It is of course an interesting week the Fourth of July holiday coming up on Tuesday, but there the college sports calendar doesn’t take a break and that’s why we’re bringing you another edition of the War Room again this week. As always there is plenty going on with Arizona so lets jump right into things.
Football
It is a bit of a down time for Arizona’s football team right now with players getting some time off to enjoy the holiday. Some players are staying on campus while others have decided to head home for a bit. It is also a recruiting break for UA’s coaching staff as it is a dead period and that means time for a recharge before camp gets going later this month. UA will get back together later this week for continued summer workouts.
* As we get closer to that point and to the start of August camp we continue our look at the incoming class and what to expect from them as they begin their careers with UA now that the new players are starting to arrive. We’re getting close to the end of this more in-depth look and we bring five more newcomers today.
- Drew Dixon: The Sabino standout do-everything man doesn’t have to make a long move over to UA for his college career. Dixon is the epitome of an athlete recruit with several different positions under his belt over the course of his high school career. He is expected to come in as a wide receiver but he could still see some time at quarterback at times. The immediate need is for him at the receiver, position, however and although he is more natural at other spots and comfortable at other positions he does have a knack for making plays as a receiver. Dixon has a chance to play right away at the position because of his size. Arizona needs more size on the outside for the future and – if he has a strong enough camp – right now. Dixon comes in with a lot of upside and he will be one to track as camp approaches.
- Troy Young: Arizona is set at safety, but Young is someone who we could envision playing himself into some immediate playing time. He does have the background of playing on offense and was successful there, but the Wildcats like his natural ability on the other side of the ball. Young has good instincts and is a big hitter and even though there are others ahead of him on the depth chart it has been no secret that the Wildcats are pushing their new players to create more competition.
- Tony Wallace: UA is not as bad off as it would seem at the cornerback spot, but it still needs an upgrade moving forward. If not for academics Wallace would have had some big time options, but schools were scared off a bit because his lack of work in the classroom cost him time on the field as a sophomore and junior. Eventually he figured it out enough to get some big offers before sticking with his original Arizona pledge. The freshman cornerback is someone who could play himself into some time as things behind Arizona’s projected starters are still a little bit murky. Learning the system will always be key, but when it comes to talent Wallace certainly has a lot of it to go along with potential.
- Gary Brightwell: Arizona has an impressive running back group already on campus and Brightwell is one of the last pieces to that group. The East Coast-based standout was not part of the unit for spring ball, but now that he’s able to be in Tucson he will help round out the Wildcats’ best unit. Because there are so many options there right now it wouldn’t be a shock to see the coaching staff ultimately hold off on using him this season and instated give him a redshirt season to improve and learn the system. He is someone the Wildcats are excited about utilizing in the running game as well as the passing game.
- Maisen Knight: Arizona’s newest member of the 2017 class just recently came on board and won’t get out to Tucson until later this week, but he is someone who could eventually play himself into the rotation with a good showing over these next several weeks. The junior college transfer was a late add just recently when Arizona realized it needed some more depth and help with its offensive line group. Jim Michalczik and the offensive staff do not like to play young linemen right away if they don’t have to so the expectation is that Knight ultimately will use the redshirt season he has available to him, but his chances of getting on the field early in his career are certainly high especially beyond this season.
Football recruiting
It was a particularly good week for Arizona on the recruiting trail when you compare it to how things went in the week before that and how things have gone at times recently. UA added a pair of commitments in the last week and were able to add some depth at positions the staff likes to be deep at. It is an interesting time with commits across the board seemingly taking place more frequently than in past years. A number of UA targets have made their choices, but that doesn’t mean things are over yet - as the Wildcats know. Still, for the ‘Cats the recruiting cycle has played out a bit differently than it has in other years under Rich Rodriguez with the commitments coming a bit slower than normal.
We’ll see if it starts to pick up again as the summer rolls on, but UA is being a bit more cautious to fill up right now.
* Continuing on from the post above on Maisen Knight, his commitment came together quickly at the end but it was a process. The Utah native who played his first college season at Ventura College in California last year was searching for some different options but because he left open the possibility of making the move to a four-year school a year ahead of time he wanted to make that known to programs. However, every other Pac-12 school involved didn’t have room for Knight right now and the three-star offensive lineman had a goal of playing in the Pac-12. He let that be known to UA linebackers coach Scott Boone back in the spring when UA first started to make contact and offensive line coach Jim Michalczik continued to tell Knight there would be some room so to sit tight. When Arizona finally had room in the class it moved quickly from that point.
The coaching staff had him out for a visit and just a few days after that he decided the time was right to make his decision and pick the Wildcats. Now he will be on campus this Friday to begin the next stage in his career and help Arizona’s offensive line depth.
It was a connection between the coaching staff at Ventura College and Michalczik that cemented things and made it a positive late addition for the Wildcats.
“In making my decision I want back and talked with my knowledgable O-line coach and my head coach,” Knight said about how that impacted his decision. “So they knew that this was the right fit for me. Coach Moose (Steve Mooshagian) our head coach at Ventura College and coach Michalczik have been great, longtime friends and they’ve known each other. That kind of put another guarantee and trust in coach Michalczik because coach Moose is a great guy also.”
Not all junior college experiences are good ones and it can be a bit of a crapshoot when it comes to success after making that stop, but Knight is happy he went the route he did and believes it has help to set him up for success with the Wildcats and his next stop.
“I definitely lucked out going to Ventura College,” he said. “It’s one of the top JCs in the nation and they know what they’re doing. They send out guys. I think I was the 20th D1 guy to come out of Ventura out of this class alone and that’s a crazy number. It was a rough transition leaving out of Utah to go to California. Having eight guys bunked up in a two-bedroom apartment that was a little bit rough, but it definitely helped me grow as a person.
“I became mentally tougher and I’m definitely more humble and more hungry as I come to Arizona know.”
Where Arizona is going to need the help most in the coming seasons is at the tackle position and that is where Knight projects right now as he heads into his next stop and new team.
“Yeah, coach Michalczik has recruited me as a tackle,” he said. “I told him that I could play anywhere – right, left, either side. I played right guard and right tackle at Ventura College so I’m comfortable anywhere on the line.”
Football
It is a bit of a down time for Arizona’s football team right now with players getting some time off to enjoy the holiday. Some players are staying on campus while others have decided to head home for a bit. It is also a recruiting break for UA’s coaching staff as it is a dead period and that means time for a recharge before camp gets going later this month. UA will get back together later this week for continued summer workouts.
* As we get closer to that point and to the start of August camp we continue our look at the incoming class and what to expect from them as they begin their careers with UA now that the new players are starting to arrive. We’re getting close to the end of this more in-depth look and we bring five more newcomers today.
- Drew Dixon: The Sabino standout do-everything man doesn’t have to make a long move over to UA for his college career. Dixon is the epitome of an athlete recruit with several different positions under his belt over the course of his high school career. He is expected to come in as a wide receiver but he could still see some time at quarterback at times. The immediate need is for him at the receiver, position, however and although he is more natural at other spots and comfortable at other positions he does have a knack for making plays as a receiver. Dixon has a chance to play right away at the position because of his size. Arizona needs more size on the outside for the future and – if he has a strong enough camp – right now. Dixon comes in with a lot of upside and he will be one to track as camp approaches.
- Troy Young: Arizona is set at safety, but Young is someone who we could envision playing himself into some immediate playing time. He does have the background of playing on offense and was successful there, but the Wildcats like his natural ability on the other side of the ball. Young has good instincts and is a big hitter and even though there are others ahead of him on the depth chart it has been no secret that the Wildcats are pushing their new players to create more competition.
- Tony Wallace: UA is not as bad off as it would seem at the cornerback spot, but it still needs an upgrade moving forward. If not for academics Wallace would have had some big time options, but schools were scared off a bit because his lack of work in the classroom cost him time on the field as a sophomore and junior. Eventually he figured it out enough to get some big offers before sticking with his original Arizona pledge. The freshman cornerback is someone who could play himself into some time as things behind Arizona’s projected starters are still a little bit murky. Learning the system will always be key, but when it comes to talent Wallace certainly has a lot of it to go along with potential.
- Gary Brightwell: Arizona has an impressive running back group already on campus and Brightwell is one of the last pieces to that group. The East Coast-based standout was not part of the unit for spring ball, but now that he’s able to be in Tucson he will help round out the Wildcats’ best unit. Because there are so many options there right now it wouldn’t be a shock to see the coaching staff ultimately hold off on using him this season and instated give him a redshirt season to improve and learn the system. He is someone the Wildcats are excited about utilizing in the running game as well as the passing game.
- Maisen Knight: Arizona’s newest member of the 2017 class just recently came on board and won’t get out to Tucson until later this week, but he is someone who could eventually play himself into the rotation with a good showing over these next several weeks. The junior college transfer was a late add just recently when Arizona realized it needed some more depth and help with its offensive line group. Jim Michalczik and the offensive staff do not like to play young linemen right away if they don’t have to so the expectation is that Knight ultimately will use the redshirt season he has available to him, but his chances of getting on the field early in his career are certainly high especially beyond this season.
Football recruiting
It was a particularly good week for Arizona on the recruiting trail when you compare it to how things went in the week before that and how things have gone at times recently. UA added a pair of commitments in the last week and were able to add some depth at positions the staff likes to be deep at. It is an interesting time with commits across the board seemingly taking place more frequently than in past years. A number of UA targets have made their choices, but that doesn’t mean things are over yet - as the Wildcats know. Still, for the ‘Cats the recruiting cycle has played out a bit differently than it has in other years under Rich Rodriguez with the commitments coming a bit slower than normal.
We’ll see if it starts to pick up again as the summer rolls on, but UA is being a bit more cautious to fill up right now.
* Continuing on from the post above on Maisen Knight, his commitment came together quickly at the end but it was a process. The Utah native who played his first college season at Ventura College in California last year was searching for some different options but because he left open the possibility of making the move to a four-year school a year ahead of time he wanted to make that known to programs. However, every other Pac-12 school involved didn’t have room for Knight right now and the three-star offensive lineman had a goal of playing in the Pac-12. He let that be known to UA linebackers coach Scott Boone back in the spring when UA first started to make contact and offensive line coach Jim Michalczik continued to tell Knight there would be some room so to sit tight. When Arizona finally had room in the class it moved quickly from that point.
The coaching staff had him out for a visit and just a few days after that he decided the time was right to make his decision and pick the Wildcats. Now he will be on campus this Friday to begin the next stage in his career and help Arizona’s offensive line depth.
It was a connection between the coaching staff at Ventura College and Michalczik that cemented things and made it a positive late addition for the Wildcats.
“In making my decision I want back and talked with my knowledgable O-line coach and my head coach,” Knight said about how that impacted his decision. “So they knew that this was the right fit for me. Coach Moose (Steve Mooshagian) our head coach at Ventura College and coach Michalczik have been great, longtime friends and they’ve known each other. That kind of put another guarantee and trust in coach Michalczik because coach Moose is a great guy also.”
Not all junior college experiences are good ones and it can be a bit of a crapshoot when it comes to success after making that stop, but Knight is happy he went the route he did and believes it has help to set him up for success with the Wildcats and his next stop.
“I definitely lucked out going to Ventura College,” he said. “It’s one of the top JCs in the nation and they know what they’re doing. They send out guys. I think I was the 20th D1 guy to come out of Ventura out of this class alone and that’s a crazy number. It was a rough transition leaving out of Utah to go to California. Having eight guys bunked up in a two-bedroom apartment that was a little bit rough, but it definitely helped me grow as a person.
“I became mentally tougher and I’m definitely more humble and more hungry as I come to Arizona know.”
Where Arizona is going to need the help most in the coming seasons is at the tackle position and that is where Knight projects right now as he heads into his next stop and new team.
“Yeah, coach Michalczik has recruited me as a tackle,” he said. “I told him that I could play anywhere – right, left, either side. I played right guard and right tackle at Ventura College so I’m comfortable anywhere on the line.”
