Top prospect Nathan Tilford hustling to finish coursework, join Arizona Wildcats

At this point, the story of Arizona’s 2016 struggles is well-worn.

The injuries, the lack of depth, the poor performance, the off-field issues …

And that’s just the running backs.

Starter Nick Wilson struggled to stay on the field, freshman phenom J.J. Taylor broke his ankle, and Orlando Bradford was charged with a dozen felonies and kicked off the team.

It’s why Samajie Grant, a converted receiver, took over the position late in the season.

Enter Nathan Tilford — and, finally, a reason for optimism.

The four-star running back will join Arizona next week as an early enrollee, Tilford told the Star on Tuesday. He’ll take part in spring drills and could see significant reps. It’s unclear if either Wilson or Taylor will be available for spring ball. If they aren’t, Tilford and senior Zach Green would be the only scholarship running backs eligible to practice.

Tilford said he is still finishing up classwork, but is on track to move to Tucson on Sunday. Tilford said he’ll likely room with quarterback Braxton Burmeister, a fellow 2017 recruit, in the freshman dorms.

Arizona’s spring semester begins on Jan. 11.

“I’m just trying to get some of this stuff done and get ready to be a Wildcat,” Tilford said.

Tilford’s addition still comes as positive news in a tumultuous offseason. Cornerbacks coach Donté Williams left the UA for Nebraska, starting a chain reaction that led to a string of decommitments, most notably from four-star athlete Greg Johnson.

Johnson’s departure left Tilford as Arizona’s highest-rated recruit. The Scout.com recruiting service pegs him as the No. 4 athlete in the West.

USC made a late push to reel in Tilford, a star at Ontario, California’s Colony High School, but the running back stuck with his verbal commitment. He is one of six recruits who plan to start college this month: Burmeister, linebackers Tony Fields and Jose Ramirez and tight end Bryce Gilbert will begin their freshman course work. Defensive lineman Sione Taufahema, a transfer from College of the Canyons, signed his letter of intent in December and is to join the team next week.

Tilford has been rushing to finish up his high school courses, something he calls “pretty stressful.”

“I wake up really early going to class, hours before everybody else,” he said. “Oh my gosh, it’s stressful. But I got work to get done. I’ll be good.”

Early enrollment is “going to be tremendous for him,” said Steve Randall, Tilford’s high school coach.

“He’s a quick study. Whatever his weaknesses are, he’s going to work 24/7 to get better.

“I think he’ll be full speed, ready to go, understanding everything by the time fall rolls around.”

Extra points

Running back Najee Harris is the top-rated player in the class of 2017, according to Scout.com.

Harris is reportedly considering Alabama and Michigan, and will officially pick next week when he enrolls early.

Should Harris pick Michigan, a domino effect could lead to four-star running back O’Maury Samuels to reopen his recruitment. Arizona coaches have been after Samuels, a product of Los Lunas, New Mexico, despite his commitment to the Wolverines.

He visited the UA in late October.

UA commit Austin Faoliu, a three-star defensive lineman, received an offer from Baylor on Monday night. Arizona State, Washington State, Michigan State and Illinois have all offered Faoliu scholarships since he committed to the Wildcats in September. Faoliu plans to visit Michigan State soon, Scout.com reported.