I'll post this here so that it is less public and gets the least amount of people angry, but now that I've had a chance to see who ended up at Arizona how things are shaping up heading into the new season I thought I'd post my top five favorite recruits in the class in terms of what I think they can eventually become by the end of their careers. It's definitely open to interpretation and we won't know anything until three or four years down the line, but I've watched a lot of these guys in person and have a good idea of the types of players they are.
1. Nathan Tilford: This one is pretty self explanatory, but I haven't come across an Arizona commit when he was in high school who looked like Tilford looks before he gets into the strength and conditioning program. He looks like the type of prospect you see who eventually ends up at a school like Alabama. He just looks different. I do think he has things to work on and my concern about him is his running style. It's a big different and it's not smooth, but if he can get that ironed out so it's a bit more streamlined he has the chance to be very good. He relied a lot on simply being bigger and running over players in high school, so being able to make the right reads and cuts will be important for him in college, but his upside is crazy.
2. My-King Johnson: I'm a big fan of Johnson and he won me over against Rhett Rodriguez and Catalina Foothills. Similar to Tilford he simply looks the part. To me he looks like what you see most high-level defensive ends looking like when they are in high school. He is a bit thin but the rest of it is there. The height, the speed and the instincts are all there. I legitimately believe he ends up becoming an all-conference type of player at Arizona as long as he can put on some weight and adjust well to the next level. The most impressive element of his game to me is his ability to shed blocks and stay in plays. That is something that Arizona's defensive linemen have struggled with, but that should start to change with this new group.
3. Jalen Harris: Now a lot of my decision here is based on what is to come and not necessarily what you will see right away. Harris is going to need a bit of weight or else he's going to get eaten up by college offensive tackles. His speed off the line is going to help him in certain instances, but beefing up will go a long way toward making him the player all the coaches that came after him feel he can be in a few years. You can't teach speed off the ball like he has and that is his advantage along with his length. The issue right now is he's skinny and he looks skinny even in pads. As long as he can get the work in the weight room that is needed he has a chance to be just as much of a force as Johnson and maybe even surpass him when all is said and done.
4. Colin Schooler: Everyone knows where I stand on Schooler. I still have no idea why other programs didn't decide to offer, but they missed out on one heck of a player. Gritty and smart, he is going to be a big-time player for the 'Cats in my opinion. I don't like the Scooby comparison because it puts too much on him coming out of the gate and Scooby did things that not a lot of players have done. Still, I think the flat out energy and playmaking ability Arizona is going to get from Schooler is going to be pretty big. He's a little more advanced physically than I think people realize and that is going to help him early on. Add that to his football smarts and it should mean some really good things for Arizona moving forward.
5. Tony Fields II: Getting out early is going to be big for Fields and in the pas that has generally meant playing as a freshman. I've said this before, but the feeling I get watching him is that he is what Arizona always hoped Tellas Jones could have been if he was able to stay on the field consistently and if he would have been a little bit bigger. Fields is somewhere between a linebacker and safety size wise, but he has all the same skills that Jones has and is maybe starting off further ahead. He's a big hitter, but he can also cover which will help with defending the middle of the field where Arizona has had issues in the past when it comes to teams working that element of the passing game. If he would have been a true safety there would have been even more schools on his list, but I think the fit is a good one for what Arizona wants to do.
So that's my list ... feel free to pick it apart or give your own suggestions. I just wanted to give my take on the class now that things have died down from Signing Day.
1. Nathan Tilford: This one is pretty self explanatory, but I haven't come across an Arizona commit when he was in high school who looked like Tilford looks before he gets into the strength and conditioning program. He looks like the type of prospect you see who eventually ends up at a school like Alabama. He just looks different. I do think he has things to work on and my concern about him is his running style. It's a big different and it's not smooth, but if he can get that ironed out so it's a bit more streamlined he has the chance to be very good. He relied a lot on simply being bigger and running over players in high school, so being able to make the right reads and cuts will be important for him in college, but his upside is crazy.
2. My-King Johnson: I'm a big fan of Johnson and he won me over against Rhett Rodriguez and Catalina Foothills. Similar to Tilford he simply looks the part. To me he looks like what you see most high-level defensive ends looking like when they are in high school. He is a bit thin but the rest of it is there. The height, the speed and the instincts are all there. I legitimately believe he ends up becoming an all-conference type of player at Arizona as long as he can put on some weight and adjust well to the next level. The most impressive element of his game to me is his ability to shed blocks and stay in plays. That is something that Arizona's defensive linemen have struggled with, but that should start to change with this new group.
3. Jalen Harris: Now a lot of my decision here is based on what is to come and not necessarily what you will see right away. Harris is going to need a bit of weight or else he's going to get eaten up by college offensive tackles. His speed off the line is going to help him in certain instances, but beefing up will go a long way toward making him the player all the coaches that came after him feel he can be in a few years. You can't teach speed off the ball like he has and that is his advantage along with his length. The issue right now is he's skinny and he looks skinny even in pads. As long as he can get the work in the weight room that is needed he has a chance to be just as much of a force as Johnson and maybe even surpass him when all is said and done.
4. Colin Schooler: Everyone knows where I stand on Schooler. I still have no idea why other programs didn't decide to offer, but they missed out on one heck of a player. Gritty and smart, he is going to be a big-time player for the 'Cats in my opinion. I don't like the Scooby comparison because it puts too much on him coming out of the gate and Scooby did things that not a lot of players have done. Still, I think the flat out energy and playmaking ability Arizona is going to get from Schooler is going to be pretty big. He's a little more advanced physically than I think people realize and that is going to help him early on. Add that to his football smarts and it should mean some really good things for Arizona moving forward.
5. Tony Fields II: Getting out early is going to be big for Fields and in the pas that has generally meant playing as a freshman. I've said this before, but the feeling I get watching him is that he is what Arizona always hoped Tellas Jones could have been if he was able to stay on the field consistently and if he would have been a little bit bigger. Fields is somewhere between a linebacker and safety size wise, but he has all the same skills that Jones has and is maybe starting off further ahead. He's a big hitter, but he can also cover which will help with defending the middle of the field where Arizona has had issues in the past when it comes to teams working that element of the passing game. If he would have been a true safety there would have been even more schools on his list, but I think the fit is a good one for what Arizona wants to do.
So that's my list ... feel free to pick it apart or give your own suggestions. I just wanted to give my take on the class now that things have died down from Signing Day.
