It's one of the biggest football recruiting weekends in the program's history so this week's War Room will mostly focus on that.
Basketball:
* The fall signing period came and went with no decision from Ray McCallum. The point guard is expected to make a decision before the spring signing period next April, but how long he waits is up in the air.
Arizona, UCLA and Detroit are the main three schools involved and who leads depends on who you ask. Some believe it's Arizona and UCLA, and others think it's Arizona and Detroit, but either way the Wildcats are right there.
I've gone back and forth numerous times about Detroit's odds, but it's clear that the program can never be counted out.
McCallum isn't talking much about his recruitment publicly, which is understandable considering the amount of media members he's had requesting interviews over the last several months.
UA has a couple backup options, but the bottom line is that landing McCallum is key for the immediate future of the program and he would make the Wildcats a Pac-10 contender as soon as next season and a Final Four contender in two years.
Should UA not land McCallum, it's questionable how quickly Arizona can get back to that level. He's extremely important to the UA program.
* Arizona has been recruiting 6-foot-8 Raleigh (N.C.) Stevens Prep forward Chris Hill for 2010 for a while, and recently the coaches have discussed bringing Hill in for an official visit in the near future.
That said, Hill's academic situation is still in question and nothing will happen with him unless Arizona is sure he can get qualified. Beyond that, UA still needs to make sure he's good enough, and the staff will watch him play at some point in the next few months.
On Thursday I talked to a former scout who watched Hill play last week and he had the following to say about him:
"He's about 6'7 and is a downright freak athlete. He can shoot the 3 and a one dribble pullup, but doesn't have much else off of the dribble. He really needs to work on his handle in order to be more effective getting to the rim. Even though he can jump out of the gym, he doesn't have a super explosive first step.
"Defensively, he's a monster in terms of blocking shots. The potential is there for him to be a lockdown defender with his size, length, and leaping ability...but he has to want to defend on a more consistent basis."
* UA assistant James Whitford was at the schools of L.J. Rosehttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/basketball/recruiting/player-L.J.-Rose-96182 this week. Both will be priority recruits for Arizona in 2012.
Football:
* There are currently 18 official visitors scheduled to be on campus this weekend for the Arizona vs. Oregon game. Here's an update on where each player stands in their recruitment:
Bud Sasserhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Bud-Sasser-89130, WR:
Kansas and Missouri lead for Sasser, and he'll officially visit both schools in December. UA will need a big weekend to become a serious contender, as he's long listed those two programs as his favorites.
Austin Hillhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Austin-Hill-68339, WR:
Nebraska and Colorado are believed to be the two favorites here, and he's already visited the Cornhuskers. UA is also in the mix and can become a much more legitimate candidate depending on how this weekend goes.
Mickey Baucushttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Mickey-Baucus-92284, OT:
Committed to Arizona.
Silvarius Ajawarahttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Silvarius-Ajawara-89522, OG:
ASU and UCLA were previously the two schools to beat, but Arizona has come on strong lately and is now right there for him. He's already taken an official visit to ASU and possibly could take one to UCLA. He's a priority recruit for ASU so he'd be a big steal for Arizona.
Chase Gorhamhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Chase-Gorham-94036, LS:
Committed to Arizona.
Dustin Elisarahttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=93166&Sport=1, LB:
Arizona and Oregon State are the two leaders for Elisara, who has already tripped to Corvallis. He told us he wants to take all five official visits before deciding and that he likes the UA coaching staff.
"Arizona constantly keeps me on their list," Elisara said. "They keep me updated, talk to me every week and keep me interested in their school.
"Mike Tuiasosopo is pretty cool. I can call him whenever I want and he's fine with it. He's a cool guy. I've spoken with Tim Kish a couple times on the phone. He says I fit right into their scheme."
Sani Fuimaonohttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=95286&Sport=1, DT:
Arizona and Washington are Fuimaono's two favorites and he'll visit UA this weekend and then set something up with Washington. He wants to take five officials before making a decision.
He's also being recruited by Tuiasosopo and likes what he's heard from the UA assistant.
"Tui is recruiting me at Arizona and we have a good relationship," Fuimaono said. "He tells me that he is expecting the program and how things are going and talks to me about how I would fit into their rotation freshman year.
"He tells me who is leaving and who is left with how I fit in position wise and hopefully I can play right away. The coaches are looking at me for being a natural interior three technique guy who will definitely play end or technique and even some linebacker if a school needs me there."
Ray Kibblehttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Ray-Kibble-97130, DT:
Kibble committed to Kansas State in October shortly after receiving a scholarship offer and visiting the school. UA has since gotten involved and has a decent chance of getting him to switch.
Mohammed Usmanhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Mohammed-Usman-69253, DE:
Usman originally signed with Houston, where he played as a true freshman. However, an academic issue forced him to JUCO, where he's picked up attention from Arizona, ASU, San Diego, Utah and others.
That said, he's already essentially told Arizona that he's committed and we'll probably list him as a commit should everything go well this weekend.
"I am pretty sure I am going there," Usman said. "I just like the way they play and the fast defense. They are aggressive and play hard and I just love the Pac-10 also."
Hau'oli Jamorahttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Hau'oli-Jamora-100003, DE:
Jamora committed to BYU in June but now is opening up his recruitment a little bit and will likely visit UA, Washington and Oregon State.
Kona Schwenkehttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Kona-Schwenke-89088, DE:
Rivals.com's 2nd rated prospect in Hawaii, Schwenke committed to BYU in July. However, he's still looking at Arizona, Oregon State, BYU, Washington and Oregon.
"I keep in touch with Tui," Schwenke said. "He talks to me about football and the family atmosphere and how it is good there. I am still kind of learning about Arizona and the football program and everything but coach Tui keeps me updated."
Willie Mobleyhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Willie-Mobley-52570, DE:
Arizona recruited Mobley in high school, but he eventually went with Ohio State. It didn't work out there and Rivals.com's 174th ranked prospect in 2008 decided to transfer to UCLA. However, it's hard for the Bruins to accept transfers and Mobley had to enroll at JUCO to try and get accepted.
He still hasn't been cleared to go to UCLA and is now looking at UA, ASU and Oregon State.
"It seems like Arizona has been recruiting me since high school and after I did not get into UCLA they were still recruiting me even through all the stuff I had been through," Mobley said.
"Tui is recruiting me and we have a relationship since high school and he has kept contact to see how I was doing and when he found out I did not get into UCLA he said he still wanted me.
"Right now everything is up in air with UCLA. Some of my counselors are saying they are not sure when I can get the AA degree with all the credits and school so they are trying to figure out if I can make it in May and nobody is sure yet."
Anthony Gonzaleshttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Anthony-Gonzales-90730, DE:
Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State, Utah and several others are involved in the standout from Brenham (Texas) Blinn Community College, where UA has had a lot of success in the past. This will be his first official visit and we'll have a better feel for his recruitment afterwards.
Tyler Stephensonhttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=87877&Sport=1, CB:
After committing to Baylor in July, Stephenson has opened up the process a bit and visited Oregon for the USC game. TCU should also get a visit and Baylor is still obviously involved, with several others trying to get in the mix.
J.J. Whittakerhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-J.J.-Whittaker-95359, CB:
Committed to Arizona.
Demetrius Wrighthttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Demetrius-Wright-91352, S:
Rivals.com's 99th ranked 2010 prospect, Wright has already officially visited Washington, Tennessee and Colorado. USC has long been the favorite, with UA seemingly having the second best shot at him. He'll visit USC on 11/18 for the UCLA game before making a decision.
Corey Cooperhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Corey-Cooper-82549, S:
Cooper is a soft commit to Illinois and has long planned to visit Arizona. He's already visited Notre Dame and Nebraska, with Illinois set to get a trip on Dec. 11. Tennessee is also in the mix for a visit. He'll make a final decision after all his visits.
Devon Carringtonhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Devon-Carrington-87174, S:
Carrington committed to Stanford in June but has remained open to Arizona. Traditionally, it's tough to pry kids away from commitments to Stanford, but UA has a legitimate chance.
It's possible that a couple official visitors reschedule to another date, but this is the latest list we have of who is expected on campus.
Also, elite 2011 offensive tackle Christian Westermanhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Christian-Westerman-69139 is the main unofficial visitor expected to be in attendance.
Westerman will be a tough pull, as ASU and Texas are both rumored to be the teams to beat.
Jason Scheer's weekly recruiting update:
* The big news of the week is that commitment of Victor Burnetthttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=92117 to Washington.
"I chose Washington because I'm feeling the coaching staff," Burnett told Rivals.com "There is an opportunity to play at Mike linebacker next year and all the progression they are showing.”
Burnett was a major target for Arizona and definitely a big loss for the Wildcats. In fact, it looked as if the UA was in good shape for him, considering that he had plans to visit for the Oregon game this weekend.
* 6-foot-2, 290-pound Chicago St. Rita defensive tackle Bruce Gastonhttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=96398&sport=1 continues to take his time with his recruitment.
"The plan is to take all five (visits) and I believe I will take all five," he told GoldandBlack.com. "I don't really know yet (who will receive visits) because there are some schools I have been to and there are some that I haven't gotten a chance to go to. I'm still deciding whether I take official visits to ones I've been to already or haven't gotten a chance to go to."
It is difficult to say where Arizona stands in Gaston’s recruitment, but there is no reason to think it has dropped off. The Wildcats seems to be in the same shape as the other schools recruiting him and obviously his visits will go a long way in determining the main schools in contention for him.
* 6-foot-1, 185-pound Vernon Hills (Ill.) junior wide receiver Evan Spencerhttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=105132 is definitely a player to keep an eye on.
"I have scholarship offers so far from Illinois, Wisconsin and Nebraska,” he tells EdgyTim.com. “I've been getting mail so far from several schools like Vanderbilt, Arizona, UCLA and several others. Ohio State has also been interested along with most of the Big Ten schools."
Spencer is going to be very highly recruited and an Ohio State offer would likely end things. Still, the UA does well in Illinois and it is likely going to continue to recruit him while making its evaluation.
* 6-foot-3, 275-pound Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard West junior offensive guard Jordan Walshhttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=99574 is being recruited by schools throughout the country and Arizona was the first to offer.
"I received my first scholarship offer about three weeks ago from Arizona,” he told EdgyTim.com. “I know that Arizona is a very good school that plays in a great conference in the Pac-10. Arizona has been having a pretty good season and they are a program that has definitely caught my attention with the scholarship offer. I'm definitely planning to check out Arizona sometime down the road."
Walsh is very early in his recruitment but the Wildcats have a good chance to be there in the end. Like we have said, the Wildcats are going to have a good chance at any player from Illinois, so Walsh’s recruitment is one that Arizona fans should have a high interest in.
* 6-foot-3, 269-pound Anaheim (Calif.) Servite defensive tackle Kirifi Taulahttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=95620 is yet another player that is slowly moving through his recruitment.
"I'm definitely going to visit Washington, Oregon State, and I'm thinking about going to Arizona and Nebraska," Taula tells Rivals.com. "I think with UCLA because it is so close, I'll take an unofficial visit there.
"I don't know the real difference between an official and an unofficial visit. I'm going to talk to my coaches about that. I don't really want to waste a visit to one there I can just drive to.”
Arizona has been recruiting Taula for a long time and all indications are that the Wildcats are one of the teams to beat along with UCLA and Washington.
* 6-foot-1, 255-pound Eureka (Calif.) linebacker Soma Vainukuhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Soma-Vainuku-97476 has recently been offered by Arizona.
The four-star linebacker has an offer from a handful of schools and more should be on their way.
Vainuku is expected to take an official visit to Arizona and will take the other four as well, including one to San Diego State.
* 6-foot-3, 195-pound Goodyear (Ariz.) Millennium safety Marquis Flowers has been named to the Army All-America Bowl. In news that is just as important in the recruiting aspect of things, Flowers has also decided on two of his five official visits.
"USC is scheduled for Dec. 18 and UofA is scheduled for Dec. 11," Flowers tells Rivals.com. "The other two aren't set yet but I'm definitely going to take all five."
At this point Flowers will not name a leader, but the general thought is that the Wildcats are doing very well for him. Notre Dame and USC are likely Arizona's biggest competition and it should be interesting to see if Flowers does indeed choose to take all of his officials.
Basketball:
* The fall signing period came and went with no decision from Ray McCallum. The point guard is expected to make a decision before the spring signing period next April, but how long he waits is up in the air.
Arizona, UCLA and Detroit are the main three schools involved and who leads depends on who you ask. Some believe it's Arizona and UCLA, and others think it's Arizona and Detroit, but either way the Wildcats are right there.
I've gone back and forth numerous times about Detroit's odds, but it's clear that the program can never be counted out.
McCallum isn't talking much about his recruitment publicly, which is understandable considering the amount of media members he's had requesting interviews over the last several months.
UA has a couple backup options, but the bottom line is that landing McCallum is key for the immediate future of the program and he would make the Wildcats a Pac-10 contender as soon as next season and a Final Four contender in two years.
Should UA not land McCallum, it's questionable how quickly Arizona can get back to that level. He's extremely important to the UA program.
* Arizona has been recruiting 6-foot-8 Raleigh (N.C.) Stevens Prep forward Chris Hill for 2010 for a while, and recently the coaches have discussed bringing Hill in for an official visit in the near future.
That said, Hill's academic situation is still in question and nothing will happen with him unless Arizona is sure he can get qualified. Beyond that, UA still needs to make sure he's good enough, and the staff will watch him play at some point in the next few months.
On Thursday I talked to a former scout who watched Hill play last week and he had the following to say about him:
"He's about 6'7 and is a downright freak athlete. He can shoot the 3 and a one dribble pullup, but doesn't have much else off of the dribble. He really needs to work on his handle in order to be more effective getting to the rim. Even though he can jump out of the gym, he doesn't have a super explosive first step.
"Defensively, he's a monster in terms of blocking shots. The potential is there for him to be a lockdown defender with his size, length, and leaping ability...but he has to want to defend on a more consistent basis."
* UA assistant James Whitford was at the schools of L.J. Rosehttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/basketball/recruiting/player-L.J.-Rose-96182 this week. Both will be priority recruits for Arizona in 2012.
Football:
* There are currently 18 official visitors scheduled to be on campus this weekend for the Arizona vs. Oregon game. Here's an update on where each player stands in their recruitment:
Bud Sasserhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Bud-Sasser-89130, WR:
Kansas and Missouri lead for Sasser, and he'll officially visit both schools in December. UA will need a big weekend to become a serious contender, as he's long listed those two programs as his favorites.
Austin Hillhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Austin-Hill-68339, WR:
Nebraska and Colorado are believed to be the two favorites here, and he's already visited the Cornhuskers. UA is also in the mix and can become a much more legitimate candidate depending on how this weekend goes.
Mickey Baucushttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Mickey-Baucus-92284, OT:
Committed to Arizona.
Silvarius Ajawarahttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Silvarius-Ajawara-89522, OG:
ASU and UCLA were previously the two schools to beat, but Arizona has come on strong lately and is now right there for him. He's already taken an official visit to ASU and possibly could take one to UCLA. He's a priority recruit for ASU so he'd be a big steal for Arizona.
Chase Gorhamhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Chase-Gorham-94036, LS:
Committed to Arizona.
Dustin Elisarahttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=93166&Sport=1, LB:
Arizona and Oregon State are the two leaders for Elisara, who has already tripped to Corvallis. He told us he wants to take all five official visits before deciding and that he likes the UA coaching staff.
"Arizona constantly keeps me on their list," Elisara said. "They keep me updated, talk to me every week and keep me interested in their school.
"Mike Tuiasosopo is pretty cool. I can call him whenever I want and he's fine with it. He's a cool guy. I've spoken with Tim Kish a couple times on the phone. He says I fit right into their scheme."
Sani Fuimaonohttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=95286&Sport=1, DT:
Arizona and Washington are Fuimaono's two favorites and he'll visit UA this weekend and then set something up with Washington. He wants to take five officials before making a decision.
He's also being recruited by Tuiasosopo and likes what he's heard from the UA assistant.
"Tui is recruiting me at Arizona and we have a good relationship," Fuimaono said. "He tells me that he is expecting the program and how things are going and talks to me about how I would fit into their rotation freshman year.
"He tells me who is leaving and who is left with how I fit in position wise and hopefully I can play right away. The coaches are looking at me for being a natural interior three technique guy who will definitely play end or technique and even some linebacker if a school needs me there."
Ray Kibblehttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Ray-Kibble-97130, DT:
Kibble committed to Kansas State in October shortly after receiving a scholarship offer and visiting the school. UA has since gotten involved and has a decent chance of getting him to switch.
Mohammed Usmanhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Mohammed-Usman-69253, DE:
Usman originally signed with Houston, where he played as a true freshman. However, an academic issue forced him to JUCO, where he's picked up attention from Arizona, ASU, San Diego, Utah and others.
That said, he's already essentially told Arizona that he's committed and we'll probably list him as a commit should everything go well this weekend.
"I am pretty sure I am going there," Usman said. "I just like the way they play and the fast defense. They are aggressive and play hard and I just love the Pac-10 also."
Hau'oli Jamorahttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Hau'oli-Jamora-100003, DE:
Jamora committed to BYU in June but now is opening up his recruitment a little bit and will likely visit UA, Washington and Oregon State.
Kona Schwenkehttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Kona-Schwenke-89088, DE:
Rivals.com's 2nd rated prospect in Hawaii, Schwenke committed to BYU in July. However, he's still looking at Arizona, Oregon State, BYU, Washington and Oregon.
"I keep in touch with Tui," Schwenke said. "He talks to me about football and the family atmosphere and how it is good there. I am still kind of learning about Arizona and the football program and everything but coach Tui keeps me updated."
Willie Mobleyhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Willie-Mobley-52570, DE:
Arizona recruited Mobley in high school, but he eventually went with Ohio State. It didn't work out there and Rivals.com's 174th ranked prospect in 2008 decided to transfer to UCLA. However, it's hard for the Bruins to accept transfers and Mobley had to enroll at JUCO to try and get accepted.
He still hasn't been cleared to go to UCLA and is now looking at UA, ASU and Oregon State.
"It seems like Arizona has been recruiting me since high school and after I did not get into UCLA they were still recruiting me even through all the stuff I had been through," Mobley said.
"Tui is recruiting me and we have a relationship since high school and he has kept contact to see how I was doing and when he found out I did not get into UCLA he said he still wanted me.
"Right now everything is up in air with UCLA. Some of my counselors are saying they are not sure when I can get the AA degree with all the credits and school so they are trying to figure out if I can make it in May and nobody is sure yet."
Anthony Gonzaleshttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Anthony-Gonzales-90730, DE:
Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State, Utah and several others are involved in the standout from Brenham (Texas) Blinn Community College, where UA has had a lot of success in the past. This will be his first official visit and we'll have a better feel for his recruitment afterwards.
Tyler Stephensonhttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=87877&Sport=1, CB:
After committing to Baylor in July, Stephenson has opened up the process a bit and visited Oregon for the USC game. TCU should also get a visit and Baylor is still obviously involved, with several others trying to get in the mix.
J.J. Whittakerhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-J.J.-Whittaker-95359, CB:
Committed to Arizona.
Demetrius Wrighthttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Demetrius-Wright-91352, S:
Rivals.com's 99th ranked 2010 prospect, Wright has already officially visited Washington, Tennessee and Colorado. USC has long been the favorite, with UA seemingly having the second best shot at him. He'll visit USC on 11/18 for the UCLA game before making a decision.
Corey Cooperhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Corey-Cooper-82549, S:
Cooper is a soft commit to Illinois and has long planned to visit Arizona. He's already visited Notre Dame and Nebraska, with Illinois set to get a trip on Dec. 11. Tennessee is also in the mix for a visit. He'll make a final decision after all his visits.
Devon Carringtonhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Devon-Carrington-87174, S:
Carrington committed to Stanford in June but has remained open to Arizona. Traditionally, it's tough to pry kids away from commitments to Stanford, but UA has a legitimate chance.
It's possible that a couple official visitors reschedule to another date, but this is the latest list we have of who is expected on campus.
Also, elite 2011 offensive tackle Christian Westermanhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Christian-Westerman-69139 is the main unofficial visitor expected to be in attendance.
Westerman will be a tough pull, as ASU and Texas are both rumored to be the teams to beat.
Jason Scheer's weekly recruiting update:
* The big news of the week is that commitment of Victor Burnetthttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=92117 to Washington.
"I chose Washington because I'm feeling the coaching staff," Burnett told Rivals.com "There is an opportunity to play at Mike linebacker next year and all the progression they are showing.”
Burnett was a major target for Arizona and definitely a big loss for the Wildcats. In fact, it looked as if the UA was in good shape for him, considering that he had plans to visit for the Oregon game this weekend.
* 6-foot-2, 290-pound Chicago St. Rita defensive tackle Bruce Gastonhttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=96398&sport=1 continues to take his time with his recruitment.
"The plan is to take all five (visits) and I believe I will take all five," he told GoldandBlack.com. "I don't really know yet (who will receive visits) because there are some schools I have been to and there are some that I haven't gotten a chance to go to. I'm still deciding whether I take official visits to ones I've been to already or haven't gotten a chance to go to."
It is difficult to say where Arizona stands in Gaston’s recruitment, but there is no reason to think it has dropped off. The Wildcats seems to be in the same shape as the other schools recruiting him and obviously his visits will go a long way in determining the main schools in contention for him.
* 6-foot-1, 185-pound Vernon Hills (Ill.) junior wide receiver Evan Spencerhttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=105132 is definitely a player to keep an eye on.
"I have scholarship offers so far from Illinois, Wisconsin and Nebraska,” he tells EdgyTim.com. “I've been getting mail so far from several schools like Vanderbilt, Arizona, UCLA and several others. Ohio State has also been interested along with most of the Big Ten schools."
Spencer is going to be very highly recruited and an Ohio State offer would likely end things. Still, the UA does well in Illinois and it is likely going to continue to recruit him while making its evaluation.
* 6-foot-3, 275-pound Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard West junior offensive guard Jordan Walshhttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=99574 is being recruited by schools throughout the country and Arizona was the first to offer.
"I received my first scholarship offer about three weeks ago from Arizona,” he told EdgyTim.com. “I know that Arizona is a very good school that plays in a great conference in the Pac-10. Arizona has been having a pretty good season and they are a program that has definitely caught my attention with the scholarship offer. I'm definitely planning to check out Arizona sometime down the road."
Walsh is very early in his recruitment but the Wildcats have a good chance to be there in the end. Like we have said, the Wildcats are going to have a good chance at any player from Illinois, so Walsh’s recruitment is one that Arizona fans should have a high interest in.
* 6-foot-3, 269-pound Anaheim (Calif.) Servite defensive tackle Kirifi Taulahttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=95620 is yet another player that is slowly moving through his recruitment.
"I'm definitely going to visit Washington, Oregon State, and I'm thinking about going to Arizona and Nebraska," Taula tells Rivals.com. "I think with UCLA because it is so close, I'll take an unofficial visit there.
"I don't know the real difference between an official and an unofficial visit. I'm going to talk to my coaches about that. I don't really want to waste a visit to one there I can just drive to.”
Arizona has been recruiting Taula for a long time and all indications are that the Wildcats are one of the teams to beat along with UCLA and Washington.
* 6-foot-1, 255-pound Eureka (Calif.) linebacker Soma Vainukuhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Soma-Vainuku-97476 has recently been offered by Arizona.
The four-star linebacker has an offer from a handful of schools and more should be on their way.
Vainuku is expected to take an official visit to Arizona and will take the other four as well, including one to San Diego State.
* 6-foot-3, 195-pound Goodyear (Ariz.) Millennium safety Marquis Flowers has been named to the Army All-America Bowl. In news that is just as important in the recruiting aspect of things, Flowers has also decided on two of his five official visits.
"USC is scheduled for Dec. 18 and UofA is scheduled for Dec. 11," Flowers tells Rivals.com. "The other two aren't set yet but I'm definitely going to take all five."
At this point Flowers will not name a leader, but the general thought is that the Wildcats are doing very well for him. Notre Dame and USC are likely Arizona's biggest competition and it should be interesting to see if Flowers does indeed choose to take all of his officials.
