Less than two months remain until Feb. 1 National Signing Day, and the Arizona Wildcats have a lot of work to do.
Rich Rodriguez and his staff will try to add to a recruiting class that’s already among the conference’s best.
The Wildcats have no shortage of targets with the clock ticking down. Here’s a look at some players Arizona might still try to bring into the fold. All ratings are according to Scout.com.
High-Priority Targets
- CB Thomas Graham (Rancho Cucamonga, California)
- LB Antjuan Simmons (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
- LB Patrick Macon (Arizona Western College)
- OL Adrian Ealy (Gonzales, Louisiana)
- RB O’Maury Samuels (Los Lunas, New Mexico)
Thomas Graham (4 stars) has been a top target since the moment Rodriguez revamped his defensive coaching staff after last season. Arizona’s chances dipped slightly when Donté Williams left for Nebraska this week, but the UA is still in pursuit. Expect Graham to choose between Arizona, Nebraska and Notre Dame. The Wildcats have been pushing for Antjuan Simmons since the season, even after he committed to Ohio State. Simmons has since reopened his recruitment, and is visiting Arizona’s campus this weekend. The linebacker would be a huge get. Arizona will have to stave off Michigan State. Patrick Macon (3 stars) is a big (6-3, 235 pounds) hard-hitting inside linebacker — a junior college transfer who can play right away at a position of need. He’s visiting this weekend too, and is also considering Oklahoma State; Adrian Ealy (4 stars) has offers from just about everyone, yet visited Kansas recently and is in Arizona this weekend. Hard to get a read on his situation, but Arizona needs offensive linemen; O’Maury Samuels (4 stars) is a Michigan commit who visited the Wildcats during the season. Arizona badly needs future depth at running back.
On the board
- DT Sione Taufahema (College of the Canyons)
- OG Desmond Bland (Arizona Western College)
- OT Isiah Moore (Mesa CC)
- OL Orlando Umana (Sacramento, California)
- OT Nick Ford (San Pedro, California)
Arizona is targeting a lot of offensive and defensive linemen to fill out its 2017 class. The Wildcats desperately need interior strength and size, which Sione Taufahema (6-2, 310, 2 stars) brings from College of the Canyons, a junior college in Santa Clarita, California. He’s visiting this weekend and could commit; Isiah Moore is committed to Boise State, but Arizona offered recently and persuaded him to visit this weekend. Arizona has been pursuing quite a few junior college players recently, and Desmond Bland was a part of that wave; Orlando Umana (3 stars) visited last weekend, and Washington is believed to be the favorite for him but Umana told Scout.com that he enjoyed his visit to Tucson; Nick Ford (3 stars) was offered in October and had said he planned to visit the Wildcats.
Still chasing
- OL Austin Jackson (Phoenix North Canyon)
- CB Jaylon Redd (Rancho Cucamonga, California)
- DE Odua Isibor (Phoenix St. Mary’s)
- OT Jax Wacaser (Scottsdale Saguaro)
Austin Jackson (5 stars) is the top-rated recruit in Arizona, and the Wildcats are still trying for him, but they’ve long been a longshot; Jaylon Redd (4 stars) committed to Oregon’s previous staff, and Marcel Yates visited with him recently, but a flip to UA is still unlikely; Arizona was Odua Isibor’s (3 stars) first offer, but since he’s blown up as a recruit and has seemingly pushed the Wildcats aside. Arizona offered Jax Wacaser (3 stars) a scholarship late in the season, and he’s added quite a few Pac-12 offers. The Wildcats seem unlikely to land him.
Other names to remember: DT Malik Young (Eastern Arizona), DE Jonathan Lolohea (Los Angeles Valley College), LB Isaac Slade-Matautia (Honolulu, Hawaii), RB Miles Reed (Corona, California), DE Ali Gaye (Edmonds, Washington), OL Tucker Robertson (Simi Valley, California), K Spencer Evans (Tarrant County College)
