Football
Now that spring camp is done, much of the focus will turn to the depth chart. Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez said he will meet with his quarterbacks individually this week and let them know exactly where they stand in the competition, but that will be kept confidential.
But after more than a month of practices and scrimmages, here is GOAZCATS.com's projected pecking order heading into the summer based on observations, plus notes on the position groups:
* Quarterbacks
Jesse Scroggins, Connor Brewer, Anu Solomon, Jerrard Randall and Nick Isham
Scroggins just looked like the best mix of the physical and mental aspects coming together. The fifth-year senior also proved he was athletic enough to run the ball. He just wasn't his sharpest on Saturday.
Brewer may be best described as solid. While his arm isn't quite as strong and he may not be as quick on his feet, there has been no denying his consistency. He looks more like a quality game manager.
Solomon is improved on the mental side but could still use some work there. After all, he is just a redshirt freshman. But he's got a capable arm and has deceptive athleticism that allows him to extend plays, perhaps better than anyone on the roster.
Randall may be the dark horse in this race. It is clear he has the arm strength and clear he has the best wheels. But there is a lack of accuracy and comfort in the system. He may have the most upside and talent in the group.
That looks like your top four, and a pretty solid one at that. Isham is smart enough but the physical talents are just far greater in the others.
More than last spring, the quarterbacks took more shots down the field and it's already clear this will be an attack heavily reliant on the pass.
* Running backs
Terris Jones-Grigsby, Zach Green and Pierre Cormier
Jones-Grigsby was ahead of the others, but that's because the experience of a fifth-year senior outweighs the redshirt freshmen. Green and Cormier, although used differently Saturday, look to be about even.
None of three blew anyone away and a healthy Jared Baker could be the favorite once the fall starts. But you also have to believe incoming freshman Nick Wilson will have a shot and it will be up to him how much he can learn and show in less than a month of camp.
Nobody was hurt more than early enrollee Jonathan Haden, who never got cleared by the NCAA and was forced to watch.
* Receivers
First group: Nate Phillips, Davonte' Neal, Samajie Grant and Austin Hill
Second group: Cayleb Jones, David Richards, Trey Griffey and T.J. Johnson
Third group: Garic Wharton, Johnny Jackson, Clive Georges
One thing worth noting: It was Griffey who ran with the first group for much of the spring, ahead of Jones. While Phillips missed most of spring, we will give him the benefit of the doubt for leading the team in receptions last season and there's no reason to believe the minor shoulder injury will linger.
Johnson missed the spring game with a sprained ankle suffered the night before, but he should be OK.
At first glance, those are 11 very capable names with a few that possess game-changing abilities. This group will go at least eight deep and will rotate bodies in and out freely and with confidence. The depth will prevent any hint of dropoff, in case of injury.
Among the first eight listed, you could legitimately make the case for each one of them to push for a starting job. It should be a highly competitive fall.
* Offensive line
Starters: Mickey Baucus, Fabbians Ebbele, Cayman Bundage, Jacob Alsadek and Steven Gurrola
Prominent backups: Lene Maiava, Jacob Arzouman, Carter Wood, Faitele Faafoi and T.D. Gross
This looks to be the most set group on the offense, with Alsadek owning the inside track on the starting job at right guard.
Depth is the bigger concern, although Maiava was essentially a sixth starter for the Wildcats. But there are plenty of options.
A previous lingering back injury limited JUCO transfer Kaige Lawrence for most of the spring, but he should be good to go for the summer. Missing a big chunk of the spring did hurt him, however.
There are three more offensive linemen set to arrive in the fall and four-star Jordan Poland could be one to watch at 6-8 and 335 pounds.
* Tight end
Josh Kern, Nolan Heyer and Aaron Lacombe
In short, this is incoming freshman Trevor Wood's job to win in the fall.
* Defensive line
First group: Reggie Gilbert, Jeff Worthy and Dan Pettinato
Second group: Jerod Cody, Dwight Melvin and Luca Bruno
Third group: Calvin Allen, Parker Zellers and Jack Banda
Now, this is a projection so this is overlooking the fact Melvin ran with the first team for the spring. Size is needed and Worthy is listed at 6-3 and 290 pounds. At the very least, Worthy will be getting on the field plenty in 2014.
Don't get so comfortable with the starting ends, either. Marcus Griffin is going to have a chance to earn a job, or at least contribute, and the early word is they would prefer him on the edge as opposed to inside.
* Linebackers
First group: Scooby Wright, DeAndre' Miller and Keoni Bush-Loo
Second group: Antonio Smothers, Hank Hobson and Jake Matthews
Third group: Cody Ippolito, Sir Thomas Jackson and Derrick Turituri
Wright has been playing on the inside at middle linebacker after spending his freshman year on the outside.
Beyond him, don't read too much into that order. For one, we didn't see enough of Turituri, who was limited by injury for parts of camp, and he could just as easily push for a backup or third-down pass rushing role.
Miller and Matthews enjoyed a strong spring, and Smothers will be one to watch in the fall now that he has one camp and some experience with the system under his belt.
This should be a decent group, but one that could use an impact freshman. Look for Jamardre Cobb or Marquis Ware, if he doesn't end up on the line, to add some quality competition.
* Cornerbacks
Jonathan McKnight and Devin Holiday
Prominent backup: Patrick Glover
McKnight and Holiday spent all camp as the top two corners, but Glover showed some good promise in the spring game. The 6-2, 212-pound JUCO transfer is going to be the biggest corner on the roster.
But the competition will really get going in the fall, when Kwesi Mashack and Cameron Denson get into camp. Denson may have a better shot to see time in the secondary than at wide receiver as a true freshman, but he will compete at both spots.
Don't sleep on Mashack, who could prove to be a physical presence.
* Safeties
Tra'Mayne Bondurant, Jared Tevis and Jourdon Grandon
Prominent backups: Will Parks and Tellas Jones
First, one of the names missing is Anthony Lopez, but only because he missed all of camp with an injury.
Grandon is the leader of this group at free safety. With Tevis out of position during the spring game, the fifth-year senior had no issues telling him so and being vocal with instruction.
The battle between Parks and Tevis at the bandit will be the tightest race among the three spots. Parks has already been given the fourth starter tag, and for good reason.
Others who showed some promise this spring include: David Price and Derek Babiash, who split time at corner and free safety but will be more of the latter moving forward.
An incoming freshman to look out for will be Rodney Carr.
* Special teams
Place-kicker: Jack Flatau and Casey Skowron
Punter: Drew Riggleman and Michael Unzicker
Return game: Davonte' Neal and T.J. Johnson
The kicking game missed Skowron for a good portion of the spring as he dealt with a hip flexor injury. But the answer, perhaps at both spots, will eventually be Josh Pollack.
There was little done in terms of kick and punt returns, but your two most explosive athletes in open space have the best shot. Also look for Denson and a few others coming in to get a look.
* Before the end of spring camp, RichRod also mentioned that among his possible two-way candidates would be receiver Cayleb Jones, who could see a shot as a safety in special situations.
Basketball
* In the wee hours as Sunday turned into Monday, Yahoo Sports filed the story we all were just waiting to become official.
Aaron Gordon will forgo his remaining three years of eligibility and announce this week that he will enter the 2014 NBA draft. Early indications are that he could land between No. 4 and 8 in the June 26 draft.
* For whatever it's worth, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson joined a fraternity last night and posted a picture on his Instagram account.
The buzz surrounding Nick Johnson is still that he will join Gordon and leave.
* Boston College transfer Ryan Anderson said in a text message to GOAZCATS.com on Sunday afternoon that his talk with Arizona head coach Sean Miller did happen this past week, shortly after the interest from the program.
But Anderson declined to elaborate, saying: "I've talked to him but I would not like to talk about my recruitment right now. I would like to keep my recruitment quiet for right now until I decide on a good place for me."
Earlier in the week, Anderson confirmed that Indiana, Iowa State, New Mexico, San Diego State and Washington also had been in contact and he was open to hearing from more schools.
The junior will sit out a year and rehabilitate a right shoulder injury that he played through during the entire 2013-14 season.
And now here's recruiting editor Matt Moreno with this week's recruiting breakdown:
Now it's time for the fun to begin again. Arizona wrapped up spring practice over the weekend with its spring game at Arizona Stadium and there were plenty of recruits on hand to watch the 'Cats in action for the last time this spring. Beginning Tuesday Arizona's coaches can begin hitting the road to watch prospects all across the country as they participate in their own spring practice, so the coming weeks could change plenty when it comes to who gets new offers and who starts to earn even more attention from Rich Rodriguez's staff.
We'll have more with some of the recruits who visited Arizona over the weekend who also expect the UA coaching staff to stop by and see them in the coming weeks.
On the hoops side of things the action is starting to pick up on the travel circuit as most teams participated in their first events over the weekend. There will be plenty of Easter tournaments as well and then the following weekend will be the lone "live" evaluation weekend of the spring.
We'll take a look at some of the teams you should be keeping an eye on this spring when it comes to prospects high on Arizona's radar at this point.
With plenty to discuss as always here's this week's recruiting portion of the War Room.
Football recruiting
Arizona finished up spring camp with its spring game on Saturday and there were numerous recruits on hand for the event. Now with a big 7-on-7 tournament taking place in California over the weekend there were plenty of recruits who weren't able to make it out, but there others who did take in the event.
* One in-state prospect who was able to watch UA's practice and pick up an offer in the process was three-star defensive end Caleb Peart from Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton. The 6-foot recruit made the trip down, and although he wasn't expecting an offer just yet he was pleased to earn his latest one from the Wildcats after picking up an offer from Yale shortly before that.
"It wasn't really one I was expecting," Peart said. "Coach (Charlie) Ragle said they were probably going to offer me soon, but I didn't know exactly when. So I decided to go down for the spring game and check it out for myself since I didn't get to make if for the first junior day. Right when I went down there everything went well, and coach Rod (Rodriguez) gave me the offer.
"It sort of shocked me that it happened then, because I thought it would happen maybe a week or two later. I definitely enjoyed my time there."
Now that Peart has an offer from both in-state schools he will continue to evaluate both of those options with the many other offers he holds at this point. Since he has no timetable for a decision yet, the three-star prospect said he's going to give the Wildcats a good look as things move forward with his process.
"I'm definitely going to look at both ASU and U of A," he said. "And for me it's not about the fact that U of A offered after ASU or any of that. I'm just going to look at which school fits me best and whatever school is going to X, Y, and Z. So there's still plenty of time, and right now I'm still looking."
* Another recruit who made the trip to Tucson to see the Wildcats visited UA earlier in the week as well. Yuma (Ariz.) Arizona Western defensive back Paul Magloire and a couple of his teammates made an unofficial visit to UA during the week, and then the group made a return trip after their own practice for Saturday's spring game.
Seeing the team in action gave the 6-foot-2 recruit a chance to see the defense in action and get a better glimpse of what could become his future home. At this point Magloire doesn't hold an offer from the Wildcats, but he's hopeful that he can pick one up within the next few weeks as the UA coaching staff hits the road to check out various prospects.
"A couple of our other guys went out to U of A and then they had me come as well," Magloire said of his trip last week. "It was a bond that started with meeting coach Rodriguez and the rest of he staff, and then I kind of wound up getting on their board. That's really how it got started, it kind of kicked off from there.
"So now they're interested and I'm interested, and now they just want to see me in person after seeing my film. Now they want to put two and two together, and if everything checks out I should be having an offer within the next week or so when they come out here."
* One recruit to keep an eye on also recently visited with Arizona. Chicago (Ill.) Gordon Tech defensive end recruit Raequan Williams. The three-star prospect has been making the rounds in recent weeks taking visits to campuses across the country, and a couple weekends ago was his Arizona swing. Along with stopping by Arizona State, the 6-foot-6 prospect also stopped by to watch the Wildcats practice.
Williams has some family ties to the area, and after picking up an offer from UA while on his trip the 'Cats could now see themselves as a big time player in his recruitment.
"That's big," he told GOAZCATS.com about getting an offer from Arizona. "I have a lot family down in Arizona and in Tucson, so they've been big motivators for me going to U of A. They want me to go there, and it wouldn't be a problem because I have family down there already.
"So I wouldn't feel like I'm so far away from home. It would be like a home away from home."
There was a time when Williams was going to wait until late in the process to make his decision, but now that he has had the opportunity to visit some more college campuses his feelings on that have somewhat changed now.
"I'm trying to get it out of the way early and hopefully before the season," he said. "I'd like to try and get it out of the way as early as I can."
Williams named Iowa, Ohio State, and Arizona State as the three other schools sticking out to him at this point in his recruiting process. With family giving him a little nudge in the direction of the Wildcats the big defensive end is one to keep an eye on as things move forward with his recruitment.
* Arizona has two commitments in the 2016 class with elite quarterback Shea Patterson being one of the two with his pledge already made. However, as the Shreveport (La.) Calvary Baptist has continued to improve and build on his skill set there have been plenty of programs that have come calling with offers.
Patterson once again had an impressive weekend as he took home MVP honors at the Pylon 7v7 event in Atlanta. The sophomore has really impressed many throughout the spring already and that has brought about plenty of attention.
"I just got an offer from Alabama," Patterson told Rivals.com. "Auburn, Ole Miss, Cal, Clemson ... all those schools are recruiting me right now and it's just good to compare all of those schools to Arizona."
Auburn is certainly one school to keep an eye on as things move forward with Patterson as the Tigers could become a real player in this thing as he continues to go through the process.
"I'm humbled to even receive an offer from them," he said about Auburn. "They're interested in me and I'm interested in them, and Auburn is a great school."
Even with that attention he remains committed to the Wildcats and right now the plan hasn't changed.
"It's still solid," Patterson said about his commitment. "Everything is still going good, and I'm 100 percent committed to them right now. I'm supposed be going down there this summer."
There is still a long way to go until Patterson makes things official with the program he does eventually stick with, but for now the Wildcats remain in the drivers seat when it comes to his decision.
Basketball recruiting
With the spring getting going now there will be plenty of opportunities for Arizona staff members to see recruits in action and to get some in-home visits in with some prospects as things move forward. Sean Miller's staff has already started the process of checking in on various recruits in the 2015 class, which will become the priority as things continue this spring.
The big evaluation weekend will take place in a couple weeks when the lone "live" period of the spring begins with tournaments all over the country. It will be a great opportunity for coaches to see recruits in action with their various travel teams as things really start to pick up with the 2015 class.
With so many recruits to keep tabs on many prospects have joined together on some of the more notable travel teams across the country. That always makes things easier on coaching staffs as it gives them a chance to evaluate more prospects at once.
* To make some sense of who Arizona will be watching most this spring and summer, here's a look at some of the more notable travel teams you should keep an eye on.
- Once again the No. 1 team to be concerned about this spring and summer is the Oakland Soliders. The team that has featured guys like Brandon Ashley, Aaron Gordon, Nick Johnson, and Stanley Johnson in the past is once again loaded with numerous new additions to its roster this year.
Ivan Rabb was the main attraction down low last season for the Soliders, and now the big-time Arizona target will be joined by another five-star big man in Stephen Zimmerman this time around. The Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman center makes the move after playing many years with the DreamVision program.
Joining that big man duo will be 2016 point guard Derryck Thornton, who most Wildcat fans should have become plenty familiar with by now. The Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep prospect is one of the top priorities for Arizona in the 2016 class and he will be the point guard for the Soldiers this season.
Another notable recruit new to the Soldiers' roster this season is Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout guard Rex Pflueger. The four-star recruit had previously played with the Compton Magic on the Adidas circuit, but he will join the Soldiers on the Nike circuit for his last go-around of the travel season.
- One team to keep an eye on over on the Adidas circuit is the DreamVision squad which will be led by five-star big man Chase Jeter from Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman. After playing a division lower for most of the season last year, Jeter will get a chance to be the go-to big man now with the squad after the departure of Zimmerman to the Soldiers.
Joining Jeter will be another Las Vegas-based Arizona target in Ray Smith. The big-time wing prospect has gained plenty of attention from a lot of different schools and Arizona is one of the programs right in there. Current UA commit Tyler Dorsey is also expected to play with DreamVision this year.
So with those prospects it's another program to watch as the spring and summer unfold.
- As always former Wildcat Miles Simon's California Supreme squad will be one to watch again this year. With four-star recruit Bennie Boatwright and big men MJ Cage and Cody Riley on the roster this season there is plenty of young talent up and down the list. Boatwright has really been a big name on the recruiting scene over the last year and he remains a prospect the Wildcats have their eye on heading into the spring.
- Along with those few teams mentioned above there are also recruits like Justin Simon and his Gamepoint squad that will definitely be seen by the Wildcats this spring to go along with a recruit like Chance Comanche who many programs will be watching this spring.
UA will undoubtedly be keeping an eye on numerous recruits throughout the country, and as always there will be new ones to emerge. It should be another exciting spring, and these are a few of the teams to keep a lookout for.
Now that spring camp is done, much of the focus will turn to the depth chart. Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez said he will meet with his quarterbacks individually this week and let them know exactly where they stand in the competition, but that will be kept confidential.
But after more than a month of practices and scrimmages, here is GOAZCATS.com's projected pecking order heading into the summer based on observations, plus notes on the position groups:
* Quarterbacks
Jesse Scroggins, Connor Brewer, Anu Solomon, Jerrard Randall and Nick Isham
Scroggins just looked like the best mix of the physical and mental aspects coming together. The fifth-year senior also proved he was athletic enough to run the ball. He just wasn't his sharpest on Saturday.
Brewer may be best described as solid. While his arm isn't quite as strong and he may not be as quick on his feet, there has been no denying his consistency. He looks more like a quality game manager.
Solomon is improved on the mental side but could still use some work there. After all, he is just a redshirt freshman. But he's got a capable arm and has deceptive athleticism that allows him to extend plays, perhaps better than anyone on the roster.
Randall may be the dark horse in this race. It is clear he has the arm strength and clear he has the best wheels. But there is a lack of accuracy and comfort in the system. He may have the most upside and talent in the group.
That looks like your top four, and a pretty solid one at that. Isham is smart enough but the physical talents are just far greater in the others.
More than last spring, the quarterbacks took more shots down the field and it's already clear this will be an attack heavily reliant on the pass.
* Running backs
Terris Jones-Grigsby, Zach Green and Pierre Cormier
Jones-Grigsby was ahead of the others, but that's because the experience of a fifth-year senior outweighs the redshirt freshmen. Green and Cormier, although used differently Saturday, look to be about even.
None of three blew anyone away and a healthy Jared Baker could be the favorite once the fall starts. But you also have to believe incoming freshman Nick Wilson will have a shot and it will be up to him how much he can learn and show in less than a month of camp.
Nobody was hurt more than early enrollee Jonathan Haden, who never got cleared by the NCAA and was forced to watch.
* Receivers
First group: Nate Phillips, Davonte' Neal, Samajie Grant and Austin Hill
Second group: Cayleb Jones, David Richards, Trey Griffey and T.J. Johnson
Third group: Garic Wharton, Johnny Jackson, Clive Georges
One thing worth noting: It was Griffey who ran with the first group for much of the spring, ahead of Jones. While Phillips missed most of spring, we will give him the benefit of the doubt for leading the team in receptions last season and there's no reason to believe the minor shoulder injury will linger.
Johnson missed the spring game with a sprained ankle suffered the night before, but he should be OK.
At first glance, those are 11 very capable names with a few that possess game-changing abilities. This group will go at least eight deep and will rotate bodies in and out freely and with confidence. The depth will prevent any hint of dropoff, in case of injury.
Among the first eight listed, you could legitimately make the case for each one of them to push for a starting job. It should be a highly competitive fall.
* Offensive line
Starters: Mickey Baucus, Fabbians Ebbele, Cayman Bundage, Jacob Alsadek and Steven Gurrola
Prominent backups: Lene Maiava, Jacob Arzouman, Carter Wood, Faitele Faafoi and T.D. Gross
This looks to be the most set group on the offense, with Alsadek owning the inside track on the starting job at right guard.
Depth is the bigger concern, although Maiava was essentially a sixth starter for the Wildcats. But there are plenty of options.
A previous lingering back injury limited JUCO transfer Kaige Lawrence for most of the spring, but he should be good to go for the summer. Missing a big chunk of the spring did hurt him, however.
There are three more offensive linemen set to arrive in the fall and four-star Jordan Poland could be one to watch at 6-8 and 335 pounds.
* Tight end
Josh Kern, Nolan Heyer and Aaron Lacombe
In short, this is incoming freshman Trevor Wood's job to win in the fall.
* Defensive line
First group: Reggie Gilbert, Jeff Worthy and Dan Pettinato
Second group: Jerod Cody, Dwight Melvin and Luca Bruno
Third group: Calvin Allen, Parker Zellers and Jack Banda
Now, this is a projection so this is overlooking the fact Melvin ran with the first team for the spring. Size is needed and Worthy is listed at 6-3 and 290 pounds. At the very least, Worthy will be getting on the field plenty in 2014.
Don't get so comfortable with the starting ends, either. Marcus Griffin is going to have a chance to earn a job, or at least contribute, and the early word is they would prefer him on the edge as opposed to inside.
* Linebackers
First group: Scooby Wright, DeAndre' Miller and Keoni Bush-Loo
Second group: Antonio Smothers, Hank Hobson and Jake Matthews
Third group: Cody Ippolito, Sir Thomas Jackson and Derrick Turituri
Wright has been playing on the inside at middle linebacker after spending his freshman year on the outside.
Beyond him, don't read too much into that order. For one, we didn't see enough of Turituri, who was limited by injury for parts of camp, and he could just as easily push for a backup or third-down pass rushing role.
Miller and Matthews enjoyed a strong spring, and Smothers will be one to watch in the fall now that he has one camp and some experience with the system under his belt.
This should be a decent group, but one that could use an impact freshman. Look for Jamardre Cobb or Marquis Ware, if he doesn't end up on the line, to add some quality competition.
* Cornerbacks
Jonathan McKnight and Devin Holiday
Prominent backup: Patrick Glover
McKnight and Holiday spent all camp as the top two corners, but Glover showed some good promise in the spring game. The 6-2, 212-pound JUCO transfer is going to be the biggest corner on the roster.
But the competition will really get going in the fall, when Kwesi Mashack and Cameron Denson get into camp. Denson may have a better shot to see time in the secondary than at wide receiver as a true freshman, but he will compete at both spots.
Don't sleep on Mashack, who could prove to be a physical presence.
* Safeties
Tra'Mayne Bondurant, Jared Tevis and Jourdon Grandon
Prominent backups: Will Parks and Tellas Jones
First, one of the names missing is Anthony Lopez, but only because he missed all of camp with an injury.
Grandon is the leader of this group at free safety. With Tevis out of position during the spring game, the fifth-year senior had no issues telling him so and being vocal with instruction.
The battle between Parks and Tevis at the bandit will be the tightest race among the three spots. Parks has already been given the fourth starter tag, and for good reason.
Others who showed some promise this spring include: David Price and Derek Babiash, who split time at corner and free safety but will be more of the latter moving forward.
An incoming freshman to look out for will be Rodney Carr.
* Special teams
Place-kicker: Jack Flatau and Casey Skowron
Punter: Drew Riggleman and Michael Unzicker
Return game: Davonte' Neal and T.J. Johnson
The kicking game missed Skowron for a good portion of the spring as he dealt with a hip flexor injury. But the answer, perhaps at both spots, will eventually be Josh Pollack.
There was little done in terms of kick and punt returns, but your two most explosive athletes in open space have the best shot. Also look for Denson and a few others coming in to get a look.
* Before the end of spring camp, RichRod also mentioned that among his possible two-way candidates would be receiver Cayleb Jones, who could see a shot as a safety in special situations.
Basketball
* In the wee hours as Sunday turned into Monday, Yahoo Sports filed the story we all were just waiting to become official.
Aaron Gordon will forgo his remaining three years of eligibility and announce this week that he will enter the 2014 NBA draft. Early indications are that he could land between No. 4 and 8 in the June 26 draft.
* For whatever it's worth, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson joined a fraternity last night and posted a picture on his Instagram account.
The buzz surrounding Nick Johnson is still that he will join Gordon and leave.
* Boston College transfer Ryan Anderson said in a text message to GOAZCATS.com on Sunday afternoon that his talk with Arizona head coach Sean Miller did happen this past week, shortly after the interest from the program.
But Anderson declined to elaborate, saying: "I've talked to him but I would not like to talk about my recruitment right now. I would like to keep my recruitment quiet for right now until I decide on a good place for me."
Earlier in the week, Anderson confirmed that Indiana, Iowa State, New Mexico, San Diego State and Washington also had been in contact and he was open to hearing from more schools.
The junior will sit out a year and rehabilitate a right shoulder injury that he played through during the entire 2013-14 season.
And now here's recruiting editor Matt Moreno with this week's recruiting breakdown:
Now it's time for the fun to begin again. Arizona wrapped up spring practice over the weekend with its spring game at Arizona Stadium and there were plenty of recruits on hand to watch the 'Cats in action for the last time this spring. Beginning Tuesday Arizona's coaches can begin hitting the road to watch prospects all across the country as they participate in their own spring practice, so the coming weeks could change plenty when it comes to who gets new offers and who starts to earn even more attention from Rich Rodriguez's staff.
We'll have more with some of the recruits who visited Arizona over the weekend who also expect the UA coaching staff to stop by and see them in the coming weeks.
On the hoops side of things the action is starting to pick up on the travel circuit as most teams participated in their first events over the weekend. There will be plenty of Easter tournaments as well and then the following weekend will be the lone "live" evaluation weekend of the spring.
We'll take a look at some of the teams you should be keeping an eye on this spring when it comes to prospects high on Arizona's radar at this point.
With plenty to discuss as always here's this week's recruiting portion of the War Room.
Football recruiting
Arizona finished up spring camp with its spring game on Saturday and there were numerous recruits on hand for the event. Now with a big 7-on-7 tournament taking place in California over the weekend there were plenty of recruits who weren't able to make it out, but there others who did take in the event.
* One in-state prospect who was able to watch UA's practice and pick up an offer in the process was three-star defensive end Caleb Peart from Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton. The 6-foot recruit made the trip down, and although he wasn't expecting an offer just yet he was pleased to earn his latest one from the Wildcats after picking up an offer from Yale shortly before that.
"It wasn't really one I was expecting," Peart said. "Coach (Charlie) Ragle said they were probably going to offer me soon, but I didn't know exactly when. So I decided to go down for the spring game and check it out for myself since I didn't get to make if for the first junior day. Right when I went down there everything went well, and coach Rod (Rodriguez) gave me the offer.
"It sort of shocked me that it happened then, because I thought it would happen maybe a week or two later. I definitely enjoyed my time there."
Now that Peart has an offer from both in-state schools he will continue to evaluate both of those options with the many other offers he holds at this point. Since he has no timetable for a decision yet, the three-star prospect said he's going to give the Wildcats a good look as things move forward with his process.
"I'm definitely going to look at both ASU and U of A," he said. "And for me it's not about the fact that U of A offered after ASU or any of that. I'm just going to look at which school fits me best and whatever school is going to X, Y, and Z. So there's still plenty of time, and right now I'm still looking."
* Another recruit who made the trip to Tucson to see the Wildcats visited UA earlier in the week as well. Yuma (Ariz.) Arizona Western defensive back Paul Magloire and a couple of his teammates made an unofficial visit to UA during the week, and then the group made a return trip after their own practice for Saturday's spring game.
Seeing the team in action gave the 6-foot-2 recruit a chance to see the defense in action and get a better glimpse of what could become his future home. At this point Magloire doesn't hold an offer from the Wildcats, but he's hopeful that he can pick one up within the next few weeks as the UA coaching staff hits the road to check out various prospects.
"A couple of our other guys went out to U of A and then they had me come as well," Magloire said of his trip last week. "It was a bond that started with meeting coach Rodriguez and the rest of he staff, and then I kind of wound up getting on their board. That's really how it got started, it kind of kicked off from there.
"So now they're interested and I'm interested, and now they just want to see me in person after seeing my film. Now they want to put two and two together, and if everything checks out I should be having an offer within the next week or so when they come out here."
* One recruit to keep an eye on also recently visited with Arizona. Chicago (Ill.) Gordon Tech defensive end recruit Raequan Williams. The three-star prospect has been making the rounds in recent weeks taking visits to campuses across the country, and a couple weekends ago was his Arizona swing. Along with stopping by Arizona State, the 6-foot-6 prospect also stopped by to watch the Wildcats practice.
Williams has some family ties to the area, and after picking up an offer from UA while on his trip the 'Cats could now see themselves as a big time player in his recruitment.
"That's big," he told GOAZCATS.com about getting an offer from Arizona. "I have a lot family down in Arizona and in Tucson, so they've been big motivators for me going to U of A. They want me to go there, and it wouldn't be a problem because I have family down there already.
"So I wouldn't feel like I'm so far away from home. It would be like a home away from home."
There was a time when Williams was going to wait until late in the process to make his decision, but now that he has had the opportunity to visit some more college campuses his feelings on that have somewhat changed now.
"I'm trying to get it out of the way early and hopefully before the season," he said. "I'd like to try and get it out of the way as early as I can."
Williams named Iowa, Ohio State, and Arizona State as the three other schools sticking out to him at this point in his recruiting process. With family giving him a little nudge in the direction of the Wildcats the big defensive end is one to keep an eye on as things move forward with his recruitment.
* Arizona has two commitments in the 2016 class with elite quarterback Shea Patterson being one of the two with his pledge already made. However, as the Shreveport (La.) Calvary Baptist has continued to improve and build on his skill set there have been plenty of programs that have come calling with offers.
Patterson once again had an impressive weekend as he took home MVP honors at the Pylon 7v7 event in Atlanta. The sophomore has really impressed many throughout the spring already and that has brought about plenty of attention.
"I just got an offer from Alabama," Patterson told Rivals.com. "Auburn, Ole Miss, Cal, Clemson ... all those schools are recruiting me right now and it's just good to compare all of those schools to Arizona."
Auburn is certainly one school to keep an eye on as things move forward with Patterson as the Tigers could become a real player in this thing as he continues to go through the process.
"I'm humbled to even receive an offer from them," he said about Auburn. "They're interested in me and I'm interested in them, and Auburn is a great school."
Even with that attention he remains committed to the Wildcats and right now the plan hasn't changed.
"It's still solid," Patterson said about his commitment. "Everything is still going good, and I'm 100 percent committed to them right now. I'm supposed be going down there this summer."
There is still a long way to go until Patterson makes things official with the program he does eventually stick with, but for now the Wildcats remain in the drivers seat when it comes to his decision.
Basketball recruiting
With the spring getting going now there will be plenty of opportunities for Arizona staff members to see recruits in action and to get some in-home visits in with some prospects as things move forward. Sean Miller's staff has already started the process of checking in on various recruits in the 2015 class, which will become the priority as things continue this spring.
The big evaluation weekend will take place in a couple weeks when the lone "live" period of the spring begins with tournaments all over the country. It will be a great opportunity for coaches to see recruits in action with their various travel teams as things really start to pick up with the 2015 class.
With so many recruits to keep tabs on many prospects have joined together on some of the more notable travel teams across the country. That always makes things easier on coaching staffs as it gives them a chance to evaluate more prospects at once.
* To make some sense of who Arizona will be watching most this spring and summer, here's a look at some of the more notable travel teams you should keep an eye on.
- Once again the No. 1 team to be concerned about this spring and summer is the Oakland Soliders. The team that has featured guys like Brandon Ashley, Aaron Gordon, Nick Johnson, and Stanley Johnson in the past is once again loaded with numerous new additions to its roster this year.
Ivan Rabb was the main attraction down low last season for the Soliders, and now the big-time Arizona target will be joined by another five-star big man in Stephen Zimmerman this time around. The Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman center makes the move after playing many years with the DreamVision program.
Joining that big man duo will be 2016 point guard Derryck Thornton, who most Wildcat fans should have become plenty familiar with by now. The Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep prospect is one of the top priorities for Arizona in the 2016 class and he will be the point guard for the Soldiers this season.
Another notable recruit new to the Soldiers' roster this season is Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout guard Rex Pflueger. The four-star recruit had previously played with the Compton Magic on the Adidas circuit, but he will join the Soldiers on the Nike circuit for his last go-around of the travel season.
- One team to keep an eye on over on the Adidas circuit is the DreamVision squad which will be led by five-star big man Chase Jeter from Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman. After playing a division lower for most of the season last year, Jeter will get a chance to be the go-to big man now with the squad after the departure of Zimmerman to the Soldiers.
Joining Jeter will be another Las Vegas-based Arizona target in Ray Smith. The big-time wing prospect has gained plenty of attention from a lot of different schools and Arizona is one of the programs right in there. Current UA commit Tyler Dorsey is also expected to play with DreamVision this year.
So with those prospects it's another program to watch as the spring and summer unfold.
- As always former Wildcat Miles Simon's California Supreme squad will be one to watch again this year. With four-star recruit Bennie Boatwright and big men MJ Cage and Cody Riley on the roster this season there is plenty of young talent up and down the list. Boatwright has really been a big name on the recruiting scene over the last year and he remains a prospect the Wildcats have their eye on heading into the spring.
- Along with those few teams mentioned above there are also recruits like Justin Simon and his Gamepoint squad that will definitely be seen by the Wildcats this spring to go along with a recruit like Chance Comanche who many programs will be watching this spring.
UA will undoubtedly be keeping an eye on numerous recruits throughout the country, and as always there will be new ones to emerge. It should be another exciting spring, and these are a few of the teams to keep a lookout for.
