With things quiet on the basketball front, the team news will focus on the recently updated football roster that Arizona will take into fall camp.
Football team news
Arizona made both headline-grabbing and quiet roster moves this past week.
The biggest moves, obviously, were the departures of Brian Wagner and David Lopez that leave the Wildcats very thin at linebacker.
While UA head coach Rich Rodriguez has said he will not likely set a depth chart until he sees the team for a week or two in fall camp, some Wildcats are starting to get put into more concrete roles.
Here's a look at the complete roster - as updated on the team's site (complete with position changes) - that the 'Cats will take into the fall:
* Quarterbacks: Matt Scott, Richard Morrison, B.J. Denker, Javelle Allen, Alex Cappellini, Josh Kern, Jack Nykaza and Nick Isham
Forecast: Scott is the unquestioned starter and still the only true option ready to take snaps if the season started today. Although Morrison figures to see some action and have some specialized packages at quarterback, he will still contend for a spot at receiver.
Then it gets interesting. Denker, as a JC transfer from Cerritos College, figures to be the third-string option and battle with Allen when camp opens. From there, Cappellini, Kern and Nykaza will round out the corps while Isham will have to sit out the season, per NCAA transfer rules.
A quiet move, Isham comes to Arizona from Louisiana Tech, where he started seven games, completed 60.3 percent of his passes and threw for 1,457 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions as a true freshman last season. Out of high school, Isham was rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com. Isham, who left Louisiana Tech in late May, will be a redshirt sophomore when eligible in 2013.
You'll also notice that gone is Tyler D'Amore, who has left the team and will play at Pima Community College.
* Running backs: Ka'Deem Carey, Daniel Jenkins, Kylan Butler, Greg Nwoko, J.T. Washington, Jared Baker, Terris Jones and Elliott Taylor
Forecast: After splitting duties with Keola Antolin last season, Carey is expected to emerge as the No. 1 back in his sophomore season. But with the depth and abilities on display in the spring, expect to see a fair amount of time and carries for Jenkins and Butler.
Meanwhile, Nwoko, who is coming off an ACL injury that cost him all of last season, will contend for time and possibly fullback duties with his 237-pound frame.
* Fullback: Taimi Tutogi
Forecast: At 6-1, 260 pounds, Tutogi has shown his worth in short-yardage situations. But he also has versatility with experience as a H-back, tail back and even tight end. Expect to see the staff capitalize on that and move him around a bit.
* Tight ends: Drew Robinson, Michael Cooper, Terrence Miller, Keoni Bush-Loo and Ben Sullivan
Forecast: The tight end position could prove to be one of the more interesting battles in camp.
With his experience last season, Robinson will naturally contend for the top spot. Cooper and Miller will provide some competition as well, but the wild card to keep an eye on might be Bush-Loo.
* Receivers: Dan Buckner, Tyler Slavin, Austin Hill, Richard Morrison, Garic Wharton, Johnny Jackson, Patrick Onwuasor, Clive Georges, David Richards, Sean Willet, Jarrell Bennett, Trey Griffey, R.J. Aguero, Ademola Adeniran and Trevor Ermisch
Forecast: There are plenty of options for a staff that has historically thrived with smaller, slot-receiver types. The Wildcats have speed but also size in this group.
The X-factor this fall could be Buckner, the 6-4, 214-pound senior who was a little banged up in the spring and never really found his groove. The staff has said repeatedly that they will not be afraid to throw the ball this upcoming season and Buckner could be a deep threat that stretches the field for Scott.
Slavin arguably was one of the more impressive targets in the spring along with Wharton and Jackson. Wharton also will contend for kick return duties.
Also looking to prove himself this fall will be Hill, who was bothered by a neck injury in the spring but will be expected to compete for a significant role. Meanwhile, Onwuasor also was hampered by injury in the spring but should be in the mix when camp opens.
Among those on the inside will be freshmen Georges, Bennett - both of whom also will get a look as kick returners.
Also listed as a receiver is freshman Bryan Harper, but his versatility - combined with the number of bodies at receiver and more glaring needs on defense - will allow the staff to open the 6-foot, 180-pounder in the secondary.
* Offensive line: Kyle Quinn, Fabbians Ebbele, Mickey Baucus, Trace Biskin, Chris Putton, Shane Zink, Trent Spurgeon, Eric Bender-Ramsay, Carter Lees, Lene Maiava, Jacob Arzouman, Jack Baucus, Addison Bachman, Faitele Faafoi, Zach Hemmila, Beau Boyster, Cayman Bundage and T.D. Gross
Forecast: Unlike last season, the O-line is expected to be a strength when camp opens with all five starters returning.
But offensive line coach Robert Anae hinted after the spring that no job is safe or guaranteed, and the Wildcats will have plenty of depth pushing starters Quinn (center), Ebbele (right tackle), Mickey Baucus (left tackle), Biskin (right guard) and Putton (left guard).
One of the priorities will be getting Ebbele and the Baucus brothers into playing shape. Ebbele missed all but the first few days of spring camp while attending to off-the-field charges, and Mickey and Jack both rehabilitated injuries. With tempo a major part of what Rodriguez wants to do offensively, it will not necessarily be as simple as throwing them on the field and picking up where they left off.
Pushing for major roles will be Zink and Lees, who combined to make five starts last season as injury replacements. Also pushing for roles will be Spurgeon, Bender-Ramsay, Maiava and Arzouman - all of whom filled in on the line in the spring and impressed, to some capacity.
Meanwhile, Boyster, who was recruited as a center, will open his first camp at guard along with fellow true freshmen Hemmila and Bundage. Gross, a tight end in high school, will be a tackle at Arizona.
* Defensive line: Kyle Kelley, Sione Tuihalamaka, Justin Washington, Willie Mobley, Dan Pettinato, Dominique Austin, Jowyn Ward, Kirifi Taula, Lamar De Rego, Dwight Melvin, Reggie Gilbert, Chris Merrill, Tevin Hood and Christian Upshaw
Forecast: It was hard enough already for a front line that failed to put much pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season, but the change to a three-man front and the lost linebackers will only make it that much tougher.
Barring injury and a complete lack of effort in the fall, Kelley looks like a sure-fire starter from Day 1 after collecting 22 sacks and 87 tackles overall in high school.
Mobley, another returning from the ACL bug, moved from tackle to defensive end and will compete with Pettinato, Austin, De Rego and Gilbert.
Tuihalamaka and Washington will compete for a starting role inside and pushing them will be Taula, who dealt with injury this spring but started four games last season. Ward also will be in the mix with Hood, but Ward did spend time on the edge this spring.
Listed as a defensive lineman but competing as a linebacker will be Dame Ndiaye. Vice versa, listed as a linebacker but expected to open camp as a defensive end will be Tyler Ermisch.
* Linebackers: Jake Fischer, C.J. Dozier, Dakota Conwell, Rob Hankins, Hank Hobson, Dame Ndiaye, Lucas Petrullo, Sir Thomas Jackson, Devin Gordon and Shadow Williams
Forecast: Just three of the five linebackers on scholarship have Division I experience, but Fisher missed all of last season with the ACL injury while Hankins and Hobson played sparingly as true freshmen.
That's not exactly comforting.
So Dozier, who was the lone freshman to enroll early and practice this spring, will have a huge opportunity to start on the opposite side of Fischer. Pushing him will be Hobson, who worked his way onto the field in the middle of last season.
One of the more intriguing players to watch could be Conwell, whom Rodriguez said could have a "great future" as linebacker. On Signing Day, however, the 6-2, 205-pounder told GOAZCATS.com that he was wanted at the hybrid linebacker/safety "spur" position with the possibility of playing multiple other positions. Regardless, expect him to compete immediately for a spot somewhere on the field.
Wagner was supposed to be the middle linebacker. Now that likely leaves Hankins, who opened last season as the starting middle linebacker before quickly fading.
Although raw, even Ndiaye will have a shot at a spot in the rotation of an otherwise underwhelming group.
* The spur: Tra'Mayne Bondurant
Forecast: Although Marquis Flowers and Blake Brady also saw time at the position, the feeling after talking with the coaching staff after the spring was that Bondurant was just a natural fit.
And that was the feeling even when Rodriguez was initially hired and talks of installing the 3-3-5 defense started.
* Safeties: Marquis Flowers, Yamen Sanders, Mark Watley, Adam Hall, William Parks, Jared Tevis, Wayne Capers Jr., Anthony Lopez, Jamar Allah, Blake Brady, Leo Thomas, Vince Miles, Stephen Ascher and Clint Cochrane
Forecast: Hall's second ACL injury in as many springs opens just another hole on a defensive unit that could use his physical presence.
Although Flowers spent time at the spur, the bigger need appears to be back at a more traditional safety position. In 2011, the imposing 6-3, 221-pounder spent the full year at free safety, but this season's roster has three others listed at the position.
Watley impressed in the spring and will likely be pushed at free safety by Parks and Allah - both of whom were recruited as cornerbacks.
Also impressive this spring was Tevis, who the coaches praised for his physicality and big-hit potential.
One of the freshmen to keep an eye on will be Sanders, whose 6-4, 190-pound frame gives the secondary some needed size.
One notable roster change is Lopez's move from running back to safety. In high school, he rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns but also broke up 11 passes as a cornerback.
* Cornerbacks: Derrick Rainey, Shaquille Richardson, Jonathan McKnight, Jourdon Grandon, Bryan Harper, Justin Samuels and Connor Sohns
Forecast: Plenty will depend on just how well McKnight recovers from the ACL injury he suffered in last fall's camp. If he's ready to go, he could be that starting cover corner that the Wildcats desperately missed in 2011.
In his absence, Rainey emerged as the top corner this spring and showed the capability to keep pace with some of the faster receivers on the roster.
Pushing them both will be Richardson and Grandon, who missed most of the spring along with Ebbele as part of the off-field altercation.
Meanwhile, Harper, as noted above, will spend the fall in the secondary. He was widely recruited as a cornerback out of high school.
* Punters: Kyle Dugandzic and Drew Riggleman
* Place-kickers: John Bonano, Jake Smith, Jaime Salazar and Jesse Ortiz
Forecast: Dugandzic is a lock as the returning punter after leading the Pac-12 Conference with a 46-yard average on 40 attempts.
Bonano came on late last season and took hold of a position that caused plenty of headaches for the better part of two years. Now, with Smith, there appears to be a healthy competition with two capable kickers. In fact, there were times when Smith looked more accurate and showed a strong leg.
Long snappers: Brian Chacon, Chase Gorham and Tim Johnston
Forecast: Chacon is the returning long snapper after Gorham left the team before last season for personal reasons.
Now, here's Matt Moreno's recruiting breakdown:
* Well it has been quite the busy week for Arizona on the recruiting side of things as there has been visits, commitments and new offers being handed out by the football and basketball programs.
Rich Rodriguez and the football program picked up three new commitments since the last edition of the War Room came out and although they are all ranked as two-star recruits, they are interesting prospects, nonetheless.
Sean Miller and the UA basketball program hosted a couple of visitors this week, and extended an offer to one of the recruits while he was on campus.
We'll get into all that and more in this week's breakdown, so let's get right into it.
Football recruiting
The Wildcats added commitments from three recruits in the last seven days with the latest coming Sunday evening when Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway prospect Tommy Woodson gave the Wildcats his verbal pledge to play football in 2013.
GOAZCATS.com spoke with Woodson recently and it looked like things were going to take a little bit longer in his recruitment, but he decided Sunday evening that he didn't want to wait things out and decided to give the Wildcats his pledge.
Other than it being the first big program to extend an offer his way, the UA coaching staff was a big reason Woodson liked what the Wildcats had to offer.
"The coaching staff always stood out," he told GOAZCATS.com Sunday evening. "I liked them when they were at Michigan and I like them now at Arizona. They pulled the trigger [with an offer], so why not play for a team that has liked me from the start?
"So I'll play my college career there."
Woodson has gone through some injuries in the past, so getting offers from other programs besides UA and Bowling Green - the two schools who offered him so far - has been tough. Because the Wildcats have continued to show interest in him, he decided there was no reason to wait any longer and made the call.
"It's real big," he said of the staff's confidence in him. "I've had some injuries, so it was going to be hard to receive offers from many schools, but the whole coaching staff stayed with me. They took a chance on me, so why not play for a school that has high hopes for me and what I like to do? And that's play football."
Woodson is expected to compete for playing time at multiple positions, including quarterback, once he arrives in Tucson.
As a junior, the two-star recruit passed for for 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns and also rushed for 600 yards and six more scores last season.
As of Sunday evening Woodson said he had not spoken with the UA staff about his commitment, but that is expected to happen within the next day or two. When his commitment does become official it will give the Wildcats 11 commitments overall.
Tony Gibson was Woodson's lead recruiter and the UA assistant has already done a solid job of recruiting the Pennsylvania area. Two 2012 signees - Dakota Conwell and Wayne Capers - both congratulated the newest Wildcat commit on Twitter as both are familiar with what he can do.
The Wildcats also signed defensive back Will Parks, who is from Pennsylvania as well. He is set to arrive in Tucson this summer with Conwell and Capers.
* One of the immediate questions about Woodson's commitment that has been proposed has to deal with the future of the quarterback position when it comes to 2013 recruiting. How much of an effect will Woodson's decision have an effect on other quarterbacks in the class?
The answer is simple, in a word: none.
This particular commitment won't have an effect on who the Wildcats go after in the future, and they aren't going to stop recruiting guys like Brandon Cox and the many other signal callers they have offers out to.
As we said last week, the Wildcats are sitting well with plenty of 2013 signal callers and the plan has always been to add at least one more in addition to four-star prospect Anu Solomon. That is still the plan going forward, so Woodson's commitment shouldn't have an effect on recruiting quarterbacks in the future with this class.
If a prospect like Cox decided that he wanted to commit tomorrow, the Wildcats likely wouldn't mind taking his commitment.
* While Woodson was the latest 2013 recruit to commit to the 'Cats, he wasn't the only one in the last week to do so. The week began with two commitments in one day last Monday when both Nate Phillips and Paul Elvira gave their verbal pledges to the Wildcats.
Both prospects received offers a few weekends ago when the Wildcats had their camp, and both decided the opportunity was too good to pass up. Phillips and Elvira are both in-state recruits with the latter attending Tempe (Ariz.) Marcos de Niza and the former playing his high school ball at Chandler (Ariz.) Basha.
Phillips liked what he saw while at the camp, and he nearly pulled the trigger on a commitment then. However, the 5-foot-11 prospect wanted to give his family a chance to see the UA campus and get a feel for where he was going to end up.
After that happened the wide receiver recruit gave the program his verbal pledge.
Basha head coach Bernie Busken has helped Phillips and his family throughout the process, and he feels UA is the perfect fit for his standout receiver.
"I think it's absolutely perfect," Busken said. "The bottom line is that he's a football player, and the football players can't be measured in height and weight and all that. He's got great body control, and he's exactly the type of player they've had in the past.
"He's got great speed and great quickness, and coach Rod has had great success with that kind of player every place that he's been."
* Phillips had other offers, but Elvira only held an offer from the 'Cats. After initially saying that he was going to wait things out until the end of the summer, he too decided that the opportunity to play for Rodriguez was too good to pass up.
The decision may have been a little bit easier for Elvira as his family is big fans of the school and he grew up for a short time in Tucson.
"The biggest reason was that they were only giving out a few scholarships and I wanted to be one of those," he said. "The other reason is Rich Rodriguez and his staff. The way they treat me down there and how highly they think of me is huge.
"The first impression that Rich Rodriguez ever left on me that was one thing that I thought about a lot, and how I could fit down there in that spread offense. It felt like the right fit and today felt like the right day to do it."
After receiving his offer, Elvira had a good feeling about the Wildcats as they continued to explain to him what they liked about his skill set. That sat well with the wide receiver recruit as there weren't any other programs that decided to extend an offer.
* Much has been made about the Wildcats taking commitments from those who are ranked as two-star recruits by Rivals.com. Each of the three recruits who committed to UA over the last week are two-star prospects, but each has the potential to make an impact.
Woodson and Phillips both fit the Wildcats' system very well, and Elvira has continued to say that UA likes a lot about what he can do for the program. The staff has become known for taking prospects that might be under the radar and turning them into talented college football players.
So, at this point, seeing the Wildcats add commitments from recruits who aren't ranked as high as others shouldn't be too much of a concern.
* By now it's easy to see that the Wildcats' strategy is to identify and evaluate recruits at a rapid pace and be one of the first programs to make an offer. The staff also has continued to make recruiting Florida a priority, as it has done in the past at Michigan and West Virginia.
The Wildcats offered outside linebacker/safety prospect Matt Milano of Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips last week and now the 2013 recruit is beginning to get noticed.
The three-star prospect only held offers from Stony Brook and Air Force prior to receiving his offer from the 'Cats last week, so it came as a surprise when his coach informed him of how interested UA was.
"Oh yeah, it was really a surprise," he said. "I had no idea they were going to offer me. I woke up this morning (Wednesday) and my head coach called me the night before but I missed it because I was sleeping - so I got it this morning. It's a bigger conference than the ones I've been getting, so that was kind of a surprise as well."
UA stopped by his school earlier this spring, but Milano didn't think it was to evaluate him.
The talented linebacker/safety hybrid, who would likely slide into the "spur" role at UA, attended a camp at Michigan State over the weekend and things are really starting to pick up now for the 6-foot-1 recruit.
Over the weekend he picked up offers from Boston College, Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green - and things are likely only going to pick up from there.
While he is a bit undersized for other programs, UA could use him in many ways and that has Milano very interested in what the 'Cats have to offer.
He is planning on making a visit to Tucson some time this summer, and I'm hearing that he and his family are high on the 'Cats at this point in the process. Along with liking the fact that the Wildcats were one of the first big programs to take a chance, they also like the fit with the program.
Milano's recruitment is likely only going to continue to pick up as the summer continues, but the Wildcats are in a good spot as things stand right now. It's nowhere near a commitment, but a good visit later this summer could make a difference for the soon-to-be senior.
Basketball recruiting
On the basketball side of things, the Wildcats hosted a pair of 2014 recruits on separate days this week, and by all accounts things went well for talented prospects.
* Four-star wing recruit Shaqquan Aaron was the first to visit Tucson in the middle of the week and the nation's 22nd-ranked prospect once again enjoyed his time at UA.
While there was an outside chance the talented prospect made a commitment, it didn't happen while on his trip. However, the Wildcats remain in good position as it was the second time he made an unofficial trip to UA.
So far the Wildcats have done a great job with his recruitment, and there is a lot of interest from the versatile prospect. Aaron is not in a rush to make a decision, so it could be a while before he does commit somewhere. But it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him eventually give Miller and the UA staff his verbal pledge.
* 2014 big man Payton Dastrup from Mesa (Ariz.) Mountain View was the other prospect to take a trip to Tucson last week. The 6-foot-9 recruit played well recently at the Pangos All-American Camp and there had been a lot of interest from UA heading into his unofficial visit.
The center recruit made the trip with his father, David, and both father and son enjoyed the trip and learned a lot. Dastrup left Tucson with an offer from the 'Cats and that's something that could be huge as things move forward in his recruitment.
"It was a great visit," David Dastrup said. "We've had some conversations on the phone over the last six weeks or so, and today (Thursday) was finally the day that worked out for us to make the trip down there. So we were excited to get down there and put some personal experiences to the conversations we've had on the phone.
"And it definitely didn't disappoint at all."
Getting the offer is something that David Dastrup said the family won't take lightly and it's something they won't dismiss right away. Making an early offer could be one of the bigger factors, as the in-state recruit and his family know what kind of program UA has been and has the potential to become in the future.
"I think that they are a national brand that is recognized for their success," he said. "And I know that coach Miller is building on the legacy that Lute Olson had established. Anybody who considers the value of an opportunity to play collegiate basketball has to take an offer from Arizona seriously and use that to measure the other opportunities by.
"So I think the opportunity that was extended today with the offer by coach Miller will continue to play a factor in the decision-making process that Payton has. It's not going to be something that is dismissed lightly and not taken into serious consideration."
Going forward it will be interesting to see how things play out, but UA will likely continue to be right in the mix and the 'Cats could end up being the school to beat when all is said and done.
As things stand right now, however, Miller's program is in good shape early in the process.
This post was edited on 6/18 7:26 AM by Tracy McDannald
Football team news
Arizona made both headline-grabbing and quiet roster moves this past week.
The biggest moves, obviously, were the departures of Brian Wagner and David Lopez that leave the Wildcats very thin at linebacker.
While UA head coach Rich Rodriguez has said he will not likely set a depth chart until he sees the team for a week or two in fall camp, some Wildcats are starting to get put into more concrete roles.
Here's a look at the complete roster - as updated on the team's site (complete with position changes) - that the 'Cats will take into the fall:
* Quarterbacks: Matt Scott, Richard Morrison, B.J. Denker, Javelle Allen, Alex Cappellini, Josh Kern, Jack Nykaza and Nick Isham
Forecast: Scott is the unquestioned starter and still the only true option ready to take snaps if the season started today. Although Morrison figures to see some action and have some specialized packages at quarterback, he will still contend for a spot at receiver.
Then it gets interesting. Denker, as a JC transfer from Cerritos College, figures to be the third-string option and battle with Allen when camp opens. From there, Cappellini, Kern and Nykaza will round out the corps while Isham will have to sit out the season, per NCAA transfer rules.
A quiet move, Isham comes to Arizona from Louisiana Tech, where he started seven games, completed 60.3 percent of his passes and threw for 1,457 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions as a true freshman last season. Out of high school, Isham was rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com. Isham, who left Louisiana Tech in late May, will be a redshirt sophomore when eligible in 2013.
You'll also notice that gone is Tyler D'Amore, who has left the team and will play at Pima Community College.
* Running backs: Ka'Deem Carey, Daniel Jenkins, Kylan Butler, Greg Nwoko, J.T. Washington, Jared Baker, Terris Jones and Elliott Taylor
Forecast: After splitting duties with Keola Antolin last season, Carey is expected to emerge as the No. 1 back in his sophomore season. But with the depth and abilities on display in the spring, expect to see a fair amount of time and carries for Jenkins and Butler.
Meanwhile, Nwoko, who is coming off an ACL injury that cost him all of last season, will contend for time and possibly fullback duties with his 237-pound frame.
* Fullback: Taimi Tutogi
Forecast: At 6-1, 260 pounds, Tutogi has shown his worth in short-yardage situations. But he also has versatility with experience as a H-back, tail back and even tight end. Expect to see the staff capitalize on that and move him around a bit.
* Tight ends: Drew Robinson, Michael Cooper, Terrence Miller, Keoni Bush-Loo and Ben Sullivan
Forecast: The tight end position could prove to be one of the more interesting battles in camp.
With his experience last season, Robinson will naturally contend for the top spot. Cooper and Miller will provide some competition as well, but the wild card to keep an eye on might be Bush-Loo.
* Receivers: Dan Buckner, Tyler Slavin, Austin Hill, Richard Morrison, Garic Wharton, Johnny Jackson, Patrick Onwuasor, Clive Georges, David Richards, Sean Willet, Jarrell Bennett, Trey Griffey, R.J. Aguero, Ademola Adeniran and Trevor Ermisch
Forecast: There are plenty of options for a staff that has historically thrived with smaller, slot-receiver types. The Wildcats have speed but also size in this group.
The X-factor this fall could be Buckner, the 6-4, 214-pound senior who was a little banged up in the spring and never really found his groove. The staff has said repeatedly that they will not be afraid to throw the ball this upcoming season and Buckner could be a deep threat that stretches the field for Scott.
Slavin arguably was one of the more impressive targets in the spring along with Wharton and Jackson. Wharton also will contend for kick return duties.
Also looking to prove himself this fall will be Hill, who was bothered by a neck injury in the spring but will be expected to compete for a significant role. Meanwhile, Onwuasor also was hampered by injury in the spring but should be in the mix when camp opens.
Among those on the inside will be freshmen Georges, Bennett - both of whom also will get a look as kick returners.
Also listed as a receiver is freshman Bryan Harper, but his versatility - combined with the number of bodies at receiver and more glaring needs on defense - will allow the staff to open the 6-foot, 180-pounder in the secondary.
* Offensive line: Kyle Quinn, Fabbians Ebbele, Mickey Baucus, Trace Biskin, Chris Putton, Shane Zink, Trent Spurgeon, Eric Bender-Ramsay, Carter Lees, Lene Maiava, Jacob Arzouman, Jack Baucus, Addison Bachman, Faitele Faafoi, Zach Hemmila, Beau Boyster, Cayman Bundage and T.D. Gross
Forecast: Unlike last season, the O-line is expected to be a strength when camp opens with all five starters returning.
But offensive line coach Robert Anae hinted after the spring that no job is safe or guaranteed, and the Wildcats will have plenty of depth pushing starters Quinn (center), Ebbele (right tackle), Mickey Baucus (left tackle), Biskin (right guard) and Putton (left guard).
One of the priorities will be getting Ebbele and the Baucus brothers into playing shape. Ebbele missed all but the first few days of spring camp while attending to off-the-field charges, and Mickey and Jack both rehabilitated injuries. With tempo a major part of what Rodriguez wants to do offensively, it will not necessarily be as simple as throwing them on the field and picking up where they left off.
Pushing for major roles will be Zink and Lees, who combined to make five starts last season as injury replacements. Also pushing for roles will be Spurgeon, Bender-Ramsay, Maiava and Arzouman - all of whom filled in on the line in the spring and impressed, to some capacity.
Meanwhile, Boyster, who was recruited as a center, will open his first camp at guard along with fellow true freshmen Hemmila and Bundage. Gross, a tight end in high school, will be a tackle at Arizona.
* Defensive line: Kyle Kelley, Sione Tuihalamaka, Justin Washington, Willie Mobley, Dan Pettinato, Dominique Austin, Jowyn Ward, Kirifi Taula, Lamar De Rego, Dwight Melvin, Reggie Gilbert, Chris Merrill, Tevin Hood and Christian Upshaw
Forecast: It was hard enough already for a front line that failed to put much pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season, but the change to a three-man front and the lost linebackers will only make it that much tougher.
Barring injury and a complete lack of effort in the fall, Kelley looks like a sure-fire starter from Day 1 after collecting 22 sacks and 87 tackles overall in high school.
Mobley, another returning from the ACL bug, moved from tackle to defensive end and will compete with Pettinato, Austin, De Rego and Gilbert.
Tuihalamaka and Washington will compete for a starting role inside and pushing them will be Taula, who dealt with injury this spring but started four games last season. Ward also will be in the mix with Hood, but Ward did spend time on the edge this spring.
Listed as a defensive lineman but competing as a linebacker will be Dame Ndiaye. Vice versa, listed as a linebacker but expected to open camp as a defensive end will be Tyler Ermisch.
* Linebackers: Jake Fischer, C.J. Dozier, Dakota Conwell, Rob Hankins, Hank Hobson, Dame Ndiaye, Lucas Petrullo, Sir Thomas Jackson, Devin Gordon and Shadow Williams
Forecast: Just three of the five linebackers on scholarship have Division I experience, but Fisher missed all of last season with the ACL injury while Hankins and Hobson played sparingly as true freshmen.
That's not exactly comforting.
So Dozier, who was the lone freshman to enroll early and practice this spring, will have a huge opportunity to start on the opposite side of Fischer. Pushing him will be Hobson, who worked his way onto the field in the middle of last season.
One of the more intriguing players to watch could be Conwell, whom Rodriguez said could have a "great future" as linebacker. On Signing Day, however, the 6-2, 205-pounder told GOAZCATS.com that he was wanted at the hybrid linebacker/safety "spur" position with the possibility of playing multiple other positions. Regardless, expect him to compete immediately for a spot somewhere on the field.
Wagner was supposed to be the middle linebacker. Now that likely leaves Hankins, who opened last season as the starting middle linebacker before quickly fading.
Although raw, even Ndiaye will have a shot at a spot in the rotation of an otherwise underwhelming group.
* The spur: Tra'Mayne Bondurant
Forecast: Although Marquis Flowers and Blake Brady also saw time at the position, the feeling after talking with the coaching staff after the spring was that Bondurant was just a natural fit.
And that was the feeling even when Rodriguez was initially hired and talks of installing the 3-3-5 defense started.
* Safeties: Marquis Flowers, Yamen Sanders, Mark Watley, Adam Hall, William Parks, Jared Tevis, Wayne Capers Jr., Anthony Lopez, Jamar Allah, Blake Brady, Leo Thomas, Vince Miles, Stephen Ascher and Clint Cochrane
Forecast: Hall's second ACL injury in as many springs opens just another hole on a defensive unit that could use his physical presence.
Although Flowers spent time at the spur, the bigger need appears to be back at a more traditional safety position. In 2011, the imposing 6-3, 221-pounder spent the full year at free safety, but this season's roster has three others listed at the position.
Watley impressed in the spring and will likely be pushed at free safety by Parks and Allah - both of whom were recruited as cornerbacks.
Also impressive this spring was Tevis, who the coaches praised for his physicality and big-hit potential.
One of the freshmen to keep an eye on will be Sanders, whose 6-4, 190-pound frame gives the secondary some needed size.
One notable roster change is Lopez's move from running back to safety. In high school, he rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns but also broke up 11 passes as a cornerback.
* Cornerbacks: Derrick Rainey, Shaquille Richardson, Jonathan McKnight, Jourdon Grandon, Bryan Harper, Justin Samuels and Connor Sohns
Forecast: Plenty will depend on just how well McKnight recovers from the ACL injury he suffered in last fall's camp. If he's ready to go, he could be that starting cover corner that the Wildcats desperately missed in 2011.
In his absence, Rainey emerged as the top corner this spring and showed the capability to keep pace with some of the faster receivers on the roster.
Pushing them both will be Richardson and Grandon, who missed most of the spring along with Ebbele as part of the off-field altercation.
Meanwhile, Harper, as noted above, will spend the fall in the secondary. He was widely recruited as a cornerback out of high school.
* Punters: Kyle Dugandzic and Drew Riggleman
* Place-kickers: John Bonano, Jake Smith, Jaime Salazar and Jesse Ortiz
Forecast: Dugandzic is a lock as the returning punter after leading the Pac-12 Conference with a 46-yard average on 40 attempts.
Bonano came on late last season and took hold of a position that caused plenty of headaches for the better part of two years. Now, with Smith, there appears to be a healthy competition with two capable kickers. In fact, there were times when Smith looked more accurate and showed a strong leg.
Long snappers: Brian Chacon, Chase Gorham and Tim Johnston
Forecast: Chacon is the returning long snapper after Gorham left the team before last season for personal reasons.
Now, here's Matt Moreno's recruiting breakdown:
* Well it has been quite the busy week for Arizona on the recruiting side of things as there has been visits, commitments and new offers being handed out by the football and basketball programs.
Rich Rodriguez and the football program picked up three new commitments since the last edition of the War Room came out and although they are all ranked as two-star recruits, they are interesting prospects, nonetheless.
Sean Miller and the UA basketball program hosted a couple of visitors this week, and extended an offer to one of the recruits while he was on campus.
We'll get into all that and more in this week's breakdown, so let's get right into it.
Football recruiting
The Wildcats added commitments from three recruits in the last seven days with the latest coming Sunday evening when Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway prospect Tommy Woodson gave the Wildcats his verbal pledge to play football in 2013.
GOAZCATS.com spoke with Woodson recently and it looked like things were going to take a little bit longer in his recruitment, but he decided Sunday evening that he didn't want to wait things out and decided to give the Wildcats his pledge.
Other than it being the first big program to extend an offer his way, the UA coaching staff was a big reason Woodson liked what the Wildcats had to offer.
"The coaching staff always stood out," he told GOAZCATS.com Sunday evening. "I liked them when they were at Michigan and I like them now at Arizona. They pulled the trigger [with an offer], so why not play for a team that has liked me from the start?
"So I'll play my college career there."
Woodson has gone through some injuries in the past, so getting offers from other programs besides UA and Bowling Green - the two schools who offered him so far - has been tough. Because the Wildcats have continued to show interest in him, he decided there was no reason to wait any longer and made the call.
"It's real big," he said of the staff's confidence in him. "I've had some injuries, so it was going to be hard to receive offers from many schools, but the whole coaching staff stayed with me. They took a chance on me, so why not play for a school that has high hopes for me and what I like to do? And that's play football."
Woodson is expected to compete for playing time at multiple positions, including quarterback, once he arrives in Tucson.
As a junior, the two-star recruit passed for for 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns and also rushed for 600 yards and six more scores last season.
As of Sunday evening Woodson said he had not spoken with the UA staff about his commitment, but that is expected to happen within the next day or two. When his commitment does become official it will give the Wildcats 11 commitments overall.
Tony Gibson was Woodson's lead recruiter and the UA assistant has already done a solid job of recruiting the Pennsylvania area. Two 2012 signees - Dakota Conwell and Wayne Capers - both congratulated the newest Wildcat commit on Twitter as both are familiar with what he can do.
The Wildcats also signed defensive back Will Parks, who is from Pennsylvania as well. He is set to arrive in Tucson this summer with Conwell and Capers.
* One of the immediate questions about Woodson's commitment that has been proposed has to deal with the future of the quarterback position when it comes to 2013 recruiting. How much of an effect will Woodson's decision have an effect on other quarterbacks in the class?
The answer is simple, in a word: none.
This particular commitment won't have an effect on who the Wildcats go after in the future, and they aren't going to stop recruiting guys like Brandon Cox and the many other signal callers they have offers out to.
As we said last week, the Wildcats are sitting well with plenty of 2013 signal callers and the plan has always been to add at least one more in addition to four-star prospect Anu Solomon. That is still the plan going forward, so Woodson's commitment shouldn't have an effect on recruiting quarterbacks in the future with this class.
If a prospect like Cox decided that he wanted to commit tomorrow, the Wildcats likely wouldn't mind taking his commitment.
* While Woodson was the latest 2013 recruit to commit to the 'Cats, he wasn't the only one in the last week to do so. The week began with two commitments in one day last Monday when both Nate Phillips and Paul Elvira gave their verbal pledges to the Wildcats.
Both prospects received offers a few weekends ago when the Wildcats had their camp, and both decided the opportunity was too good to pass up. Phillips and Elvira are both in-state recruits with the latter attending Tempe (Ariz.) Marcos de Niza and the former playing his high school ball at Chandler (Ariz.) Basha.
Phillips liked what he saw while at the camp, and he nearly pulled the trigger on a commitment then. However, the 5-foot-11 prospect wanted to give his family a chance to see the UA campus and get a feel for where he was going to end up.
After that happened the wide receiver recruit gave the program his verbal pledge.
Basha head coach Bernie Busken has helped Phillips and his family throughout the process, and he feels UA is the perfect fit for his standout receiver.
"I think it's absolutely perfect," Busken said. "The bottom line is that he's a football player, and the football players can't be measured in height and weight and all that. He's got great body control, and he's exactly the type of player they've had in the past.
"He's got great speed and great quickness, and coach Rod has had great success with that kind of player every place that he's been."
* Phillips had other offers, but Elvira only held an offer from the 'Cats. After initially saying that he was going to wait things out until the end of the summer, he too decided that the opportunity to play for Rodriguez was too good to pass up.
The decision may have been a little bit easier for Elvira as his family is big fans of the school and he grew up for a short time in Tucson.
"The biggest reason was that they were only giving out a few scholarships and I wanted to be one of those," he said. "The other reason is Rich Rodriguez and his staff. The way they treat me down there and how highly they think of me is huge.
"The first impression that Rich Rodriguez ever left on me that was one thing that I thought about a lot, and how I could fit down there in that spread offense. It felt like the right fit and today felt like the right day to do it."
After receiving his offer, Elvira had a good feeling about the Wildcats as they continued to explain to him what they liked about his skill set. That sat well with the wide receiver recruit as there weren't any other programs that decided to extend an offer.
* Much has been made about the Wildcats taking commitments from those who are ranked as two-star recruits by Rivals.com. Each of the three recruits who committed to UA over the last week are two-star prospects, but each has the potential to make an impact.
Woodson and Phillips both fit the Wildcats' system very well, and Elvira has continued to say that UA likes a lot about what he can do for the program. The staff has become known for taking prospects that might be under the radar and turning them into talented college football players.
So, at this point, seeing the Wildcats add commitments from recruits who aren't ranked as high as others shouldn't be too much of a concern.
* By now it's easy to see that the Wildcats' strategy is to identify and evaluate recruits at a rapid pace and be one of the first programs to make an offer. The staff also has continued to make recruiting Florida a priority, as it has done in the past at Michigan and West Virginia.
The Wildcats offered outside linebacker/safety prospect Matt Milano of Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips last week and now the 2013 recruit is beginning to get noticed.
The three-star prospect only held offers from Stony Brook and Air Force prior to receiving his offer from the 'Cats last week, so it came as a surprise when his coach informed him of how interested UA was.
"Oh yeah, it was really a surprise," he said. "I had no idea they were going to offer me. I woke up this morning (Wednesday) and my head coach called me the night before but I missed it because I was sleeping - so I got it this morning. It's a bigger conference than the ones I've been getting, so that was kind of a surprise as well."
UA stopped by his school earlier this spring, but Milano didn't think it was to evaluate him.
The talented linebacker/safety hybrid, who would likely slide into the "spur" role at UA, attended a camp at Michigan State over the weekend and things are really starting to pick up now for the 6-foot-1 recruit.
Over the weekend he picked up offers from Boston College, Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green - and things are likely only going to pick up from there.
While he is a bit undersized for other programs, UA could use him in many ways and that has Milano very interested in what the 'Cats have to offer.
He is planning on making a visit to Tucson some time this summer, and I'm hearing that he and his family are high on the 'Cats at this point in the process. Along with liking the fact that the Wildcats were one of the first big programs to take a chance, they also like the fit with the program.
Milano's recruitment is likely only going to continue to pick up as the summer continues, but the Wildcats are in a good spot as things stand right now. It's nowhere near a commitment, but a good visit later this summer could make a difference for the soon-to-be senior.
Basketball recruiting
On the basketball side of things, the Wildcats hosted a pair of 2014 recruits on separate days this week, and by all accounts things went well for talented prospects.
* Four-star wing recruit Shaqquan Aaron was the first to visit Tucson in the middle of the week and the nation's 22nd-ranked prospect once again enjoyed his time at UA.
While there was an outside chance the talented prospect made a commitment, it didn't happen while on his trip. However, the Wildcats remain in good position as it was the second time he made an unofficial trip to UA.
So far the Wildcats have done a great job with his recruitment, and there is a lot of interest from the versatile prospect. Aaron is not in a rush to make a decision, so it could be a while before he does commit somewhere. But it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him eventually give Miller and the UA staff his verbal pledge.
* 2014 big man Payton Dastrup from Mesa (Ariz.) Mountain View was the other prospect to take a trip to Tucson last week. The 6-foot-9 recruit played well recently at the Pangos All-American Camp and there had been a lot of interest from UA heading into his unofficial visit.
The center recruit made the trip with his father, David, and both father and son enjoyed the trip and learned a lot. Dastrup left Tucson with an offer from the 'Cats and that's something that could be huge as things move forward in his recruitment.
"It was a great visit," David Dastrup said. "We've had some conversations on the phone over the last six weeks or so, and today (Thursday) was finally the day that worked out for us to make the trip down there. So we were excited to get down there and put some personal experiences to the conversations we've had on the phone.
"And it definitely didn't disappoint at all."
Getting the offer is something that David Dastrup said the family won't take lightly and it's something they won't dismiss right away. Making an early offer could be one of the bigger factors, as the in-state recruit and his family know what kind of program UA has been and has the potential to become in the future.
"I think that they are a national brand that is recognized for their success," he said. "And I know that coach Miller is building on the legacy that Lute Olson had established. Anybody who considers the value of an opportunity to play collegiate basketball has to take an offer from Arizona seriously and use that to measure the other opportunities by.
"So I think the opportunity that was extended today with the offer by coach Miller will continue to play a factor in the decision-making process that Payton has. It's not going to be something that is dismissed lightly and not taken into serious consideration."
Going forward it will be interesting to see how things play out, but UA will likely continue to be right in the mix and the 'Cats could end up being the school to beat when all is said and done.
As things stand right now, however, Miller's program is in good shape early in the process.
This post was edited on 6/18 7:26 AM by Tracy McDannald
