Football
So much for a lazy Sunday leading into a boring Monday.
The only place to start this week's War Room is the rumors that have Rich Rodriguez linked as one of the top candidates for the vacant Louisville job, and in some eyes the No. 1 guy.
A little more than two years after arriving in Tucson, Rodriguez is a hot name. As of late Sunday night out of Louisville, Rodriguez had dropped a bit and by early Morning morning the Lexington Herald-Leader was hearing that he would ultimately not be a candidate. But nothing is final and Greg Byrne has not confirmed messages left for him by GOAZCATS.com.
So we're going to take you through every angle and look at the situation from all perspectives, as if Rodriguez is still in play. Let's face it, sometimes you never really know when the news will change again until something is official:
* Arizona's perspective
Rodriguez's staff is letting him do his thing and sitting back. Let's just say they know it is out of their control and are hearing the rumors and questions just like everyone else. His assistants were not in contact with him Sunday. The players are not paying much attention to it publicly or privately. Overall, there seems like a great sense of calm about the whole thing from those within the program.
Until definitive news comes out one way or another, the staff is treating everything as a rumor. The yearly coaching carousel is not a fun time of the year for them.
This much is very clear: The staff, RichRod included, really likes Tucson. They are happy here. As far as the program itself is concerned, they like where things are headed and like the financial support behind the football team. This is in no way a matter of being disgruntled with anything. This is about a job opening up and the-powers-that-be seeking out Rodriguez, who will at least listen.
If there is one thing that could put an end to all of this, it would be a raise for the staff. Rodriguez is coming off back-to-back eight-win seasons and currently has the No. 1 recruiting class in the Pac-12 Conference - and top-20 in the country - coming in for 2014, headlined by its first five-star high school recruit.
And it is that kind of momentum that has those within the programs feeling really good about where things could go in the immediate future.
But, if it comes down to money
* Louisville has deeper pockets. Let's compare the salaries from 2013 of both programs, according to the USA Today database:
The head coaches' salaries are worlds apart. Before leaving for Texas, Charlie Strong made the 10th-highest known salary in the country with a base of $3.7 million and my source at Louisville said he broke $4 milion after bonuses.
Rodriguez ranked 45th nationally, collecting a base of $1.85 million and earning $2.15 million.
The Cardinals' top assistants, Vance Bedford and Shawn Watson, both made a $500,000 base from the school and $505,300 in total; Clint Hurtt had a base of $375,000 and made $380,300; Dave Borberly had a $300,000 base and made $305,300; Kenny Carter had a base of $280,000 and made $292,200; Brian Jean-Mary had a base of $255,000 and made $260,000; Ron Dugans had a base of $190,000 and made $195,000; and Sherrone Moore and Tommy Restivo each had a base of $125,000 while Moore made $130,300 and Restivo made $130,200.
At Arizona, Jeff Casteel had a base of $445,000 and made $446,900; Calvin Magee had a base of $320,000 and made $321,800; Rod Smith had a base of $255,000 and made $256,900; Jim Michalczik's base of $250,000 was his final total; Bill Kirelawich had a base of $225,000 and made $226,900; Tony Dews had a base of $220,000 and made $221,900; David Lockwood had a base of $210,000 and made $211,900; Charlie Ragle had a base of $160,000 and made $162,500; and Matt Caponi had a base of $150,000 and made $150,500.
Arizona cannot match Louisville's highest offer, which "could go as high as needed to," according to a source close to Louisville. If money is the final straw and if any Byrne counter offer raise falls well short, then there is not much Arizona can do but go find another head coach.
But a dollar figure and offer is not out there right now. If the report out of Lexington is true, then there will not be an offer to Rodriguez.
But Byrne just has to find a way to keep Rodriguez happy and continue to show his commitment to making football a priority, which he has done to this point.
* The jobs
On paper, a move to Louisville looks lateral for Rodriguez compared to what he has at Arizona, which has already invested $72 million into the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility.
At Arizona, Rodriguez has the momentum building heading to spring camp and the 2014 season. The program has more of his fingerprints on it now, with plenty of help on the way in his latest recruiting class. The Pac-12 Conference is very competitive.
Louisville is on the move to the ACC and one of its key recruiting areas is Florida, where Rodriguez has thrived in the past and continues to pull kids out of there (see: Trey Griffey). Like Tucson, the football team is second to the basketball craze and the defending national champions but the facilities are top notch. In fact, Byrne visited Louisville when he was collecting information on the McKale Center renovation.
Here are the records of the teams from the last 10 seasons, starting in 2004:
2004 - Louisville 11-1; Arizona 3-8
2005 - Louisville 9-3; Arizona 3-8
2006 - Louisville 12-1; Arizona 6-6
2007 - Louisville 6-6; Arizona 5-7
2008 - Louisville 5-7; Arizona 8-5
2009 - Louisville 4-8; Arizona 8-5
2010 - Louisville 7-6; Arizona 7-6
2011 - Louisville 7-6; Arizona 4-8
2012 - Louisville 11-2; Arizona 8-5
2013 - Louisville 12-1; Arizona 8-5
Louisville's problem is that it cannot keep a head coach, with Bobby Petrino bolting for the NFL and now Strong at Texas. Many see it as a "stepping stone" job that could lead to better things, if successful.
Arizona has not had a double-digit win season since the 1998 team finished 12-1 - and that was just the second in the school's history.
* Louisville's list
Aside from Rodriguez, the Louisville Rivals site also lists Petrino, Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris, Louisville assistants Watson and Bedford, Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi and Stanford associate head coach Derek Mason among the more serious candidates.
Louisville wants to act quickly, which is why the Rodriguez rumors took off so quickly. National signing day will be here before you know it and there are many Louisville recruits/commits who are waiting to see who will be on staff, while some have said they are sticking with the program regardless. But Louisville needs someone fast and the feeling is that a coach will be in place before the week is over.
Basketball
Pac-12 play is underway and Arizona has its first big test coming up.
The Wildcats manhandled Washington State and pulled away from Washington in the second half this past week, bumping their record to 15-0. One more win will match the best start in program history, accomplished in 1932.
Now comes this season's only meeting with UCLA Thursday in Los Angeles. As you all know very well by now, the storyline runs deeper than just one of six remaining unbeaten teams in college basketball looking to remain perfect.
It will mark the first meeting since the controversy surrounding the Pac-12 tournament semifinal between the teams in March. "Bounty-gate" cost Ed Rush his job as the Pac-12 coordinator of officials and created a rift between UA head coach Sean Miller and the league. Integrity was called into question, leading Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott to launch an independent investigation and revamp the officiating program.
Ben Howland is no longer at UCLA, either. Steve Alford is now the man attempting to get things done in Westwood. The Bruins are fresh off their 107-73 thrashing against rival USC in the Crosstown Showdown against Andy Enfield and Co.
Around the rest of the league, things are off to a feverish start.
Arizona State was demolished by Washington. Tenth-ranked Oregon survived an overtime scare from Utah before eventually falling from the undefeated ranks in a 100-91 loss at No. 20 Colorado.
For more on the busy recruiting week that was here is GOAZCATS.com recruiting editor Matt Moreno with more:
Well the busy times continue for Arizona with Rich Rodriguez's name floating around as a possible candidate for the now vacant Louisville head coaching position. The rumors have come after a week that could potentially be program-changing on the recruiting front. With not a lot of substantial news coming out just yet on the coaching side of things we'll focus on Arizona's big day in recruiting this week in the War Room.
GOAZCATS.com was also at the Semper Fi All-American Bowl over the last week as a number of Arizona recruits practiced and played in the all-star game in Southern California. We were able to talk with quite a few Arizona commits as well as targets at the event, so we'll have much more from there in this week's War Room.
While we we spent the latter part of the week in Orange County, Calif., covering the football side of things we spent the early part of the week wrapping up the Under Armour Holiday Classic in San Diego and the basketball side. So we will touch on what we were able to learn there as well in this week's War Room.
Coming off an especially busy week there is more than plenty to discuss this week, so we won't waste any more time.
Football recruiting
Arizona earned a commitment from one of the highest-rated and most notable recruits in quite some time during the week when five-star recruit Jalen Tabor announced his decision to play for the Wildcats at the Under Armour All-American game in Florida. It was a huge day for the 'Cats as a program as it was the first time it had pulled in high school five-star recruit in the Rivals.com era.
* Here's a look back at how things played out with the five-star target throughout his recruitment, including the big moment when Arizona really made its move to earn a pledge from the Washington, D.C., native.
For Arizona the recruitment of Tabor really started to pick up after three-star running back recruit Jonathan Haden made his pledge to the Wildcats back in May. Haden is Tabor's friend and teammate at Friendship Academy, and the 5-foot-8 prospect would become an important piece to the puzzle for UA eventually landing the five-star prospect.
As the summer went on Arizona wasn't in the picture as much as other schools like Maryland, Florida, and Alabama. However as time went on it became apparent that the Wildcats were at least going to have a chance.
Even at the start of his senior season Arizona had not made its way onto his list. Then in about October the Wildcats started to come up more and more in his recruitment. He started mentioning the 'Cats more in interviews and he eventually put them in his top four along with the three schools mentioned above.
It was at that point that the Wildcats became a very real possibility for the five-star recruit. However, it was also at that point that Maryland was considered the favorite to land the hometown star.
Once Tabor began to take his official visits, however, things began to change. First was his official trip to Maryland in early November. At the time of his trip Tabor was considered to be a lean for the Terps, but things would change shortly after that.
Now that he is committed it came out that he didn't necessarily like what he heard from some of the current Maryland players about the program and that changed the outlook of his recruitment. After that point the Wildcats became an even bigger option for the five-star target.
Then in mid-November the Wildcats had their opportunity when Tabor made his way to Tucson for an official visit. It was at that time that Arizona and its staff really secured what would become a huge commitment for Rodriguez and his program.
Tabor said the visit exceeded his expectations, and the Wildcats made sure they not only said the right things but showed him the right things as well. The five-star recruit wants to be the face of a program and he will have that opportunity at UA. He also wants to contribute early in his career, and he will have that opportunity at UA.
When you combine that with a great visit then you have what became the Wildcats' biggest commit of the class last week.
"It was definitely a family a family atmosphere," Tabor told GOAZCATS.com after his trip to Tucson. "From the AD, to coach (Tony) Dews, to coach (David) Lockwood, and coach Rodriguez - it was definitely a family atmosphere. They treated me like I was one of their own sons when I was down there.
"And so did the players. The players treated me like I was one of their brothers. ... They knew I was away from home and a lot of the players stepped up. It was just a family atmosphere."
After speaking to Tabor about his visit to Arizona it became very clear that UA was going to be a major player for the Rivals100 prospect.
That prompted me to write this in the Nov. 18 War Room: "Maryland has been the presumed leader for the high-profile prospect, but Arizona certainly made up some serious ground over the weekend and is likely right in the thick of things now."
As we know now that was the case and from that point on it almost become a formality to take the rest of his visits and make a decision from there.
* While Haden was certainly a big part of the equation for the Wildcats eventually landing Tabor, he was not the only piece of the puzzle. From top to bottom Arizona did a really outstanding job with the five-star recruit to eventually earn his commitment. That was from his lead recruiter in Tony Dews to Matt Dudek and his on-campus staff to the current players like Cayleb Jones, Will Parks, and Connor Brewer.
Tabor's visit to Arizona was certainly the biggest part of the equation in my opinion in that it gave the five-star a chance to really see what UA is about from a program standpoint.
In the end that is really what sealed the deal for Arizona's first high school five-star recruit in the Rivals.com era.
"It's a big comfort level knowing that I'm not going out there by myself," Tabor said after his decision. "I know he's going to have my best interest regardless of the situation. ... I feel like me going there is going to influence a lot of people to take a visit, and when you take a visit I feel like you're going to think it's where you need to be."
* Tabor wasn't the only recruit Arizona earned a commitment from last week as four-star offensive lineman Jordan Poland also announced his intentions attend school in Tucson on the same day as the five-star prospect. Poland flipped his commitment from USC to give the Wildcats one of their bigger football recruiting days in quite some time.
"Deep down I kind of knew that's where I wanted to go," he said. "When I first went there a while ago, it was the craziest feeling I ever got inside of a locker room or being with a coaching staff. Everybody was just so welcoming there, and everybody wants to fight for the same thing.
"I know it might shock a lot of people, but I'm just really happy with the choice I made because I know I'll be successful there."
Arizona's recruitment of Poland was somewhat quiet, but he did visit Tucson during the season for the Oregon game and that was what really put the Wildcats over the top when it came to his recruitment.
"I just feel like it's the right place, and it's actually been like that for a while," he said. "With his (Tabor) that's great, because I know I want to play with more highly-recruited guys and guys who are willing to get the job done. For me it was just a great choice overall."
Poland's commitment was a bit overshadowed by Tabor's decision, but it's nothing to scoff at with the 6-foot-8 prospect being the Wildcats' second highest-rated recruit in the class right now.
* Well with Tabor and Poland now in the mix the natural question becomes: what next for the Wildcats? Well, for now, Arizona still has recruits who anticipate taking official visits in the coming weeks before signing day and you are still likely to see those take place. As you well know by now, in recruiting anything can happen and there will always likely be a few recruits who don't end up on the signing day list for one reason or another.
We were able to chat with some recruits who are still talking with the Wildcats to get their take on things as signing day is a month away. Here's a look at some of the prospects we spoke with.
- Three-star offensive tackle Nick Gates was very impressive over the course of the week at the Semper Fi practices and that led to an offer from UCLA just before Sunday's game. Previous to that Gates had an official visit planned to Tucson for Jan. 17, and at this point that is still in play.
UCLA could be an interesting one as it now looks like they will have the final official visit before the Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman recruit makes his decision. That distinction was previously held by the Wildcats.
- Another three-star offensive lineman to keep an eye on is Tucson (Ariz.) Sabino recruit Andrew Mike. The senior is now ready to take a hard look at his recruitment and the Wildcats remain in play for the 6-foot-7 prospect. Mike continues to look at three schools mainly with Washington and Vanderbilt being the other two programs of focus for the in-state prospect.
At this point Mike knows what he needs to know about the Wildcats, so an official visit to UA might not happen before his decision. However, he will take official visits to both other schools prior to making his choice.
- With Charlie Strong on his way to Texas that means there are a lot of decisions to be made by current Louisville commits. One recruit who could come into play for the Wildcats is three-star defensive tackle Poona Ford from Hilton Head, S.C. We spoke briefly with the current Louisville commit and he did say that Arizona would be in play for an official visit should he decide to open things up.
At this point South Carolina, Purdue, and Missouri are other schools that would be in consideration for an official visit from the big defensive tackle.
- Yet another defensive tackle to watch is Marcus Griffin. The four-star recruit from Bellvue, Wash., was very good all week at the Semper Fi practices and Arizona is one of the schools he continues to consider after opening things up late last year.
USF, Mississippi State, and Washington are also still in the picture for Griffin as well. At this point a visit to Tucson is not a certainty, but it does remain an option for the four-star defensive tackle.
- While in California we were also able to spend quite a bit of time with Arizona's three commits from Los Angeles (Calif.) Salesian and while the group does anticipate taking its official visits I wouldn't expect a flip as things stand now. After talking with the group on numerous occasions throughout the week it seems clear to me right now that all three want the opportunity to play together, and so for now that seems to be the plan. Now things could change as you may see Oklahoma make a big run at Jamardre Cobb over the next month, but the sense that I'm getting right now is that they will continue to be headed toward Tucson after this school year is over.
Basketball recruiting
While it was a big football week for Arizona, the basketball team continues to be the No. 1 team in the country. When you have that high ranking the recruiting front tends to be pretty well set as well.
Sean Miller and his staff continue to look at options for the upcoming classes, and there are numerous prospects it continues to keep an eye on throughout the country.
* One prospect who remains a big priority for the Wildcats is five-star big man Ivan Rabb. The Oakland (Calif.) Bishop O'Dowd standout had somewhat of a tough week in San Diego, but he wrapped things up nicely early in the week with a 30-point performance.
When it comes to his recruitment Rabb is still making some "revisions" to his list, but he's hoping to make his trimmed-down list public some time soon. When it comes to the Wildcats Rabb is plenty familiar with the program and it should be considered one of the programs that will make it onto that list when it gets released.
Miller and his staff have continued to do a solid job with Rabb, and that has the 'Cats as one of the program's at the front of his recruitment.
"Things are going really well," Rabb told GOAZCATS.com video reporter Evyn Murray about his relationship with the 'Cats. "They are communicating with me a lot - the entire coaching staff. They came and watched me at open gym a few months ago.
"And they make sure to check in on me from time to time to make sure I'm going good. When we played Stanley (Johnson) last week they told me to take it easy on him. I'm having a good time talking with them."
Rabb is just one of the prospects at the top of the 2015 class to keep an eye on as things move forward.
So much for a lazy Sunday leading into a boring Monday.
The only place to start this week's War Room is the rumors that have Rich Rodriguez linked as one of the top candidates for the vacant Louisville job, and in some eyes the No. 1 guy.
A little more than two years after arriving in Tucson, Rodriguez is a hot name. As of late Sunday night out of Louisville, Rodriguez had dropped a bit and by early Morning morning the Lexington Herald-Leader was hearing that he would ultimately not be a candidate. But nothing is final and Greg Byrne has not confirmed messages left for him by GOAZCATS.com.
So we're going to take you through every angle and look at the situation from all perspectives, as if Rodriguez is still in play. Let's face it, sometimes you never really know when the news will change again until something is official:
* Arizona's perspective
Rodriguez's staff is letting him do his thing and sitting back. Let's just say they know it is out of their control and are hearing the rumors and questions just like everyone else. His assistants were not in contact with him Sunday. The players are not paying much attention to it publicly or privately. Overall, there seems like a great sense of calm about the whole thing from those within the program.
Until definitive news comes out one way or another, the staff is treating everything as a rumor. The yearly coaching carousel is not a fun time of the year for them.
This much is very clear: The staff, RichRod included, really likes Tucson. They are happy here. As far as the program itself is concerned, they like where things are headed and like the financial support behind the football team. This is in no way a matter of being disgruntled with anything. This is about a job opening up and the-powers-that-be seeking out Rodriguez, who will at least listen.
If there is one thing that could put an end to all of this, it would be a raise for the staff. Rodriguez is coming off back-to-back eight-win seasons and currently has the No. 1 recruiting class in the Pac-12 Conference - and top-20 in the country - coming in for 2014, headlined by its first five-star high school recruit.
And it is that kind of momentum that has those within the programs feeling really good about where things could go in the immediate future.
But, if it comes down to money
* Louisville has deeper pockets. Let's compare the salaries from 2013 of both programs, according to the USA Today database:
The head coaches' salaries are worlds apart. Before leaving for Texas, Charlie Strong made the 10th-highest known salary in the country with a base of $3.7 million and my source at Louisville said he broke $4 milion after bonuses.
Rodriguez ranked 45th nationally, collecting a base of $1.85 million and earning $2.15 million.
The Cardinals' top assistants, Vance Bedford and Shawn Watson, both made a $500,000 base from the school and $505,300 in total; Clint Hurtt had a base of $375,000 and made $380,300; Dave Borberly had a $300,000 base and made $305,300; Kenny Carter had a base of $280,000 and made $292,200; Brian Jean-Mary had a base of $255,000 and made $260,000; Ron Dugans had a base of $190,000 and made $195,000; and Sherrone Moore and Tommy Restivo each had a base of $125,000 while Moore made $130,300 and Restivo made $130,200.
At Arizona, Jeff Casteel had a base of $445,000 and made $446,900; Calvin Magee had a base of $320,000 and made $321,800; Rod Smith had a base of $255,000 and made $256,900; Jim Michalczik's base of $250,000 was his final total; Bill Kirelawich had a base of $225,000 and made $226,900; Tony Dews had a base of $220,000 and made $221,900; David Lockwood had a base of $210,000 and made $211,900; Charlie Ragle had a base of $160,000 and made $162,500; and Matt Caponi had a base of $150,000 and made $150,500.
Arizona cannot match Louisville's highest offer, which "could go as high as needed to," according to a source close to Louisville. If money is the final straw and if any Byrne counter offer raise falls well short, then there is not much Arizona can do but go find another head coach.
But a dollar figure and offer is not out there right now. If the report out of Lexington is true, then there will not be an offer to Rodriguez.
But Byrne just has to find a way to keep Rodriguez happy and continue to show his commitment to making football a priority, which he has done to this point.
* The jobs
On paper, a move to Louisville looks lateral for Rodriguez compared to what he has at Arizona, which has already invested $72 million into the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility.
At Arizona, Rodriguez has the momentum building heading to spring camp and the 2014 season. The program has more of his fingerprints on it now, with plenty of help on the way in his latest recruiting class. The Pac-12 Conference is very competitive.
Louisville is on the move to the ACC and one of its key recruiting areas is Florida, where Rodriguez has thrived in the past and continues to pull kids out of there (see: Trey Griffey). Like Tucson, the football team is second to the basketball craze and the defending national champions but the facilities are top notch. In fact, Byrne visited Louisville when he was collecting information on the McKale Center renovation.
Here are the records of the teams from the last 10 seasons, starting in 2004:
2004 - Louisville 11-1; Arizona 3-8
2005 - Louisville 9-3; Arizona 3-8
2006 - Louisville 12-1; Arizona 6-6
2007 - Louisville 6-6; Arizona 5-7
2008 - Louisville 5-7; Arizona 8-5
2009 - Louisville 4-8; Arizona 8-5
2010 - Louisville 7-6; Arizona 7-6
2011 - Louisville 7-6; Arizona 4-8
2012 - Louisville 11-2; Arizona 8-5
2013 - Louisville 12-1; Arizona 8-5
Louisville's problem is that it cannot keep a head coach, with Bobby Petrino bolting for the NFL and now Strong at Texas. Many see it as a "stepping stone" job that could lead to better things, if successful.
Arizona has not had a double-digit win season since the 1998 team finished 12-1 - and that was just the second in the school's history.
* Louisville's list
Aside from Rodriguez, the Louisville Rivals site also lists Petrino, Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris, Louisville assistants Watson and Bedford, Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi and Stanford associate head coach Derek Mason among the more serious candidates.
Louisville wants to act quickly, which is why the Rodriguez rumors took off so quickly. National signing day will be here before you know it and there are many Louisville recruits/commits who are waiting to see who will be on staff, while some have said they are sticking with the program regardless. But Louisville needs someone fast and the feeling is that a coach will be in place before the week is over.
Basketball
Pac-12 play is underway and Arizona has its first big test coming up.
The Wildcats manhandled Washington State and pulled away from Washington in the second half this past week, bumping their record to 15-0. One more win will match the best start in program history, accomplished in 1932.
Now comes this season's only meeting with UCLA Thursday in Los Angeles. As you all know very well by now, the storyline runs deeper than just one of six remaining unbeaten teams in college basketball looking to remain perfect.
It will mark the first meeting since the controversy surrounding the Pac-12 tournament semifinal between the teams in March. "Bounty-gate" cost Ed Rush his job as the Pac-12 coordinator of officials and created a rift between UA head coach Sean Miller and the league. Integrity was called into question, leading Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott to launch an independent investigation and revamp the officiating program.
Ben Howland is no longer at UCLA, either. Steve Alford is now the man attempting to get things done in Westwood. The Bruins are fresh off their 107-73 thrashing against rival USC in the Crosstown Showdown against Andy Enfield and Co.
Around the rest of the league, things are off to a feverish start.
Arizona State was demolished by Washington. Tenth-ranked Oregon survived an overtime scare from Utah before eventually falling from the undefeated ranks in a 100-91 loss at No. 20 Colorado.
For more on the busy recruiting week that was here is GOAZCATS.com recruiting editor Matt Moreno with more:
Well the busy times continue for Arizona with Rich Rodriguez's name floating around as a possible candidate for the now vacant Louisville head coaching position. The rumors have come after a week that could potentially be program-changing on the recruiting front. With not a lot of substantial news coming out just yet on the coaching side of things we'll focus on Arizona's big day in recruiting this week in the War Room.
GOAZCATS.com was also at the Semper Fi All-American Bowl over the last week as a number of Arizona recruits practiced and played in the all-star game in Southern California. We were able to talk with quite a few Arizona commits as well as targets at the event, so we'll have much more from there in this week's War Room.
While we we spent the latter part of the week in Orange County, Calif., covering the football side of things we spent the early part of the week wrapping up the Under Armour Holiday Classic in San Diego and the basketball side. So we will touch on what we were able to learn there as well in this week's War Room.
Coming off an especially busy week there is more than plenty to discuss this week, so we won't waste any more time.
Football recruiting
Arizona earned a commitment from one of the highest-rated and most notable recruits in quite some time during the week when five-star recruit Jalen Tabor announced his decision to play for the Wildcats at the Under Armour All-American game in Florida. It was a huge day for the 'Cats as a program as it was the first time it had pulled in high school five-star recruit in the Rivals.com era.
* Here's a look back at how things played out with the five-star target throughout his recruitment, including the big moment when Arizona really made its move to earn a pledge from the Washington, D.C., native.
For Arizona the recruitment of Tabor really started to pick up after three-star running back recruit Jonathan Haden made his pledge to the Wildcats back in May. Haden is Tabor's friend and teammate at Friendship Academy, and the 5-foot-8 prospect would become an important piece to the puzzle for UA eventually landing the five-star prospect.
As the summer went on Arizona wasn't in the picture as much as other schools like Maryland, Florida, and Alabama. However as time went on it became apparent that the Wildcats were at least going to have a chance.
Even at the start of his senior season Arizona had not made its way onto his list. Then in about October the Wildcats started to come up more and more in his recruitment. He started mentioning the 'Cats more in interviews and he eventually put them in his top four along with the three schools mentioned above.
It was at that point that the Wildcats became a very real possibility for the five-star recruit. However, it was also at that point that Maryland was considered the favorite to land the hometown star.
Once Tabor began to take his official visits, however, things began to change. First was his official trip to Maryland in early November. At the time of his trip Tabor was considered to be a lean for the Terps, but things would change shortly after that.
Now that he is committed it came out that he didn't necessarily like what he heard from some of the current Maryland players about the program and that changed the outlook of his recruitment. After that point the Wildcats became an even bigger option for the five-star target.
Then in mid-November the Wildcats had their opportunity when Tabor made his way to Tucson for an official visit. It was at that time that Arizona and its staff really secured what would become a huge commitment for Rodriguez and his program.
Tabor said the visit exceeded his expectations, and the Wildcats made sure they not only said the right things but showed him the right things as well. The five-star recruit wants to be the face of a program and he will have that opportunity at UA. He also wants to contribute early in his career, and he will have that opportunity at UA.
When you combine that with a great visit then you have what became the Wildcats' biggest commit of the class last week.
"It was definitely a family a family atmosphere," Tabor told GOAZCATS.com after his trip to Tucson. "From the AD, to coach (Tony) Dews, to coach (David) Lockwood, and coach Rodriguez - it was definitely a family atmosphere. They treated me like I was one of their own sons when I was down there.
"And so did the players. The players treated me like I was one of their brothers. ... They knew I was away from home and a lot of the players stepped up. It was just a family atmosphere."
After speaking to Tabor about his visit to Arizona it became very clear that UA was going to be a major player for the Rivals100 prospect.
That prompted me to write this in the Nov. 18 War Room: "Maryland has been the presumed leader for the high-profile prospect, but Arizona certainly made up some serious ground over the weekend and is likely right in the thick of things now."
As we know now that was the case and from that point on it almost become a formality to take the rest of his visits and make a decision from there.
* While Haden was certainly a big part of the equation for the Wildcats eventually landing Tabor, he was not the only piece of the puzzle. From top to bottom Arizona did a really outstanding job with the five-star recruit to eventually earn his commitment. That was from his lead recruiter in Tony Dews to Matt Dudek and his on-campus staff to the current players like Cayleb Jones, Will Parks, and Connor Brewer.
Tabor's visit to Arizona was certainly the biggest part of the equation in my opinion in that it gave the five-star a chance to really see what UA is about from a program standpoint.
In the end that is really what sealed the deal for Arizona's first high school five-star recruit in the Rivals.com era.
"It's a big comfort level knowing that I'm not going out there by myself," Tabor said after his decision. "I know he's going to have my best interest regardless of the situation. ... I feel like me going there is going to influence a lot of people to take a visit, and when you take a visit I feel like you're going to think it's where you need to be."
* Tabor wasn't the only recruit Arizona earned a commitment from last week as four-star offensive lineman Jordan Poland also announced his intentions attend school in Tucson on the same day as the five-star prospect. Poland flipped his commitment from USC to give the Wildcats one of their bigger football recruiting days in quite some time.
"Deep down I kind of knew that's where I wanted to go," he said. "When I first went there a while ago, it was the craziest feeling I ever got inside of a locker room or being with a coaching staff. Everybody was just so welcoming there, and everybody wants to fight for the same thing.
"I know it might shock a lot of people, but I'm just really happy with the choice I made because I know I'll be successful there."
Arizona's recruitment of Poland was somewhat quiet, but he did visit Tucson during the season for the Oregon game and that was what really put the Wildcats over the top when it came to his recruitment.
"I just feel like it's the right place, and it's actually been like that for a while," he said. "With his (Tabor) that's great, because I know I want to play with more highly-recruited guys and guys who are willing to get the job done. For me it was just a great choice overall."
Poland's commitment was a bit overshadowed by Tabor's decision, but it's nothing to scoff at with the 6-foot-8 prospect being the Wildcats' second highest-rated recruit in the class right now.
* Well with Tabor and Poland now in the mix the natural question becomes: what next for the Wildcats? Well, for now, Arizona still has recruits who anticipate taking official visits in the coming weeks before signing day and you are still likely to see those take place. As you well know by now, in recruiting anything can happen and there will always likely be a few recruits who don't end up on the signing day list for one reason or another.
We were able to chat with some recruits who are still talking with the Wildcats to get their take on things as signing day is a month away. Here's a look at some of the prospects we spoke with.
- Three-star offensive tackle Nick Gates was very impressive over the course of the week at the Semper Fi practices and that led to an offer from UCLA just before Sunday's game. Previous to that Gates had an official visit planned to Tucson for Jan. 17, and at this point that is still in play.
UCLA could be an interesting one as it now looks like they will have the final official visit before the Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman recruit makes his decision. That distinction was previously held by the Wildcats.
- Another three-star offensive lineman to keep an eye on is Tucson (Ariz.) Sabino recruit Andrew Mike. The senior is now ready to take a hard look at his recruitment and the Wildcats remain in play for the 6-foot-7 prospect. Mike continues to look at three schools mainly with Washington and Vanderbilt being the other two programs of focus for the in-state prospect.
At this point Mike knows what he needs to know about the Wildcats, so an official visit to UA might not happen before his decision. However, he will take official visits to both other schools prior to making his choice.
- With Charlie Strong on his way to Texas that means there are a lot of decisions to be made by current Louisville commits. One recruit who could come into play for the Wildcats is three-star defensive tackle Poona Ford from Hilton Head, S.C. We spoke briefly with the current Louisville commit and he did say that Arizona would be in play for an official visit should he decide to open things up.
At this point South Carolina, Purdue, and Missouri are other schools that would be in consideration for an official visit from the big defensive tackle.
- Yet another defensive tackle to watch is Marcus Griffin. The four-star recruit from Bellvue, Wash., was very good all week at the Semper Fi practices and Arizona is one of the schools he continues to consider after opening things up late last year.
USF, Mississippi State, and Washington are also still in the picture for Griffin as well. At this point a visit to Tucson is not a certainty, but it does remain an option for the four-star defensive tackle.
- While in California we were also able to spend quite a bit of time with Arizona's three commits from Los Angeles (Calif.) Salesian and while the group does anticipate taking its official visits I wouldn't expect a flip as things stand now. After talking with the group on numerous occasions throughout the week it seems clear to me right now that all three want the opportunity to play together, and so for now that seems to be the plan. Now things could change as you may see Oklahoma make a big run at Jamardre Cobb over the next month, but the sense that I'm getting right now is that they will continue to be headed toward Tucson after this school year is over.
Basketball recruiting
While it was a big football week for Arizona, the basketball team continues to be the No. 1 team in the country. When you have that high ranking the recruiting front tends to be pretty well set as well.
Sean Miller and his staff continue to look at options for the upcoming classes, and there are numerous prospects it continues to keep an eye on throughout the country.
* One prospect who remains a big priority for the Wildcats is five-star big man Ivan Rabb. The Oakland (Calif.) Bishop O'Dowd standout had somewhat of a tough week in San Diego, but he wrapped things up nicely early in the week with a 30-point performance.
When it comes to his recruitment Rabb is still making some "revisions" to his list, but he's hoping to make his trimmed-down list public some time soon. When it comes to the Wildcats Rabb is plenty familiar with the program and it should be considered one of the programs that will make it onto that list when it gets released.
Miller and his staff have continued to do a solid job with Rabb, and that has the 'Cats as one of the program's at the front of his recruitment.
"Things are going really well," Rabb told GOAZCATS.com video reporter Evyn Murray about his relationship with the 'Cats. "They are communicating with me a lot - the entire coaching staff. They came and watched me at open gym a few months ago.
"And they make sure to check in on me from time to time to make sure I'm going good. When we played Stanley (Johnson) last week they told me to take it easy on him. I'm having a good time talking with them."
Rabb is just one of the prospects at the top of the 2015 class to keep an eye on as things move forward.
