The news of Kevin Parrom’s broken foot put an end to an emotional season for the junior forward.
To try and take a look at his true impact, here’s a breakdown of Parrom’s plus/minus total in each game while he was on the floor this season:
11/13 vs. Ball State: plus-22 in 18 minutes (73-63 win)
11/17 vs. St. John’s (at Madison Square Garden): plus-9 in 19 minutes (81-72 win)
11/18 vs. Mississippi State (at Madison Square Garden): minus-3 in 14 minutes (67-57 loss)
11/23 vs. San Diego State: minus-2 in 14 minutes (61-57 loss)
11/29 at New Mexico State: minus-2 in 8 minutes (83-76 win)
12/3 vs. Northern Arizona: plus-4 in 13 minutes (53-39 win)
12/7 at Florida: minus-1 in 32 minutes as a starter (78-72 OT loss)
12/10 vs. Clemson: minus-4 in 12 minutes (63-47 win)
12/17 vs. Gonzaga (in Seattle): minus-14 in 8 minutes (71-60 loss)
12/20 vs. Oakland: minus-9 in 13 minutes (85-73 win)
12/22 vs. Bryant: plus-23 in 17 minutes (100-60 win)
12/31 vs. Arizona State: plus-1 in 16 minutes (68-51 win)
1/5 vs. UCLA (in Anaheim): minus-3 in 12 minutes (65-58 loss)
1/8 at USC: plus-6 in 18 minutes (57-46 win)
1/12 vs. Oregon State: plus-1 in 12 minutes (81-73 win)
1/14 vs. Oregon: minus-1 in 11 minutes (59-57 loss)
1/19 at Utah: plus-15 in 19 minutes (77-51 win)
1/21 at Colorado: plus-10 in 22 minutes (64-63 loss)
1/26 vs. Washington State: plus-24 in 23 minutes (85-61 win)
1/28 vs. Washington: plus-8 in 10 first-half minutes before injury (32-29 halftime lead; 69-67 loss)
ANALYSIS: Like UA head coach Sean Miller said, Parrom was just beginning to find his stride and return to his old self in the last four games - and the plus/minus numbers in those contests support that claim.
* NCAA tournament projections
ESPN.com: Next four out as of Jan. 23 with an update coming today
SportingNews.com: On the bubble (as of today)
SportsIllustrated.com: Last four out as of Jan. 24 with an update coming Tuesday
ANALYSIS: SI’s Andy Glockner, who is in charge of the Bubble Watch, called UA’s matchup against Washington a “virtual elimination as far as at-larges go” heading into the week. Well, with the loss to the Huskies, that pretty much tells you where SI is leaning for its next bracket update.
The honest truth is that the Wildcats almost have to win the Pac-12 Conference tournament at this point. The speculation about the conference being a one-bid league this season is not far-fetched.
* Now here’s a look at Matt Moreno’s recruiting breakdown:
Football recruiting
It was a monster week for Rich Rodriguez and the Wildcats on the recruiting front where they made some major progress toward completing the 2012 class.
Overall since the last GOAZCATS.com War Room, the Wildcats have added seven new pieces over the last week.
* Here’s a breakdown of each commit and which day they made their pledge.
Monday - UA earned two commitments last Monday when two-star prospect Yamen Sanders gave his pledge to Rodriguez’s program after a weekend visit. Later that night the ‘Cats received a pledge from Trey Griffey, a wide receiver commit from Orlando, Fla.
Tuesday - The following day Leo Thomas’ commitment became public as the former Wildcats commit once again made his pledge to UA after previously de-committing when Mike Stoops was let go as head coach of the team.
Thursday - Rodriguez continued to add to his class Thursday as two-star tight end recruit Keoni Bush-Loo went public with his commitment to UA. The Honolulu, Hawaii prospect gave his pledge to the ‘Cats while on his official visit to Tucson.
Saturday - Once the weekend hit UA welcomed a whole new set of visitors and the commitments continued to roll in. William Parks, a cornerback recruit and Pittsburgh commit, announced via Twitter that he would be changing his pledge from the Panthers to Rodriguez’s Wildcats. Parks had previously been recruited by Tony Gibson and that relationship helped the three-star prospect make his decision easier.
Sunday - The ‘Cats continued to gain commitments into Sunday as slot receiver prospect Clive Georges gave his pledge to UA before heading back home to Key West, Fla. It came down to Western Michigan and the Wildcats for Georges, and the fit was right in Tucson that he decided to pull the trigger. Check back later Monday for a full story with Georges on why he decided Tucson was the right place for him.
Late Sunday night the Wildcats added another piece when former Arizona State commit Jamar Allah gave his pledge to the ‘Cats. The two-star defensive back prospect has not gone public with his decision, but sources indicate that he has indeed flipped to UA.
* While the ‘Cats had an impressive week adding several recruits to their 2012 class, not all the news was positive over the weekend.
After considering himself a soft commit for a long time, wide receiver commit Julian Brooks decided that it would be best for him to de-commit from the program Saturday night after making the trip to Tucson for an official visit. The de-commitment opened up another scholarship that became useful when Georges decided he wanted to make his pledge to play for UA next fall.
Also, when the ‘Cats added Griffey earlier in the week they added a piece that is very similar to Brooks. The two wide receivers have very similar skill sets as well as size at the position. Although most programs don’t want to have de-commitments, in this case it wasn’t a setback as Rodriguez was able to add another piece soon after the de-commitment took place.
One of the more significant pieces of news over the weekend revolved around the announcement of four-star quarterback Devin Fuller who appeared to be in good position to choose UA over his other options, especially after the head coach of his perceived leader (Rutgers) took the head coaching job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, despite making a big push toward the end of the recruitment, Fuller somewhat surprisingly chose UCLA as his destination.
While the decision was a blow to the ‘Cats, it didn’t cripple UA’s chances of still putting together a solid class by the time all is said and done. Fuller would have eliminated a huge burden over the next four to five years, as he has all the skills that Rodriguez looks for in a dual-threat signal caller for his offense. But for now the ‘Cats will have to move on to other options as National Signing Day nears.
* One option that the Wildcats could choose to explore further is dual-threat quarterback Vegas Harley from Mount Dora, Fla. The three-star prospect returned from his trip to Memphis without committing, and a large part of that had to do with the situation at UA.
"When I get home I am supposed to talk to my coach more about them," Harley told Rivals.com about the Wildcats.
As it stands right now, Harley doesn’t hold an offer from the ‘Cats but he would hold his recruitment past National Signing Day should Rodriguez’s program come calling. Harley has all the attributes that the Wildcats’ head coach looks for in a dual-threat quarterback. He stands at an even six feet and is about 180 pounds, and comes in a 4.45 on his 40-yard dash time.
* Another option that still remains is athlete prospect Bryan Harper. The three-star recruit has a final three that includes UCLA, Oregon and the ‘Cats. He most recently tripped to Oregon and the Ducks are the likely leaders at this point. However, now that Fuller is out of the picture the ‘Cats could make a bigger push and it’s not out of the question that they ultimately land the dual-threat signal caller.
* Outside of the quarterback spot there are still other positions that can be filled. One of those positions will likely belong to athlete prospect J.T. Washington out of Satellite, Fla. I’m hearing that the three-star West Virginia commit, who would play running back for Rodriguez’s program, had a very productive visit and at this point his decision to join UA could come at any time.
Washington has a smaller frame at just 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, but like Harley he possesses the skills that Rodriguez likes for his offense - most importantly being speed. The Florida speedster runs a 4.48 40-yard dash and could easily fit into the scheme that Rodriguez and his staff want to run.
* Deaysean Rippy announced that his decision will come down to West Virginia and Pitt Sunday night on his Twitter account.
* Three-star safety prospect Bam Bradley began his official visit to UA a little earlier than some of the others visiting this weekend, and by all accounts he enjoyed his visit. Bradley has an impressive offer list that includes in-state powerhouse Ohio State. It will be interesting to see if he ultimately chooses the Wildcats, which at this point seems like a very good possibility.
* Mitch Fischer, the younger brother of Jake Fischer, was on an unofficial visit to UA this weekend. Fischer is an athlete prospect from Oro Valley (Ariz.) Ironwood Ridge, who rushed for more than 2,100 yards in his senior season. He does not hold an offer from the Wildcats.
* Defensive end prospect Dylan Cozens dropped Boise State and his decision will come down to UA and Washington. Playing professional baseball is still very much in play with this recruitment should he ultimately get drafted high enough. Cozens is expected to make his decision on Fox Sports Arizona on National Signing Day.
Basketball recruiting
Moving to basketball recruiting news, the Wildcats hosted a few visitors over the weekend for the big contest with Washington.
* The highest-profile, non-2012 recruit in attendance Saturday was 2014 prospect Shaqquan Aaron. The four-star prospect enjoyed his visit to Tucson and came away with a better understanding of how he would fit into head coach Sean Miller’s program. Check back later this morning for a full recap from Aaron’s visit for the Wildcats’ game with the Huskies.
* Along with 2012 signee Brandon Ashley, fellow Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep prospect Amedeo Della Valle attended Saturday’s contest. The Pilots had a rare weekend off, and associate head coach Todd Simon hinted that the pair might attend the game earlier in the week but nothing was set in stone at that time. As we’ve said before, Miller and his staff appears to be cooling on Della Valle a bit but there is still interest there from both sides.
* Four-star 2013 prospect Paul Watson was also in attendance for Saturday’s contest. The nation’s 49th-best player for his class enjoyed his visit by all accounts, but he does not yet hold an offer from UA. As it stands right now, the small forward prospect from Phoenix (Ariz.) Paradise Valley is not extremely high on the Wildcats list of priorities for 2013, but it is something to keep an eye on going forward.
* Orange (Calif.) Lutheran went 2-1 this week when 2012 UA signee Gabe York made his return to the court after a two-game suspension and an appendectomy. In the Lancers’ last two games of the week, York scored 34 and 25 points, respectively, against Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Santa Margarita and Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola.
This post was edited on 1/30 6:23 AM by Tracy McDannald
Football news
* Senior Bowl
Arizona’s two representatives each had impressive performances Saturday afternoon in Mobile, Ala.
After reports throughout the week of practices that Nick Foles was having a less-than-impressive showing because of his lack of footwork and accuracy, the quarterback had the most impressive Senior Bowl performance among the peers at his position.
Foles completed 11 of 15 passes - 73.3 percent, or 16.2 percentage points higher than the next best signal caller - for 136 yards and a touchdown. Of the six quarterbacks in the contest, he and Boise State’s Kellen Moore were the only two that did not throw an interception.
The score was a 20-yard, in-traffic strike to none other than former UA teammate Juron Criner, whose own performance increased once Foles entered the game in the third quarter.
Criner finished with six catches for 77 yards and the touchdown. Only Arkansas’ Joe Adams had a more impressive receiving stat line with eight catches for 133 yards.
Familiarity as teammates clearly helped both Foles and Criner, and both players alluded to that as an advantage coming into the practices and game.
Criner, who is actually 6-2 instead of 6-4 like he was listed at UA, impressed scouts with his ability to effectively put his 220-pound frame to use by shielding defenders. His reliable hands also received praise as he was able to catch balls in traffic and over the shoulder.
Foles, meanwhile, received mixed reviews that improved by the third day of practices. However, Foles is still being projected as a second- or third-round draft pick.
Criner boosted his draft stock from the late to middle rounds.
Next up: The NFL combine in late February.
* Future Wildcats
I had the chance to speak with the high school coaches of both Dwight Melvin and T.D. Gross, committed 2012 recruits who did not waver through the coaching change from Mike Stoops to Rich Rodriguez.
The topic of conversation: How these players fit in and where.
Melvin, a three-star defensive end from Laveen (Ariz.) Fairfax, will be someone that the coaching staff could try to plug into other positions such as tackle, linebacker and even fullback.
With a porous pass rush last season and departing senior defensive ends and starters C.J. Parish and Mohammed Usman now out of the picture, Melvin’s most immediate impact would likely be felt by staying put.
Kevin Belcher, his high school coach, said the 6-1, 245-pounder has received visits from UA coaches Tony Dews, Tony Gibson and Bill Kirelawich since being hired.
“The coaching staff pretty much has articulated it’s open for anyone - from a senior to a freshman,” Belcher said about the opportunity for immediate playing time. “So, Dwight, having that information, has been working very hard just so that he can impress his position coach, impress his defensive coordinator and have the opportunity to see the field.
“Athletically, he’s extremely athletic. His hands are very quick, he has quick burst off the field, he’s extremely strong, he’s an unselfish player. He played fullback at times for us his junior year, and when we had some injuries and we knew our season would be a little different and we needed more offensive linemen, he volunteered to play offensive line this year. He never came off the field; he played O-line, D-line, special teams.”
Gross, meanwhile, is a two-star offensive lineman from Santee (Calif.) Santana and actually played for his father, Dave Gross.
At 6-6, 260 pounds, T.D. Gross actually served as a tight end and finished with as the school’s second-leading receiver all-time while playing on varsity all four years.
But make no mistake about it, T.D. Gross was an offensive lineman at heart and knew where his future would be at the college level, his father said.
“I think (the Wildcats) really want offensive linemen - tackles, in particular - that can move, get to the next level,” Dave Gross said. “And they may play with a guy that’s 290 instead of 310 and be really happy with it.”
With all five starters on the UA offensive line expected to return, there is no immediate need for T.D. Gross to contribute right away. However, with a unit that had its share of injuries and plugged in backups for extended periods of time, T.D. Gross would add depth to a team that is now changing offensive schemes.
As Rodriguez has said since he was hired, returning UA players will have past performances taken into account but will also be re-evaluated in spring practice.
A plan for T.D. Gross’ freshman year “hasn’t really been discussed” yet, his father said.
“But I would suspect that they’re going to wait and see what weight he comes in at and what kind of depth they have and just do what’s best for their program,” Dave Gross added. “T.D. knows that the team comes first, and if they want him to redshirt he’s willing and ready and excited to do that. If he can fit in somehow, the same thing there.
“He’s just training and getting ready and lifting and running, and taking care of business in the classroom. He’ll be ready to go, whatever they want him to do.”
Basketball news
* The loss of Kevin Parrom
The news of Kevin Parrom’s broken foot put an end to an emotional season for the junior forward.
To try and take a look at his true impact, here’s a breakdown of Parrom’s plus/minus total in each game while he was on the floor this season:
11/13 vs. Ball State: plus-22 in 18 minutes (73-63 win)
11/17 vs. St. John’s (at Madison Square Garden): plus-9 in 19 minutes (81-72 win)
11/18 vs. Mississippi State (at Madison Square Garden): minus-3 in 14 minutes (67-57 loss)
11/23 vs. San Diego State: minus-2 in 14 minutes (61-57 loss)
11/29 at New Mexico State: minus-2 in 8 minutes (83-76 win)
12/3 vs. Northern Arizona: plus-4 in 13 minutes (53-39 win)
12/7 at Florida: minus-1 in 32 minutes as a starter (78-72 OT loss)
12/10 vs. Clemson: minus-4 in 12 minutes (63-47 win)
12/17 vs. Gonzaga (in Seattle): minus-14 in 8 minutes (71-60 loss)
12/20 vs. Oakland: minus-9 in 13 minutes (85-73 win)
12/22 vs. Bryant: plus-23 in 17 minutes (100-60 win)
12/31 vs. Arizona State: plus-1 in 16 minutes (68-51 win)
1/5 vs. UCLA (in Anaheim): minus-3 in 12 minutes (65-58 loss)
1/8 at USC: plus-6 in 18 minutes (57-46 win)
1/12 vs. Oregon State: plus-1 in 12 minutes (81-73 win)
1/14 vs. Oregon: minus-1 in 11 minutes (59-57 loss)
1/19 at Utah: plus-15 in 19 minutes (77-51 win)
1/21 at Colorado: plus-10 in 22 minutes (64-63 loss)
1/26 vs. Washington State: plus-24 in 23 minutes (85-61 win)
1/28 vs. Washington: plus-8 in 10 first-half minutes before injury (32-29 halftime lead; 69-67 loss)
ANALYSIS: Like UA head coach Sean Miller said, Parrom was just beginning to find his stride and return to his old self in the last four games - and the plus/minus numbers in those contests support that claim.
* NCAA tournament projections
ESPN.com: Next four out as of Jan. 23 with an update coming today
SportingNews.com: On the bubble (as of today)
SportsIllustrated.com: Last four out as of Jan. 24 with an update coming Tuesday
ANALYSIS: SI’s Andy Glockner, who is in charge of the Bubble Watch, called UA’s matchup against Washington a “virtual elimination as far as at-larges go” heading into the week. Well, with the loss to the Huskies, that pretty much tells you where SI is leaning for its next bracket update.
The honest truth is that the Wildcats almost have to win the Pac-12 Conference tournament at this point. The speculation about the conference being a one-bid league this season is not far-fetched.
* Now here’s a look at Matt Moreno’s recruiting breakdown:
Football recruiting
It was a monster week for Rich Rodriguez and the Wildcats on the recruiting front where they made some major progress toward completing the 2012 class.
Overall since the last GOAZCATS.com War Room, the Wildcats have added seven new pieces over the last week.
* Here’s a breakdown of each commit and which day they made their pledge.
Monday - UA earned two commitments last Monday when two-star prospect Yamen Sanders gave his pledge to Rodriguez’s program after a weekend visit. Later that night the ‘Cats received a pledge from Trey Griffey, a wide receiver commit from Orlando, Fla.
Tuesday - The following day Leo Thomas’ commitment became public as the former Wildcats commit once again made his pledge to UA after previously de-committing when Mike Stoops was let go as head coach of the team.
Thursday - Rodriguez continued to add to his class Thursday as two-star tight end recruit Keoni Bush-Loo went public with his commitment to UA. The Honolulu, Hawaii prospect gave his pledge to the ‘Cats while on his official visit to Tucson.
Saturday - Once the weekend hit UA welcomed a whole new set of visitors and the commitments continued to roll in. William Parks, a cornerback recruit and Pittsburgh commit, announced via Twitter that he would be changing his pledge from the Panthers to Rodriguez’s Wildcats. Parks had previously been recruited by Tony Gibson and that relationship helped the three-star prospect make his decision easier.
Sunday - The ‘Cats continued to gain commitments into Sunday as slot receiver prospect Clive Georges gave his pledge to UA before heading back home to Key West, Fla. It came down to Western Michigan and the Wildcats for Georges, and the fit was right in Tucson that he decided to pull the trigger. Check back later Monday for a full story with Georges on why he decided Tucson was the right place for him.
Late Sunday night the Wildcats added another piece when former Arizona State commit Jamar Allah gave his pledge to the ‘Cats. The two-star defensive back prospect has not gone public with his decision, but sources indicate that he has indeed flipped to UA.
* While the ‘Cats had an impressive week adding several recruits to their 2012 class, not all the news was positive over the weekend.
After considering himself a soft commit for a long time, wide receiver commit Julian Brooks decided that it would be best for him to de-commit from the program Saturday night after making the trip to Tucson for an official visit. The de-commitment opened up another scholarship that became useful when Georges decided he wanted to make his pledge to play for UA next fall.
Also, when the ‘Cats added Griffey earlier in the week they added a piece that is very similar to Brooks. The two wide receivers have very similar skill sets as well as size at the position. Although most programs don’t want to have de-commitments, in this case it wasn’t a setback as Rodriguez was able to add another piece soon after the de-commitment took place.
One of the more significant pieces of news over the weekend revolved around the announcement of four-star quarterback Devin Fuller who appeared to be in good position to choose UA over his other options, especially after the head coach of his perceived leader (Rutgers) took the head coaching job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, despite making a big push toward the end of the recruitment, Fuller somewhat surprisingly chose UCLA as his destination.
While the decision was a blow to the ‘Cats, it didn’t cripple UA’s chances of still putting together a solid class by the time all is said and done. Fuller would have eliminated a huge burden over the next four to five years, as he has all the skills that Rodriguez looks for in a dual-threat signal caller for his offense. But for now the ‘Cats will have to move on to other options as National Signing Day nears.
* One option that the Wildcats could choose to explore further is dual-threat quarterback Vegas Harley from Mount Dora, Fla. The three-star prospect returned from his trip to Memphis without committing, and a large part of that had to do with the situation at UA.
"When I get home I am supposed to talk to my coach more about them," Harley told Rivals.com about the Wildcats.
As it stands right now, Harley doesn’t hold an offer from the ‘Cats but he would hold his recruitment past National Signing Day should Rodriguez’s program come calling. Harley has all the attributes that the Wildcats’ head coach looks for in a dual-threat quarterback. He stands at an even six feet and is about 180 pounds, and comes in a 4.45 on his 40-yard dash time.
* Another option that still remains is athlete prospect Bryan Harper. The three-star recruit has a final three that includes UCLA, Oregon and the ‘Cats. He most recently tripped to Oregon and the Ducks are the likely leaders at this point. However, now that Fuller is out of the picture the ‘Cats could make a bigger push and it’s not out of the question that they ultimately land the dual-threat signal caller.
* Outside of the quarterback spot there are still other positions that can be filled. One of those positions will likely belong to athlete prospect J.T. Washington out of Satellite, Fla. I’m hearing that the three-star West Virginia commit, who would play running back for Rodriguez’s program, had a very productive visit and at this point his decision to join UA could come at any time.
Washington has a smaller frame at just 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, but like Harley he possesses the skills that Rodriguez likes for his offense - most importantly being speed. The Florida speedster runs a 4.48 40-yard dash and could easily fit into the scheme that Rodriguez and his staff want to run.
* Deaysean Rippy announced that his decision will come down to West Virginia and Pitt Sunday night on his Twitter account.
* Three-star safety prospect Bam Bradley began his official visit to UA a little earlier than some of the others visiting this weekend, and by all accounts he enjoyed his visit. Bradley has an impressive offer list that includes in-state powerhouse Ohio State. It will be interesting to see if he ultimately chooses the Wildcats, which at this point seems like a very good possibility.
* Mitch Fischer, the younger brother of Jake Fischer, was on an unofficial visit to UA this weekend. Fischer is an athlete prospect from Oro Valley (Ariz.) Ironwood Ridge, who rushed for more than 2,100 yards in his senior season. He does not hold an offer from the Wildcats.
* Defensive end prospect Dylan Cozens dropped Boise State and his decision will come down to UA and Washington. Playing professional baseball is still very much in play with this recruitment should he ultimately get drafted high enough. Cozens is expected to make his decision on Fox Sports Arizona on National Signing Day.
Basketball recruiting
Moving to basketball recruiting news, the Wildcats hosted a few visitors over the weekend for the big contest with Washington.
* The highest-profile, non-2012 recruit in attendance Saturday was 2014 prospect Shaqquan Aaron. The four-star prospect enjoyed his visit to Tucson and came away with a better understanding of how he would fit into head coach Sean Miller’s program. Check back later this morning for a full recap from Aaron’s visit for the Wildcats’ game with the Huskies.
* Along with 2012 signee Brandon Ashley, fellow Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep prospect Amedeo Della Valle attended Saturday’s contest. The Pilots had a rare weekend off, and associate head coach Todd Simon hinted that the pair might attend the game earlier in the week but nothing was set in stone at that time. As we’ve said before, Miller and his staff appears to be cooling on Della Valle a bit but there is still interest there from both sides.
* Four-star 2013 prospect Paul Watson was also in attendance for Saturday’s contest. The nation’s 49th-best player for his class enjoyed his visit by all accounts, but he does not yet hold an offer from UA. As it stands right now, the small forward prospect from Phoenix (Ariz.) Paradise Valley is not extremely high on the Wildcats list of priorities for 2013, but it is something to keep an eye on going forward.
* Orange (Calif.) Lutheran went 2-1 this week when 2012 UA signee Gabe York made his return to the court after a two-game suspension and an appendectomy. In the Lancers’ last two games of the week, York scored 34 and 25 points, respectively, against Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Santa Margarita and Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola.
This post was edited on 1/30 6:23 AM by Tracy McDannald
