As the 2018 recruiting cycle picks up, more football players in Tucson are getting major-college attention than at any time in the past few years.
Amphitheater offensive lineman David Watson and Cienega quarterback Jamarye Joiner have already committed to Arizona, and Salpointe Catholic offensive lineman Matteo Mele has offers from Arizona, Oregon, UCLA and others.
Mountain View defensive lineman Kai Golden holds offers from Virginia and New Mexico State.
One of the most highly recruited players in the area, though, isnβt even technically from The Old Pueblo.
Pima College linebacker Bryant Pirtle recently received a scholarship offer from Arizona. Pirtle originally hails from Louisville, Kentucky. He committed to Western Kentucky out of high school but wound up starting off his career in junior college.
Pirtle began at a community college in Mississippi, but flipped to Pima before last season.
βI didnβt really like itβ in Mississippi, Pirtle said, βand my dad found the coach, and that got me to Pima.β
UA assistant Calvin Magee recently offered Pirtle his first Pac-12 scholarship. The linebacker said it was βpretty coolβ to get that offer, βespecially with it being down the road from the school Iβm at now.β
Pima struggled in 2016, finishing 3-6. Pirtle ended the season with 29 tackles and 4Ζ sacks.
Beyond making his college decision, Pirtle said the focus in his last season in junior college is getting Pima back to winning games.
βI really just want to improve our play as a team,β he said. βWe have to perform better than we did last year.β
Itβs no secret that Arizona needs depth at the linebacker position. Pirtle, listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 225 pounds, would help in that regard, though it wonβt be easy for the Wildcats to keep Pirtle in Tucson.
Earlier this month, Louisville offered Pirtle a scholarship.
βIt was pretty cool,β said Pirtle, a former star at DeSales High School in Louisville. βI didnβt really expect it when they did, but it was awesome to get an offer from back home.β
That doesnβt necessarily make Louisville a lock, though Pirtle said the idea of playing close to home sounds appealing.
βI mean yeah it does,β he said, βbut I havenβt really been thinking about that. Iβve just been focusing on class and making sure I graduate on time.β
Wildcats loading up on Defensive linemen
Arizonaβs defensive line has been a problem area for much of the Rich Rodriguez era at Arizona. The UA staff is trying to rectify that problem.
Arizona will welcome defensive ends My-King Johnson and Jalen Harris in the fall; defensive tackles Sione Taufahema and Kurtis Brown will join them.
UA received its first 2018 defensive line commitment Wednesday, when Adam Plant of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High School verbally committed. Plant is 6-4, 240-pounder who Scout.com rates as a three-star recruit. He held offers from Penn State and USC at the time he committed to the UA.
“The coaches told me that I will have a chance to be a pass rusher for them right away as long as I am willing to work hard,” Plant told Scout.com.
Arizona isnβt done. Coaches have 15 scholarship offers out to defensive linemen for 2018, with more coming. Some of the top targets include Tyler Manoa (Mountain View, California), Jonathan Lolohea (Copiah-Lincoln CC in Wesson, Mississippi) and Paul Maile (Salt Lake City).
Manoa recently listed Arizona as one of his top five schools, along with California, Colorado, Utah and BYU.
