Here's some of the key points from the press conference.

Arizona on the list:

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Two-way 2023 athlete Nicholas Fernandez just announced his commitment to Arizona at a ceremony at his school a few minutes ago. He is the 19th commitment for the Wildcats in the class. He plays on both sides of his ball and has just as much promise as a tight end as he does a defensive player, but the Wildcats like him as an edge rusher. He'll begin there but the eventual plan is to move him inside over time.

He's helped his team secure a 10-0 record this season.

Boise State and Colorado State were the other two schools most in the mix. USC expressed some interest for a bit but it never turned into much beyond that. Still, he's a solid recruit with some untapped potential. He has a chance to become a really good player once he focuses on one position.

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The Wildcats have a number of players who will be or have faced their former team this year. This week against UCLA, it will be safety DJ Warnell as well as coaches Jedd Fisch, Johnny Nansen and Jason Kaufusi who previously coached for the Bruins.

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Tomorrow is the start of the early signing period for basketball, and for Arizona there are not expected to be any additions made as it stands right now. KJ Lewis is planning to sign his NLI with the Wildcats, and there's no concerns there. Meanwhile, Cody Williams is set to announce his decision at 9 a.m. but all signs point to either LSU or Colorado landing the in-state wing from Perry High School. My money is on the Buffaloes right now, but he has kept things close the vest.

Arizona is likely to get a hat on the table at the ceremony but is not involved as of this point.

Here's what Jedd Fisch had to say during his Thursday press conference:

The Arizona softball team announced the 2023 signing class on Wednesday that consists of five players, specifically three pitchers, one utility player and one outfielder.

Ryan Maddox is a pitcher who attended Clovis North high school in Fresno, California. According to Extra Inning Softball, she was the No. 6 ranked recruit in the country. Maddox was a two-time Tri-River Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Fresno Bee Softball Player of the Year. She also played under Arizona softball alum Toni Mascarenas with the OC Batbusters Stith.

“I chose the University of Arizona because the people and environment made it feel like home," Maddox said. "The coaches and players were very welcoming when visiting. I also want to play for a winning and competitive program.”

Brooke Mannon is a pitcher who attended West Jefferson high school in West Jefferson, Ohio. She was the No. 17 ranked recruit in the country according to Extra Inning Softball. She is a Two-time first-team All-Conference.

“I chose Arizona because I want to play softball at the highest level possible, on the most competitive team," Mannon said. "I love the atmosphere that the team and coaches have created. The University of Arizona also offers great academics and a nationally ranked business program.”

Regan Shockey is a utility player who attended Chino Hills high school in Chino Hills, California. She was the No. 18 ranked recruit in the country by Extra Inning Softball. She won the Alliance National Championship with the OC Batbusters Stith alongside fellow signee Ryan Maddox under Arizona softball alum Toni Mascarenas.

“Regan is a true triple-threat," head coach Caitlin Low said. "She has great hands and barrel control and is a spark plug at the top of the lineup. She can do a lot of different things defensively as a true outfielder, but she can hold it down in the infield, as well.”

Aissa Silva is a pitcher who attended Mountain View high school in Tucson, Arizona. She was the No. 6 ranked recruit in the country by Extra Inning Softball. She was a 2022 Extra Inning Softball All-American, NorCal Pitcher of the Year and Sac Bee Player of the Year.

“Arizona is my home, and I grew up going to the Arizona Softball games, so it has always been my dream to go to the U of A since I was young," Silva said. "I love the dedicated fans and the environment is beyond amazing.”

Zaedi Tagalog is an outfielder who attended Canyon del Oro high school in Tucson, Arizona. She was the 2022 Canyon del Oro high school batting champion and runner-up with her team in the 4A State Championship.

“Zaedi is a Tucson standout," Lowe said. "She is a very tough out and provides a lot of speed on the bases, as well as hitting for average. She has a very good arm and range in the outfield.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome this 2023 class to the Wildcat Family,” Lowe said. “We’ve added three top competitors in the circle and all three can pack a punch at the plate, as well. In addition, we’ve added some offensive threats at the plate and speed on the bases. We can’t wait to watch them continue to develop and see them make their own mark on this program!”

Arizona baseball manager Chip Hale announced the 2023 signing class on Wednesday that consists of 13 players, featuring eight pitchers and five position players as well as three players from community colleges.

Easton Breyfogle is an outfielder who went to Benilde-St. Margaret's high school in Edina, Minnesota. He was the No. 3 overall ranked prospect and No. 1 outfielder in Minnesota according to Perfect Game.

Andrew Cain is an infielder who went to Ironwood Ridge high school in Oro Valley, Arizona. He was the No. 3 ranked third baseman according to Perfect Game. Cain hit .536 with 15 doubles, two home runs and two triples during his junior season.

Alessandro Castro is a pitcher who joins Arizona from Pima Community College. He was ranked as the No. 5 left-handed pitcher by Perfect Game in the 2022 class. He posted a 1.74 ERA with 242 strikeouts across 31 starts during his high school career. Castro is expected to play the 2023 season with Pima before joining Arizona.

Cole Dillon is a catcher who attended McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. He hit .273 across 35 games during his freshman season after attending Rockwall high school in Texas.

Raul Garayzar is a pitcher who joins Arizona from South Mountain Community College in Phoenix. He posted a 5.04 ERA across 55.1 innings with one save last season. Garayzar attended Rio Rico high school South of Tucson.

Carson Johnson is a pitcher who attended Hamilton high school in Chandler, Arizona. He was ranked the No. 4 right-handed pitcher in Arizona by Perfect Game.

Owen Kramkowski is a pitcher who attended Walden Grove high school in Sahuarita, Arizona. He posted a 2.14 ERA across 16 varsity appearances combined between his sophomore and junior seasons.

Bryce McKnight is a pitcher who attended Desert Vista high school in Phoenix, Arizona. He posted a 3.92 ERA with 56 strikeouts across 10 appearances his junior season.

Josh Morano is a pitcher who attended Granada high school in Livermore, California. He was ranked the No. 6 left-handed pitcher in California by Perfect Game. Morano posted a 1.40 ERA with 137 strikeouts across 20 appearances during his two varsity seasons. He also hit .312 across 125 at-bats at the plate.

Nico Newhan is an infielder who attended Maranatha Christian high school in Vista, California. Across 222 at-bats at the varsity level, he hit .437 with 17 home runs, 26 doubles and 87 RBIs.

Zach Plasschaert is a first baseman and outfielder who attended Saugus high school in Saugus, California. He was ranked the No. 3 first baseman in California according to Perfect Game. He hit .350 with 19 RBIs across 29 games during his junior campaign.

Will Shelor is a pitcher who attended Hamilton high school in Chandler, Arizona. He was ranked the No. 9 right-handed pitcher by Perfect Game in Arizona.

Blake Wolters is a pitcher who attended Mahomet-Seymour high school in Mahomet, Illinois. He was the No. 10 overall player and No. 4 pitcher in Illinois according to Perfect Game. He posted an 8-0 record with a 0.27 ERA across 51.2 innings during his junior season.

The 10 high school players are all top-500 players according to Perfect Game.

“We are exceptionally excited to welcome this group of accomplished young men to the Wildcat family,” Hale said. “Our 2023 signing class will complement our talented roster and set up Arizona Baseball well for the future. It is notable that over half of the student-athletes in this class proudly call Arizona home; recruiting in-state has been a priority for our staff as we strongly believe in the talent being developed all throughout Arizona. I am excited to see how this class contributes on the field, in the classroom, and in the community during their time as Wildcats.”

The Wildcats signed 19 players to the 2022 class, so this one isn't quite as big but it's still super talented all-around.

Hey guys, here are some highlights of today press conference with Jedd Fisch.

Hey guys, welcome to the start of the 2022-23 college basketball season. Arizona opens its season against Nicholls with guard Courtney Ramey starting his three-game suspension. Meanwhile, the Wildcats will go with Cedric Henderson Jr. to replace Ramey in the lineup.

GAME INFO:

Who: Arizona vs. Nicholls (Game 1)
When: 7:30 p.m. (MST)
Where: McKale Center | Tucson, AZ
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Arizona)
Odds: Arizona (-24.5) O/U: 159.5


Starting lineups;


Arizona

PG: Kerr Kriisa
G: Pelle Larsson
SF: Cedric Henderson Jr.
PF: Azuolas Tubelis
C: Oumar Ballo

Nicholls:

G: Caleb Huffman
G: Pierce Spencer
G: Latrell Jones
G: Lance-Amir Paul
F: Marek Nelson


Be sure to join the conversation as we update you throughout the game tonight.

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Two-way athlete Nick Fernandez was one of the recruits to take an official visit to Arizona last month. He came away very impressed by that trip but he has continued to think about his options. He visited Colorado State after visiting UA but he also hopes to see Washington State at some point as well. For now, the visit to Arizona certainly left a strong impression on him. The Wildcats want him to play along the defensive line as an edge rusher and the trip to Tucson gave him an opportunity to get to know Ricky Hunley and Johnny Nansen some more after initially building his relationship with Jason Kaufusi. UA only offered him back in May so the relationship is not that old but Arizona is in a good spot.

“Oh man, it was a great first experience ever. The food, the way they took care of me. The coaches in general were amazing. I’ve never seen coaches like that for sure. The way the coaches were with their players was awesome. It was really awesome. Especially at that high of a football level for the coaches to be like that was really comforting to see. Seeing the facilities, seeing the academics, seeing what NIL can do at that place, being able to hang out with the players was amazing. Being able to see their apartments and their dorms. Seeing what they do on their film and how they run their defense, and seeing what I can bring to that team and what I can do for them it was awesome.”

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Out three games

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GAME INFO

Who: Arizona vs Western Oregon (Exhibition)
When: 7:00 p.m MST
Where: McKale Center | Tucson, Arizona
TV: Pac-12 Network


Hey everybody! Im getting the game thread started early here with about an hour until the 7:00 p.m MST tip-off at McKale Center.

GAME NOTES:

• Courtney Ramey will be missing the first three games of the regular season due to suspension. We will see the guards today in an expanded role that could potentially fill his position.
• Keep an eye on the returners and the new additions as they will get their first opportunity to face a team other than themselves

GAME INFO

Who: Arizona (3-5, 1-4 Pac-12) vs. No. 14 Utah (6-2, 4-1)
When: 4:30 p.m MST
Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium| Salt Lake City, Utah
TV: Pac-12 Network
All-time series: Utah leads 25-19-2 (Last meeting: 38-29 Utah win; Nov. 13, 2021)
Odds: Utah (-17.5) O/U 67.5



Hey everybody! Im getting the game thread started early here with about an hour and a half until the 4:30 p.m MST kickoff at Rice-Eccles Stadium

It was another frustrating performance by the Wildcats run defense while the offense had some costly mistakes as well in a 45-20 loss tonight against Utah.

Here is my recap:

GAME INFO

• Who: Arizona (3-5, 1-4 Pac-12; last week: 45-37 loss to USC) at No. 14 Utah (6-2, 4-1 Pac-12; last week: 21-17 win over Washington State)
• When: 4:30 p.m. MST
• Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium | Salt Lake City, Utah
• TV: Pac-12 Networks
• All-time series: Utah leads 25-19-2 (last meeting: 38-29 Utes win; Nov. 13, 2021)
• Odds: Utah -17 1/2 | O/U: 68 (VegasInsider)

Here is all the week's game coverage leading into Saturday's matchup in SLC. We will have more coming before the game and our preview show will be released tomorrow as well. In case you missed anything, here are all the videos and stories from the week focused on Arizona's next matchup with a top-15 team.

VIDEOS

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ARTICLES

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Derick Hunter signed with Texas A&M out of high school as a high three-star prospect in the 2019 class and played for three seasons in College Station. Ahead of the 2021 season he was moved to the offensive line and ultimately played in four games before deciding to head to a junior college in Mississippi hoping to retool his career. He is now back on defense and has added some weight allowing him to move inside to defensive tackle. That has sparked some renewed interest from around the country, and Arizona is now the latest school to enter the mix with the 6-foot-5 prospect from Florida. Hunter is fresh off a visit to Tennessee and recently visited LSU. It will no doubt be an uphill climb for the Wildcats, but he's someone the staff would love to have on the roster next year. Arkansas and Texas have also offered him in recent weeks.

Louisville, Mississippi State and Auburn have been some of the other schools in the mix up to this point.

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The Arizona women's basketball team defeated Cal State LA 104-46 Wednesday night at McKale Center.

Jade Loville: 26 points (4-5 3PT)
Esmery Martinez: 15 points, 12 rebounds
Helena Pueyo: 15 points, 7 assists, 5 steals

The big difference between this year's team compared to last year is the number of scorers. Last year, Arizona would go long stretches at times struggling to score. I don't see that being an issue this season.

Hey guys, I'll be doing live updates from Jedd Fisch's Monday press conference.

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Rhino Tapaatoutai was one of Arizona's earliest commitments in the 2023 class, and now he is one game away from finishing up his senior season. It hasn't gone as he would have hoped for his team, but the two-way lineman from Alemany High School in the Los Angeles area is keeping his spirits up as his high school career comes to a close. I was out at his game Friday night and you wouldn't have guessed that he was playing one of his final high school games. Alemany lost, but Tapaatoutai played hard and with a high level of energy throughout the night. He was just as effective defensively as he was on offense, but it's clear to see what the UA coaches like him at offensive tackle. He put a lot of defenders into the ground Friday night and overall performed well on that side of the ball.

Brennan Carroll stopped by Alemany during the bye week, and the relationship Tapaatoutai has with the Arizona offensive coordinator and offensive line coach has continued to grow strong. They have similar personalities in a lot of ways, so it could work very well when Tapaatoutai arrives in Tucson. As Jedd Fisch mentioned last week, most of the incoming recruits will arrive at the midyear point. Tapaatoutai is part of that group as he is set to enroll at Arizona in January meaning he will get to participate in spring ball.

He is set to take an official visit to Arizona in December before signing, but other programs are still trying to make a push. Louisville recently offered him, and Tapaatoutai is open to listening to the pitches from other schools. Still, he says Arizona is where he is committed and right now he doesn't have plans to change that.

You can watch the full interview with some game clips above.

Kind of a strange week for some of the grades. The offense again outshined the defense for PFF, and Jayden de Laura set another season high. One other theme is that the moves to play some younger/new players more has continued to bring in good results and that is reflected in the PFF grades.

Reporter Dylan Grausz has a breakdown of the latest grades.

Ahead of Arizona's exhibition matchup against Western Oregon tonight at McKale Center, we wanted to bring you these interviews with some of the key players on this year's team. We recently had the chance to catch up with many of the players and below you can find those interviews to get you all up to speed on what to expect this season from the Wildcats.

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- Azuolas Tubelis, Oumar Ballo and Adama Ball

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- Henri Veesaar, Filip Borovicanin

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- Cedric Henderson Jr., Courtney Ramey

Arizona has started the process of updating its official roster online and now the newcomers have received jersey numbers plus official measurements. Here's a look at what numbers those newcomers will be wearing whenever we get football again. I'll add some comments about the things that stand out to me after you get a glimpse at the jersey numbers and measurements. The process is still being updated so if there's anybody you don't see on the list who you expect to be there just know that they could still be added. Don't just immediately assume they aren't on the roster since it is continually being updated today – I've had to refresh it a couple times already.

Scholarship players

• RB "Hollywood" Frank Brown Jr. – #8/6-foot, 200 pounds
• LB Jabar Triplett – #10/6-foot-1, 226 pounds
• DB Edric Whitley – #11/5-foot-11, 144 pounds
• DB Isaiah Mays – #13/6-foot-1, 190 pounds
• WR Dyelan Miller – #14/6-foot-2, 192 pounds
• QB Will Plummer – #15/6-foot-1, 208 pounds
• DL Regen Terry – #17/6-foot-4, 289 pounds
• WR Ma'Jon Wright – #18/6-foot-2, 197 pounds
• LB Derick Mourning – #18/6-foot-3, 229 pounds
• DB Khary Crump – #20/5-foot-11, 164 pounds
• RB Jalen John – #21/5-foot-11, 222 pounds
• K Tyler Loop – #33/6-foot, 164 pounds
• DL Shontrail Key – #44/6-foot-4, 248 pounds
• DL Roy Lopez – #51/6-foot-2, 318 pounds
• DL Aaron Blackwell – #52/6-foot-3, 293 pounds
• OL Matthew Stefanski Jr. – #54/6-foot-4, 326 pounds
• OL Sam Langi – #58/6-foot-5, 329 pounds
• OL Leif Magnuson – #65/6-foot-4, 284 pounds
• OL Woody Jean – #73/6-foot-4, 314 pounds
• OL Josh Baker – #75/6-foot-3, 285 pounds
• OL Anthony Patt – #76/6-foot-4, 280 pounds
• WR Roberto Miranda – #85/6-foot-2, 227 pounds
• TE Stacy Marshall – #87/6-foot-5, 238 pounds
• DL Dion Wilson Jr. – #94/6-foot-4, 276 pounds
• DL Paris Shand – #95/6-foot-5, 272 pounds

Walk-ons

• WR Valen Jones – #25/6-foot, 164 pounds
• DB Donte Bowers Jr. – #29/5-foot-10, 163 pounds
• DB Trey Cartledge – #31/6-foot, 170 pounds
• DB Treydan Stukes – #34/6-foot, 168 pounds
• DB Adama Fall – #35/6-foot-3, 200 pounds
• DB RJ Edwards – #36/6-foot-1, 198 pounds
• DB Jaydin Young – #37/6-foot, 182 pounds
• LS Kameron Hawkins – #39/5-foot-11, 227 pounds
• LB Mike Saliba – #41/6-foot, 188 pounds
• LB Jeremiah Fletcher – #42/5-foot-11, 203 pounds
• LB Thor Canales – #46/6-foot-3, 224 pounds
• OL Jacob Bracamonte – #62/6-foot-3, 298 pounds
• OL Darrell Branch – #71/6-foot-2, 319 pounds
• DL Ugochukwu Nosike – #93/6-foot-3, 280 pounds


◻ One of the things that stands out most to me is the collective size of the offensive and defensive line groups. The Wildcats put a lot of emphasis on adding size up front on both sides of the ball while also looking to improve the depth up front as well. The staff did a good job of accomplishing that across the board but especially on the defensive side of the ball. Of the six defensive line scholarship newcomers four of them have officially measured in at 6-foot-4 or taller. Only one member of the offensive line group, center Josh Baker, measured in at shorter than 6-foot-4. There is also some good overall size to the group with a player like Regen Terry coming at 6-foot-4 and nearly 290 pounds as a freshman. That is an impressive starting point for a player the coaching staff has high hopes for heading into his college career. The Wildcats also have four 300-pounders among that group led by offensive lineman Sam Langi who checks in at 329 to begin his Arizona career.

◻ I also like the look of Arizona's running back duo of Frank Brown and Jalen John. Both guys measured in at 200 pounds plus as they arrived on campus with Brown coming in at an even 6-feet and John measuring in at 5-foot-11. Both of those guys figure to be a big part of the running back unit and they have the size to get going right away this season.

◻ The linebacker group needs all the help it can get and freshman Derick Mourning checking in at 6-foot-3 and 229 pounds is a good thing for the Wildcats. Obviously, the coaching staff has seen him in person but having him arrive to campus with that good size should give him a leg up on getting into the action this season. The coaches are going to need him to learn the defense quickly this fall since he will more than likely get on the field early in the season because of his skill set and size plus the need for players at his position. He could play either outside or inside for the Wildcats.

◻ It won't get as much attention from the outside, but this is an impressive walk-on group for Arizona. Someone who stands out to me is defensive back Jaydin Young who had several notable offers last season as a senior at Centennial High in Peoria. I watched him play when his team came down to Vail to face Cienega and he is one heck of an athlete. Purdue, San Diego State, Colorado State and Nevada all offered him so for Arizona to get him to come play for the Wildcats as a walk-on is certainly impressive. His brother Dedrick was a one-time Arizona target who played with Layth Friekh in high school and eventually went to Nebraska. Kameron Hawkins plays a position that doesn't get any attention until something goes wrong, but the California native is one of the best freshman long snappers in the country who should help solidify things with the special teams unit as far as snapping goes. Defensive back Adama Fall is another intriguing walk-on player who has really good size and could help the Wildcats with their depth issues at safety.

Bye week so I thought we could put up a thread and help solve our defensive issues. What would you change? Some common thoughts.

Fire Johnny Nansen
Move guys around
Change schemes
Youth movement

no way they should fire Nansen in my opinion. One year is not enough and we can’t break the good will he provides in the poly community and recruiting in general. He gets two more years from me

I would love to see some personnel changes. Move Harris inside and bring in Davis off the edge. Harris is just yo slow from the edge. I would like to see CRW move to a safety spot asap.. Other changes in a bit

Our scheme, the 4-2-5 is really predicated on getting pressure from that front. In three conference games we have had zero sacks. I have seen them stunt and loop but they are simply not winning the one on one battles. Manu and Warnell were great additions to the run stop but Warnell got torched in coverage as does CY except on the TE. I think this is where the disconnect is because the players are not being put in position to succeed.

I have never seen Stukes play as poorly as he did last game. He got beat on consecutive plays for 6 (one called back) and seemed clueless out there. Rutherford has been a disappointment since he got here. I would love to see Prysocks and Davis play corner with CRW and Turner/Taylor at the other safety spot. It’s time to force feed these freshman, especially on defense.

Looking for your thoughts

GAME INFO

Who: Arizona (3-4, 1-3 Pac-12) vs. No. 10 USC (6-1, 3-1)
When: 4:00 p.m MST
Where: Arizona Stadium | Tucson, Arizona
TV: Pac-12 Network
All-time series: USC leads 36-8 (Last meeting: 41-34 USC win; Oct 30, 2021)
Odds: USC (-14) O/U 74

Hey everybody! Im getting the game thread started early here with about three and half hours until the 4:00 p.m MST kickoff at Arizona Stadium.

PREGAME NOTES

• Arizona is averaging 4.26 yards per rush
• USC is averaging 5.40 yards per rush
• Arizona is averaging 45.6% 3rd down conversions
• USC is averaging 52.6% 3rd down conversions
• Arizona is averaging five penalties per game
• USC is averaging 7.14 penalties per game

Injury Update:
The word is that Jordan Addison and Eric Gentry are both OUT for today's contest