The talk this time of the year has clearly been with the Arizona baseball team, so that's where most of the team focus will be at in this edition of the War Room.
But on the football field, the second half of the 2012 class arrived in Tucson, which includes the likes of Dakota Conwell and William Parks. However, like head coach Rich Rodriguez told GOAZCATS.com early last week[/B], the team is still waiting on the final transcripts and test scores from Wayne Capers and Keoni Bush-Loo.
For more from Rodriguez, in case you missed it, find out what he had to say about plans are for fall camp and Fort Huachuca.
On the basketball court, Arizona has updated its roster for the 2012-13 season. Some notable items:
-Robert Arvizu, a sophomore walk-on, is no longer on the team. Instead, the Wildcats now have freshman walk-on Jacob Hazzard, a 5-10 guard from Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola.
-For those wondering what numbers the new players will wear next season: Gabe York will wear No. 1, Mark Lyons will wear No. 2, Brandon Ashley will wear No. 21, Grant Jerrett will wear No. 33 and Kaleb Tarczewski will wear No. 35. Although they will not suit up aside from the practice court, T.J. McConnell will wear No. 4 and Matt Korcheck will wear No. 31.
Baseball
Arizona took a 1-0 lead over two-time defending national champion South Carolina Sunday in the best-of-three College World Series Championship at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. Staff writer Matt Lundgren's recap Associated Press photo gallery from Game 1.
Plus, here's a closer look at Konner Wade's star and how the Wildcats avoided a disastrous start to what was an otherwise tailor-made opener going into the series.
* Game 1: By the numbers
5
All five of Arizona's runs were produced with two outs, continuing the trend for a Wildcats lineup that has come up with timely hitting all postseason.
It also proved to be the most runs allowed by South Carolina in 11 games this postseason.
10+
Arizona has now recorded double-digit hits in eight of nine postseason games.
13
The number of first-inning runs Arizona has now produced at the College World Series after Robert Refsnyder's two-run home run in the opening frame. Opponents, meanwhile, have scored just three runs in the first inning.
15
The number of consecutive games Johnny Field has now hit safely.
16
The number of games Arizona has won this season when hitting at least one home run. The Wildcats have lost just three games when doing so.
20
The number of innings Arizona has recorded more than one run this postseason.
31
The number of consecutive innings Konner Wade threw this postseason without allowing a free pass before walking Christian Walker in the sixth inning.
38
The number of consecutive games Refsnyder has reached base safely.
47
The number of victories the Wildcats have posted this season, tying the 1985 College World Series team for fourth on Arizona's single-season charts.
749
The number of hits Arizona has now produced this season, passing Stony Brook (743) for the Division I lead.
* Wildcats now have options
Baseball can be the ultimate game of chess. Despite winning Game 1, the move belongs to UA head coach Andy Lopez.
The Wildcats can roll the dice and decide that starting staff ace Kurt Heyer on four days' rest is the right move with a national championship at stake. After all, South Carolina will counter with Michael Roth, who owns a career 8-0 postseason record including a 4-0 mark in Omaha over the past two years.
If Lopez starts Heyer, then the thinking would be that the two pitchers would cancel one another out and the difference would be an Arizona lineup that is now hitting .367 this postseason.
Like catcher Riley Moore said the last time Lopez had to decide between Heyer or No. 3 starter James Farris: "When you get in a tournament like this, you've got to win every single game. You can't say, 'Well, if we won then we could save ' Nah. Every game matters, every game counts. It's the right move."
That was going into Arizona's meeting with Florida State with the right to play in the championship series at stake for the 'Cats. As a reminder, Farris has not pitched since June 3, when the Wildcats toppled Louisville, 16-3, to advance to the Super Regionals. That was 22 days ago.
Other possibility is quite scary. It's one thing for Heyer to pitch on short rest - but to do so against Roth, who is 9-1 with a 2.49 ERA this year, and a Gamecocks team that has repeatedly responded when facing elimination, may not be worth the gamble. You never want to let the thought of losing creep into your mind, but imagine for a second that Roth is on top of his game and South Carolina forces a Game 3.
With a national championship on the line in what would be the winner-take-all rubber match Tuesday, the Wildcats would be without Heyer and Wade, who obviously will not be available after already throwing in Game 1. Sure, the bullpen - albeit all two pitchers used by Lopez during this entire run - has come through when called upon lately, but Tyler Crawford and Mathew Troupe are still freshmen relievers and there is very little margin for error behind them.
Farris would be asked to shake off any possible rust and go deep into the game, if not the distance. That's almost like asking a basketball player who's been warming the bench all night to knock down two free throws with the game on the line.
Ultimately, Lopez has rarely pushed the wrong button this postseason, and handing the ball to his best pitcher in Game 2 is far from the worst idea in the world. But conventional wisdom says to play the percentages, making South Carolina force another game just to get to a more-well-rested Heyer, if needed.
And if the opportunity presents itself, maybe Lopez will decide to use Heyer as a reliever if the program's fourth national championship becomes more of a reality late in Game 2. Who knows?
Either way, it's gotta be nice to have options, right?
* And now, here's Matt Moreno's recruiting breakdown, which is loaded with football news from a busy week for the Wildcats:
Well you kind of have to hate those weeks when nothing is going on, right?
All kidding aside, Rich Rodriguez and his program have certainly had quite the run in the last seven days or so. The Wildcats have moved quickly to add commitments from eight prospects overall since the last War Room came out a week ago.
On the basketball side of things, another elite recruit trimmed his list down and the Wildcats were included. With so much to talk about, let's not wait any longer to get into all that happened with UA recruiting recently.
Football recruiting
Last Sunday, of course, marked the commitment of two-star athlete recruit Tommy Woodson from Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway. Since the 2013 recruit committed there has been a big run of commitments for the Wildcats on a number of recruits. However, the important thing for Rodriguez and his staff is that many of those verbal pledges came from prospects who will stick on the defensive side of the ball.
Not to be left out, though, was one quarterback recruit who the 'Cats have been waiting for a commitment from for a long time.
Heading into last week, the Wildcats had 11 commitments overall with most of those being prospects who will end up playing offense. When the week ended, however, the program added some much needed depth on the defensive side of the ball and it is inching closer to the 25-player scholarship limit for this class.
For a little bit better look at all the week's commitments, here's a recap of what occurred over the last seven days with Arizona football:
* The 'Cats have been looking to build the depth at linebacker since the start of the 2013 recruiting cycle. That problem became compounded when the Wildcats recently lost senior Brian Wagner.
However, Monday brought good news for defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel and the defensive unit as Santa Rosa (Calif.) Cardinal Newman linebacker Philip "Scooby" Wright became the Wildcats' first commit of the week.
"I wasn't getting a lot of offers, and Arizona was the first school to offer me," Wright said. "I felt like it was a school that they saw something in me that other schools didn't, so it just felt right. I was actually on my unofficial today and I just fell in love with the campus and the school."
The UA coaching staff had a lot to do with Wright's decision to commit Monday while he was on an unofficial visit.
"I got a great feel for the coaches," he said. "They all seemed like really great down to earth people. They are the kind of people you can have conversations with, and they didn't seem like they were higher than you or better than you."
The other aspect of UA that appealed to the linebacker prospect was the feeling he got around campus and around Tucson.
"Oh yeah, I'm really comfortable with it," he said. "Today really opened my eyes up, and really made me think, 'Wow, this is a great place.' The more time I spent on campus and the longer I was there, I just thought it was great."
* Even though Wright's commitment was first to become public, the Wildcats hosted another linebacker on an unofficial visit Monday and he too felt the timing was right to give the program his verbal pledge.
Buckeye (Ariz.) Buckeye Union linebacker DeAndre Miller had been one of the program's main targets at the position for some time now, and he decided that he didn't need to see any more and pulled the trigger on a commitment.
Miller is one of the top linebackers in the state, and one the staff at UA thought very highly of.
After taking a trip to Tucson last Monday, the decision was an easy one for the three-star recruit.
"I went on an unofficial visit today, and they just sold the school to me and I bought it," the talented prospect said. "They said I could play a few different positions at linebacker - all three of the spots - so I'm looking forward to helping them."
Playing time was a big part of the decision for Miller, and he hopes now that he has committed to UA he will have a chance to compete for playing time early in his career.
Another big part of Miller's choice was Rodriguez and the way he explained his staff's vision for the future of UA football.
"A big thing for me was coach Rodriguez, he basically sold it to me," the linebacker said. "He's a good coach. They sat me down and we watched the whole defensive scheme on film and saw how I could fit in and help them out and benefit them - and hopefully I can get something out of it too."
That was just Day 1 of what would turn out to be an eventful week for the Wildcats and Rodriguez's program.
* After the recent departure of 2012 signee Dylan Cozens to the Philadelphia Phillies and Major League Baseball, the Wildcats had to really improve their defensive end spot and a commitment from three-star recruit Calvin Allen would certainly help that out.
The 6-foot-5 prospect from Albuquerque (N.M.) La Cueva took a trip to Tucson recently and last Wednesday morning he decided the time was right to make the call to the staff and give them his verbal pledge.
"Me and my parents sat down last night and talked about everything," he said Wednesday morning. "And we just decided that it was the best decision for me, and probably shouldn't put it off any longer."
Much like Miller's commitment, the pledge from Allen shouldn't be taken lightly. The big defensive end will likely head into Tucson next summer as the No. 1-ranked player in the state of New Mexico and he has the potential to be a real impact player for the Wildcats.
Most importantly, he will fill a need left by Cozens and that is certainly something the 'Cats could use.
Having that chance to compete for early playing time has been big for many of the program's recent commits, and it was no different for Allen.
"I'm looking at early playing time a little bit," he said. "I have a chance to play early if I work hard, because they recently had one of their signees get drafted to the league for baseball. So they're down a player at my position, which gives me a chance to play out there."
Continuing with the theme of the week, Allen made his commitment fairly early on in the process. But he said the rush of commitments that the 'Cats had seen didn't have a big effect on his decision, although he did admit that seeing all the commitments put a little pressure on him to make his choice.
"It kind of put a little bit of pressure," he said. "But I always kind of thought that I was going to go there, so I didn't want to put it off any longer."
* After picking up commitments for the defensive side of the ball early in the week, it was time for a pledge on the offensive side of the ball. Even though the Wildcats picked up a commitment from Woodson - who has the ability to play quarterback - they were still looking to add another signal caller to go along with four-star recruit Anu Solomon.
Pasadena, Calif., dual-threat recruit Brandon Cox had been one of the first prospects to pick up an offer from the new staff and he took a visit to Tucson very early on in the process. He took a trip up to Oregon last week, looking for an offer from the Ducks, but after finishing up their camp he decided to give the 'Cats his pledge.
"Going into everything Arizona and Oregon were the two frontrunners," he said. "This past week I've been up in Oregon at their camp and I saw everything they had to offer to compare it to what I saw at Arizona. And Arizona had that home feel to it, and I didn't get that same feeling in Oregon.
"So that kind of just sealed the deal. So right now I'm sitting in the airport waiting to go back home to [Los Angeles] from Oregon and Arizona is the place for me."
Cox's pledge is one the Wildcats had been looking for for a long time, and he continued to delay his decision despite holding just the one offer for some time. He likely didn't pick up the Oregon offer and that made the decision that much easier to make.
The three-star quarterback, who was ranked as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com at one point, said that UA making an early entrance into his recruitment really helped the Wildcats overall in the process.
"They kind of showed the interest in my skills that maybe others didn't see early," Cox said. "So they saw early that I had the skills to do something early at their school. At first I liked them - especially with Rich Rodriguez going there - I always thought it could be the place for me.
"I didn't know how much of that was true, but now just to make it official it's crazy."
Now that the Wildcats have two very solid options at quarterback, it should be quite the battle heading into the 2013 season between Cox and Solomon.
* The day wasn't over for the 'Cats, however, as Thursday ended up being a big day for Rodriguez's program. Shortly after picking up the commitment from Cox, the 'Cats earned a pledge from another California linebacker.
Three-star prospect Ryan Dunn was excited to make his decision and end his recruitment when he gave the program his pledge. He told GOAZCATS.com that he felt it was just the right time to make the call.
"I talked to my parents about it a lot," he said. "I went down there over spring break and met the coaches, and I just felt really comfortable. I loved the campus and I loved the area it was in. And I decided that was the place I wanted to be, so I figured that out a couple days ago and called them up today and told them I was committing."
Although he wasn't being heavily recruited by other programs, the Wildcats liked what they saw in Dunn and he is a prospect who has the chance to make a real impact going forward. As was mentioned above, the program has a big-time need for linebackers and Dunn certainly has some potential.
"That's definitely a big part of my decision," Dunn said about early playing time. "As any football player, you want to play as many years as you can and as soon as you can. You don't want to go to a school and sit on the sidelines or do special teams for years. You want to get in the game and make a difference.
"So it was a big factor for me."
The coaching staff had a lot to do with Dunn's final decision, especially the coach he will be working with the most in Casteel.
"I'm actually really close with them, and I think they are great guys and I can't wait to get to know them better," he said. "I think coach Casteel has a lot of integrity, and I think he expects a lot out of his players. And I've always loved playing for coaches who expect a lot out of me because then I expect a lot out of myself and work hard to get to that point."
* Continuing the big day for the 'Cats was another prospect who had not hid the fact that UA was one of the schools he was looking at the most. After thinking about pulling the trigger on his recent unofficial visit, cornerback recruit Devin Holiday decided that he needed to make his commitment before losing his spot last week.
With the rush of commitments, the pressure played a part in his decision and the three-star prospect decided it was the right time to do what was likely going to happen down the line anyway.
The Wildcats had always been a team that stuck out to the talented prospect from San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills, and it always seemed that Tucson was going to be the place he ended up.
"Actually growing up it was my favorite school," he previously told GOAZCATS.com. "So that started it off, then getting the offer was surprising. And I really have a lot of interest in that school.
"I like the fact that it's close, and I know Shaq Richardson and he said he really likes it there. He's kind of like a mentor to me, so I like that."
His relationship with the coaching staff was a big part of his recruitment, and helped the decision become even easier.
"Very important, because they showed me once again when I was down there that they want me and why they're recruiting me so hard," he said about his relationship with the UA staff. "It's always good to have coaches like those who have a lot experience coaching. I know they've got 20-plus years, almost all of them, so that's definitely great.
"I can get some great coaching that will turn me into a better player, without a doubt."
* After a couple of days without a commitment the Wildcats once again picked things up Sunday afternoon. First up was Central Point (Ore.) Crater athlete prospect R.J. Morgan, who visited with a teammate late last week. After going home and thinking about his trip, the two-star recruit made the call.
"Well, for me, when they first offered me I started looking at the school online," he said. "I really liked how the school was set up, and then the new coaches. But what really made my choice was that coach Rodriguez knows what direction he's heading in, where they want to be and the steps they're taking to get there.
"And how the coaches acted with us, and they've all coached together before - that's what really got me. It just reminds of how our system is and how our coaches are."
Morgan is likely going to step into the spur position for UA, and it's a spot he feels comfortable with.
"I don't know what the exact name is," he said. "But they would have me in a safety spot but I would roll down to be a linebacker in some formations. That's a position that I feel I would do great at, because that's the position I play at my high school.
"I'm real comfortable doing all that stuff."
* Morgan made his unofficial visit with his Crater teammate Derrick Turituri, but the Wildcat commit said he's not going to pressure his friend into making a decision.
"He enjoyed it," Morgan said of his teammate. "He's already visited a couple colleges, and he said he liked this one the best out of all of them. He feels a little pressure since I'm going there, but I don't want to pressure him into a decision.
"Wherever he wants to go is fine with me, but if he wants to join me at Arizona then that would be fantastic."
* Shortly after Morgan made his decision, the Wildcats picked up yet another commitment from a defensive prospect when Westlake Village (Calif.) Westlake defensive lineman Tony Mekari gave the 'Cats his pledge.
The 6-foot-3 prospect liked what he saw on a recent unofficial visit, and he decided to jump on the offer he picked up from the Wildcats.
"We came in and visited the campus, and everything is really nice," he said. "And I know they're building new facilities, and I also like everything the academics can offer. What I liked a lot was the attitude and the motivation of the coaches to turn Arizona into something new - and I want to be a part of that."
* Rivals.com held the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge over the weekend and there were a couple pieces of news to come out of it concerning UA recruits.
The first bit of news had to deal with in-state offensive tackle Kenny Lacy, who cut his list down once again - this time to a final eight. The Wildcats were once again included in his list of finalists and it remains a program he's looking into. Although it seems like a long shot to some, Lacy's recruitment isn't an open-and-shut case.
The Wildcats have a decent chance with the four-star recruit, and he continues to show interest in the program.
Another interesting piece of news came from three-star athlete recruit Elijah Qualls from Petaluma (Calif.) Casa Grande. The big 2013 standout, who would likely play defensive tackle in Tucson, said he currently has a top two of Washington and USC. Qualls has been a UW lean for a long time, but he also has yet to make a decision.
One interesting thing he brought up over the weekend was his desire to see some campuses one more time before making his choice. One of those places was Tucson, as he really enjoyed his trip the first time around.
While eventually landing Qualls could be tough for UA, it's certainly a positive sign that the big defensive tackle wants to visit for a second time.
Lastly, UA commit Darius Allensworth is not hiding what his intentions are going forward in his recruitment. The three-star prospect spoke about his recruitment at the Rivals Challenge and, as he discussed with GOAZCATS.com a few weeks ago, USC is going to play a factor in his decision.
"I'm still solid (to Arizona) right now, but I'm picking up more offers, so we'll see," Allensworth said. "I'm going to USC this week and there's a possibility they could offer me.
"USC has been my favorite school for a long time and it's right down the street. My parents could watch me all the time. I have a Wisconsin offer, too. And back-to-back Rose Bowls, man."
I'm in the group that believes it will be tough for Allensworth to pull that coveted USC offer, but if he does then there is a very good chance he would immediately take the offer from the Trojans. So it will be interesting to see how things play out going forward.
Basketball recruiting
With so much going on for Rodriguez's program, head coach Sean Miller and the basketball program have had a little bit going on themselves.
One piece of news to come out this week was another Rivals150 forward included the Wildcats among his list of finalists. Four-star prospect Jarell Martin of Baton Rouge (La.) Madison trimmed his list down to 10 schools late last week and Miller's program was among the group.
Martin's high school coach Jeff Jones spoke with Rivals.com about his standout player's trimmed down list and what he liked about those 10 programs. The Wildcats' success on the recruiting trail recently had a lot to do with the 6-foot-9 recruit's decision to include them on his list.
"He sees probably the best recruiting class coming in next to anybody but UCLA or Kentucky," Jones said. "With the two forwards graduating next year, he has a chance to come in and play. He could maybe win a national title with who is already there."
Martin plans on cutting his list to five after the July evaluation period and taking his official visits after that. It will be interesting to see if the Wildcats remain in his group of finalists in the future.
* Over the weekend, 2014 big man Payton Dastrup publicly said that UA and Virginia were the two favorites for his services at this point in the process. The Mesa (Ariz.) Mountain Point prospect recently took a trip to UA and he came away with a coveted offer from the 'Cats.
His father, David, told GOAZCATS.com after the visit that an offer from the Wildcats is something that will not easily be dismissed and that will likely continue to be the case going forward.
But on the football field, the second half of the 2012 class arrived in Tucson, which includes the likes of Dakota Conwell and William Parks. However, like head coach Rich Rodriguez told GOAZCATS.com early last week[/B], the team is still waiting on the final transcripts and test scores from Wayne Capers and Keoni Bush-Loo.
For more from Rodriguez, in case you missed it, find out what he had to say about plans are for fall camp and Fort Huachuca.
On the basketball court, Arizona has updated its roster for the 2012-13 season. Some notable items:
-Robert Arvizu, a sophomore walk-on, is no longer on the team. Instead, the Wildcats now have freshman walk-on Jacob Hazzard, a 5-10 guard from Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola.
-For those wondering what numbers the new players will wear next season: Gabe York will wear No. 1, Mark Lyons will wear No. 2, Brandon Ashley will wear No. 21, Grant Jerrett will wear No. 33 and Kaleb Tarczewski will wear No. 35. Although they will not suit up aside from the practice court, T.J. McConnell will wear No. 4 and Matt Korcheck will wear No. 31.
Baseball
Arizona took a 1-0 lead over two-time defending national champion South Carolina Sunday in the best-of-three College World Series Championship at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. Staff writer Matt Lundgren's recap Associated Press photo gallery from Game 1.
Plus, here's a closer look at Konner Wade's star and how the Wildcats avoided a disastrous start to what was an otherwise tailor-made opener going into the series.
* Game 1: By the numbers
5
All five of Arizona's runs were produced with two outs, continuing the trend for a Wildcats lineup that has come up with timely hitting all postseason.
It also proved to be the most runs allowed by South Carolina in 11 games this postseason.
10+
Arizona has now recorded double-digit hits in eight of nine postseason games.
13
The number of first-inning runs Arizona has now produced at the College World Series after Robert Refsnyder's two-run home run in the opening frame. Opponents, meanwhile, have scored just three runs in the first inning.
15
The number of consecutive games Johnny Field has now hit safely.
16
The number of games Arizona has won this season when hitting at least one home run. The Wildcats have lost just three games when doing so.
20
The number of innings Arizona has recorded more than one run this postseason.
31
The number of consecutive innings Konner Wade threw this postseason without allowing a free pass before walking Christian Walker in the sixth inning.
38
The number of consecutive games Refsnyder has reached base safely.
47
The number of victories the Wildcats have posted this season, tying the 1985 College World Series team for fourth on Arizona's single-season charts.
749
The number of hits Arizona has now produced this season, passing Stony Brook (743) for the Division I lead.
* Wildcats now have options
Baseball can be the ultimate game of chess. Despite winning Game 1, the move belongs to UA head coach Andy Lopez.
The Wildcats can roll the dice and decide that starting staff ace Kurt Heyer on four days' rest is the right move with a national championship at stake. After all, South Carolina will counter with Michael Roth, who owns a career 8-0 postseason record including a 4-0 mark in Omaha over the past two years.
If Lopez starts Heyer, then the thinking would be that the two pitchers would cancel one another out and the difference would be an Arizona lineup that is now hitting .367 this postseason.
Like catcher Riley Moore said the last time Lopez had to decide between Heyer or No. 3 starter James Farris: "When you get in a tournament like this, you've got to win every single game. You can't say, 'Well, if we won then we could save ' Nah. Every game matters, every game counts. It's the right move."
That was going into Arizona's meeting with Florida State with the right to play in the championship series at stake for the 'Cats. As a reminder, Farris has not pitched since June 3, when the Wildcats toppled Louisville, 16-3, to advance to the Super Regionals. That was 22 days ago.
Other possibility is quite scary. It's one thing for Heyer to pitch on short rest - but to do so against Roth, who is 9-1 with a 2.49 ERA this year, and a Gamecocks team that has repeatedly responded when facing elimination, may not be worth the gamble. You never want to let the thought of losing creep into your mind, but imagine for a second that Roth is on top of his game and South Carolina forces a Game 3.
With a national championship on the line in what would be the winner-take-all rubber match Tuesday, the Wildcats would be without Heyer and Wade, who obviously will not be available after already throwing in Game 1. Sure, the bullpen - albeit all two pitchers used by Lopez during this entire run - has come through when called upon lately, but Tyler Crawford and Mathew Troupe are still freshmen relievers and there is very little margin for error behind them.
Farris would be asked to shake off any possible rust and go deep into the game, if not the distance. That's almost like asking a basketball player who's been warming the bench all night to knock down two free throws with the game on the line.
Ultimately, Lopez has rarely pushed the wrong button this postseason, and handing the ball to his best pitcher in Game 2 is far from the worst idea in the world. But conventional wisdom says to play the percentages, making South Carolina force another game just to get to a more-well-rested Heyer, if needed.
And if the opportunity presents itself, maybe Lopez will decide to use Heyer as a reliever if the program's fourth national championship becomes more of a reality late in Game 2. Who knows?
Either way, it's gotta be nice to have options, right?
* And now, here's Matt Moreno's recruiting breakdown, which is loaded with football news from a busy week for the Wildcats:
Well you kind of have to hate those weeks when nothing is going on, right?
All kidding aside, Rich Rodriguez and his program have certainly had quite the run in the last seven days or so. The Wildcats have moved quickly to add commitments from eight prospects overall since the last War Room came out a week ago.
On the basketball side of things, another elite recruit trimmed his list down and the Wildcats were included. With so much to talk about, let's not wait any longer to get into all that happened with UA recruiting recently.
Football recruiting
Last Sunday, of course, marked the commitment of two-star athlete recruit Tommy Woodson from Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway. Since the 2013 recruit committed there has been a big run of commitments for the Wildcats on a number of recruits. However, the important thing for Rodriguez and his staff is that many of those verbal pledges came from prospects who will stick on the defensive side of the ball.
Not to be left out, though, was one quarterback recruit who the 'Cats have been waiting for a commitment from for a long time.
Heading into last week, the Wildcats had 11 commitments overall with most of those being prospects who will end up playing offense. When the week ended, however, the program added some much needed depth on the defensive side of the ball and it is inching closer to the 25-player scholarship limit for this class.
For a little bit better look at all the week's commitments, here's a recap of what occurred over the last seven days with Arizona football:
* The 'Cats have been looking to build the depth at linebacker since the start of the 2013 recruiting cycle. That problem became compounded when the Wildcats recently lost senior Brian Wagner.
However, Monday brought good news for defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel and the defensive unit as Santa Rosa (Calif.) Cardinal Newman linebacker Philip "Scooby" Wright became the Wildcats' first commit of the week.
"I wasn't getting a lot of offers, and Arizona was the first school to offer me," Wright said. "I felt like it was a school that they saw something in me that other schools didn't, so it just felt right. I was actually on my unofficial today and I just fell in love with the campus and the school."
The UA coaching staff had a lot to do with Wright's decision to commit Monday while he was on an unofficial visit.
"I got a great feel for the coaches," he said. "They all seemed like really great down to earth people. They are the kind of people you can have conversations with, and they didn't seem like they were higher than you or better than you."
The other aspect of UA that appealed to the linebacker prospect was the feeling he got around campus and around Tucson.
"Oh yeah, I'm really comfortable with it," he said. "Today really opened my eyes up, and really made me think, 'Wow, this is a great place.' The more time I spent on campus and the longer I was there, I just thought it was great."
* Even though Wright's commitment was first to become public, the Wildcats hosted another linebacker on an unofficial visit Monday and he too felt the timing was right to give the program his verbal pledge.
Buckeye (Ariz.) Buckeye Union linebacker DeAndre Miller had been one of the program's main targets at the position for some time now, and he decided that he didn't need to see any more and pulled the trigger on a commitment.
Miller is one of the top linebackers in the state, and one the staff at UA thought very highly of.
After taking a trip to Tucson last Monday, the decision was an easy one for the three-star recruit.
"I went on an unofficial visit today, and they just sold the school to me and I bought it," the talented prospect said. "They said I could play a few different positions at linebacker - all three of the spots - so I'm looking forward to helping them."
Playing time was a big part of the decision for Miller, and he hopes now that he has committed to UA he will have a chance to compete for playing time early in his career.
Another big part of Miller's choice was Rodriguez and the way he explained his staff's vision for the future of UA football.
"A big thing for me was coach Rodriguez, he basically sold it to me," the linebacker said. "He's a good coach. They sat me down and we watched the whole defensive scheme on film and saw how I could fit in and help them out and benefit them - and hopefully I can get something out of it too."
That was just Day 1 of what would turn out to be an eventful week for the Wildcats and Rodriguez's program.
* After the recent departure of 2012 signee Dylan Cozens to the Philadelphia Phillies and Major League Baseball, the Wildcats had to really improve their defensive end spot and a commitment from three-star recruit Calvin Allen would certainly help that out.
The 6-foot-5 prospect from Albuquerque (N.M.) La Cueva took a trip to Tucson recently and last Wednesday morning he decided the time was right to make the call to the staff and give them his verbal pledge.
"Me and my parents sat down last night and talked about everything," he said Wednesday morning. "And we just decided that it was the best decision for me, and probably shouldn't put it off any longer."
Much like Miller's commitment, the pledge from Allen shouldn't be taken lightly. The big defensive end will likely head into Tucson next summer as the No. 1-ranked player in the state of New Mexico and he has the potential to be a real impact player for the Wildcats.
Most importantly, he will fill a need left by Cozens and that is certainly something the 'Cats could use.
Having that chance to compete for early playing time has been big for many of the program's recent commits, and it was no different for Allen.
"I'm looking at early playing time a little bit," he said. "I have a chance to play early if I work hard, because they recently had one of their signees get drafted to the league for baseball. So they're down a player at my position, which gives me a chance to play out there."
Continuing with the theme of the week, Allen made his commitment fairly early on in the process. But he said the rush of commitments that the 'Cats had seen didn't have a big effect on his decision, although he did admit that seeing all the commitments put a little pressure on him to make his choice.
"It kind of put a little bit of pressure," he said. "But I always kind of thought that I was going to go there, so I didn't want to put it off any longer."
* After picking up commitments for the defensive side of the ball early in the week, it was time for a pledge on the offensive side of the ball. Even though the Wildcats picked up a commitment from Woodson - who has the ability to play quarterback - they were still looking to add another signal caller to go along with four-star recruit Anu Solomon.
Pasadena, Calif., dual-threat recruit Brandon Cox had been one of the first prospects to pick up an offer from the new staff and he took a visit to Tucson very early on in the process. He took a trip up to Oregon last week, looking for an offer from the Ducks, but after finishing up their camp he decided to give the 'Cats his pledge.
"Going into everything Arizona and Oregon were the two frontrunners," he said. "This past week I've been up in Oregon at their camp and I saw everything they had to offer to compare it to what I saw at Arizona. And Arizona had that home feel to it, and I didn't get that same feeling in Oregon.
"So that kind of just sealed the deal. So right now I'm sitting in the airport waiting to go back home to [Los Angeles] from Oregon and Arizona is the place for me."
Cox's pledge is one the Wildcats had been looking for for a long time, and he continued to delay his decision despite holding just the one offer for some time. He likely didn't pick up the Oregon offer and that made the decision that much easier to make.
The three-star quarterback, who was ranked as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com at one point, said that UA making an early entrance into his recruitment really helped the Wildcats overall in the process.
"They kind of showed the interest in my skills that maybe others didn't see early," Cox said. "So they saw early that I had the skills to do something early at their school. At first I liked them - especially with Rich Rodriguez going there - I always thought it could be the place for me.
"I didn't know how much of that was true, but now just to make it official it's crazy."
Now that the Wildcats have two very solid options at quarterback, it should be quite the battle heading into the 2013 season between Cox and Solomon.
* The day wasn't over for the 'Cats, however, as Thursday ended up being a big day for Rodriguez's program. Shortly after picking up the commitment from Cox, the 'Cats earned a pledge from another California linebacker.
Three-star prospect Ryan Dunn was excited to make his decision and end his recruitment when he gave the program his pledge. He told GOAZCATS.com that he felt it was just the right time to make the call.
"I talked to my parents about it a lot," he said. "I went down there over spring break and met the coaches, and I just felt really comfortable. I loved the campus and I loved the area it was in. And I decided that was the place I wanted to be, so I figured that out a couple days ago and called them up today and told them I was committing."
Although he wasn't being heavily recruited by other programs, the Wildcats liked what they saw in Dunn and he is a prospect who has the chance to make a real impact going forward. As was mentioned above, the program has a big-time need for linebackers and Dunn certainly has some potential.
"That's definitely a big part of my decision," Dunn said about early playing time. "As any football player, you want to play as many years as you can and as soon as you can. You don't want to go to a school and sit on the sidelines or do special teams for years. You want to get in the game and make a difference.
"So it was a big factor for me."
The coaching staff had a lot to do with Dunn's final decision, especially the coach he will be working with the most in Casteel.
"I'm actually really close with them, and I think they are great guys and I can't wait to get to know them better," he said. "I think coach Casteel has a lot of integrity, and I think he expects a lot out of his players. And I've always loved playing for coaches who expect a lot out of me because then I expect a lot out of myself and work hard to get to that point."
* Continuing the big day for the 'Cats was another prospect who had not hid the fact that UA was one of the schools he was looking at the most. After thinking about pulling the trigger on his recent unofficial visit, cornerback recruit Devin Holiday decided that he needed to make his commitment before losing his spot last week.
With the rush of commitments, the pressure played a part in his decision and the three-star prospect decided it was the right time to do what was likely going to happen down the line anyway.
The Wildcats had always been a team that stuck out to the talented prospect from San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills, and it always seemed that Tucson was going to be the place he ended up.
"Actually growing up it was my favorite school," he previously told GOAZCATS.com. "So that started it off, then getting the offer was surprising. And I really have a lot of interest in that school.
"I like the fact that it's close, and I know Shaq Richardson and he said he really likes it there. He's kind of like a mentor to me, so I like that."
His relationship with the coaching staff was a big part of his recruitment, and helped the decision become even easier.
"Very important, because they showed me once again when I was down there that they want me and why they're recruiting me so hard," he said about his relationship with the UA staff. "It's always good to have coaches like those who have a lot experience coaching. I know they've got 20-plus years, almost all of them, so that's definitely great.
"I can get some great coaching that will turn me into a better player, without a doubt."
* After a couple of days without a commitment the Wildcats once again picked things up Sunday afternoon. First up was Central Point (Ore.) Crater athlete prospect R.J. Morgan, who visited with a teammate late last week. After going home and thinking about his trip, the two-star recruit made the call.
"Well, for me, when they first offered me I started looking at the school online," he said. "I really liked how the school was set up, and then the new coaches. But what really made my choice was that coach Rodriguez knows what direction he's heading in, where they want to be and the steps they're taking to get there.
"And how the coaches acted with us, and they've all coached together before - that's what really got me. It just reminds of how our system is and how our coaches are."
Morgan is likely going to step into the spur position for UA, and it's a spot he feels comfortable with.
"I don't know what the exact name is," he said. "But they would have me in a safety spot but I would roll down to be a linebacker in some formations. That's a position that I feel I would do great at, because that's the position I play at my high school.
"I'm real comfortable doing all that stuff."
* Morgan made his unofficial visit with his Crater teammate Derrick Turituri, but the Wildcat commit said he's not going to pressure his friend into making a decision.
"He enjoyed it," Morgan said of his teammate. "He's already visited a couple colleges, and he said he liked this one the best out of all of them. He feels a little pressure since I'm going there, but I don't want to pressure him into a decision.
"Wherever he wants to go is fine with me, but if he wants to join me at Arizona then that would be fantastic."
* Shortly after Morgan made his decision, the Wildcats picked up yet another commitment from a defensive prospect when Westlake Village (Calif.) Westlake defensive lineman Tony Mekari gave the 'Cats his pledge.
The 6-foot-3 prospect liked what he saw on a recent unofficial visit, and he decided to jump on the offer he picked up from the Wildcats.
"We came in and visited the campus, and everything is really nice," he said. "And I know they're building new facilities, and I also like everything the academics can offer. What I liked a lot was the attitude and the motivation of the coaches to turn Arizona into something new - and I want to be a part of that."
* Rivals.com held the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge over the weekend and there were a couple pieces of news to come out of it concerning UA recruits.
The first bit of news had to deal with in-state offensive tackle Kenny Lacy, who cut his list down once again - this time to a final eight. The Wildcats were once again included in his list of finalists and it remains a program he's looking into. Although it seems like a long shot to some, Lacy's recruitment isn't an open-and-shut case.
The Wildcats have a decent chance with the four-star recruit, and he continues to show interest in the program.
Another interesting piece of news came from three-star athlete recruit Elijah Qualls from Petaluma (Calif.) Casa Grande. The big 2013 standout, who would likely play defensive tackle in Tucson, said he currently has a top two of Washington and USC. Qualls has been a UW lean for a long time, but he also has yet to make a decision.
One interesting thing he brought up over the weekend was his desire to see some campuses one more time before making his choice. One of those places was Tucson, as he really enjoyed his trip the first time around.
While eventually landing Qualls could be tough for UA, it's certainly a positive sign that the big defensive tackle wants to visit for a second time.
Lastly, UA commit Darius Allensworth is not hiding what his intentions are going forward in his recruitment. The three-star prospect spoke about his recruitment at the Rivals Challenge and, as he discussed with GOAZCATS.com a few weeks ago, USC is going to play a factor in his decision.
"I'm still solid (to Arizona) right now, but I'm picking up more offers, so we'll see," Allensworth said. "I'm going to USC this week and there's a possibility they could offer me.
"USC has been my favorite school for a long time and it's right down the street. My parents could watch me all the time. I have a Wisconsin offer, too. And back-to-back Rose Bowls, man."
I'm in the group that believes it will be tough for Allensworth to pull that coveted USC offer, but if he does then there is a very good chance he would immediately take the offer from the Trojans. So it will be interesting to see how things play out going forward.
Basketball recruiting
With so much going on for Rodriguez's program, head coach Sean Miller and the basketball program have had a little bit going on themselves.
One piece of news to come out this week was another Rivals150 forward included the Wildcats among his list of finalists. Four-star prospect Jarell Martin of Baton Rouge (La.) Madison trimmed his list down to 10 schools late last week and Miller's program was among the group.
Martin's high school coach Jeff Jones spoke with Rivals.com about his standout player's trimmed down list and what he liked about those 10 programs. The Wildcats' success on the recruiting trail recently had a lot to do with the 6-foot-9 recruit's decision to include them on his list.
"He sees probably the best recruiting class coming in next to anybody but UCLA or Kentucky," Jones said. "With the two forwards graduating next year, he has a chance to come in and play. He could maybe win a national title with who is already there."
Martin plans on cutting his list to five after the July evaluation period and taking his official visits after that. It will be interesting to see if the Wildcats remain in his group of finalists in the future.
* Over the weekend, 2014 big man Payton Dastrup publicly said that UA and Virginia were the two favorites for his services at this point in the process. The Mesa (Ariz.) Mountain Point prospect recently took a trip to UA and he came away with a coveted offer from the 'Cats.
His father, David, told GOAZCATS.com after the visit that an offer from the Wildcats is something that will not easily be dismissed and that will likely continue to be the case going forward.
