Former Arizona Wildcats quarterback Anu Solomon is expected to transfer to Baylor, according to a published report and Star sources.
Solomon, the fourth-leading passer in UA history, announced in December that he planned to switch schools. As a graduate transfer, Solomon would be eligible to play immediately for the Bears or any other FBS team.
The recruiting website 247Sports reported Monday afternoon that Solomon is headed to Baylor. He recently requested a letter of recommendation from Arizona. Baylor began spring classes Monday.
Solomon started for the Wildcats in 2014 and β15 and began this past season as the starter. However, he suffered a knee injury in practice four days after the opener and made only one additional start, against Oregon State on Nov. 19. (Solomon was unable to finish the game because of a foot injury.)
He appeared in five games in all, completing 58.7 percent of his passes for 462 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Solomon was engaged in a lengthy battle for playing time with Brandon Dawkins, who took over the job in Solomonβs absence. Dawkins will be entering his redshirt-junior season. The only other scholarship quarterback currently on the roster is Khalil Tate, who will be a sophomore next season.
Baylor is in the midst of a coaching transition, having hired Matt Rhule from Temple in early December. Rhule replaced Jim Grobe, who served as interim coach after the May 2016 firing of Art Briles.
Baylor had two true freshmen atop its quarterback depth chart for the Dec. 27 Cactus Bowl against Boise State. Zach Smith passed for 375 yards and three touchdowns in the Bearsβ 31-12 victory.
Smith started Baylorβs final four games after senior Seth Russell suffered a season-ending ankle injury. Smith would be Solomonβs primary competition for playing time after passing for 1,526 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games.
Solomon ended his UA career ranking in the schoolβs top four in total offense (7,359), passing yards (6,922) and touchdown passes (49).
Ippolito to Utah
Former Arizona Wildcats linebacker Cody Ippolito has transferred to Utah.
Ippolito enrolled at the school last week. He is seeking a sixth year of eligibility after missing two full seasons and most of last year because of knee injuries.
Utah already has begun that process with the NCAA, according to a source close to the situation.
βPlaying my last season at University of Utah,β Ippolito tweeted Monday afternoon. βWant to thank Coach (Kyle) Whittingham for taking me into their program.β
Ippolito committed to Utah as a senior at Scottsdale Chaparral before landing at Arizona, where he accumulated 80 tackles, including 10.5 for losses, in parts of three seasons.
Ippolito started five of the first six games in 2016 after missing the β15 season because of a knee injury. He suffered another season-ending knee injury in the sixth game at Utahβs Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Despite multiple ACL injuries β three at Arizona and one in high school β Ippolito is expected to make a full recovery and be able to contribute for the Utes next season.
Ippolito wanted to play his sixth year at Arizona, but Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez had reservations about Ippolito playing again after multiple knee surgeries. Rodriguez agreed to grant Ippolito his release without restrictions, which enabled him to transfer to a Pac-12 South rival.
Utah listed two juniors atop its season-ending linebacker depth chart: Sunia Tauteoli and Kavika Luafatasaga. The Utes primarily play a 4-2-5 defense.
Kenny no longer a Wildcat
In other linebacker news, John Kenny, who had 39 tackles in 12 games (four starts) for the UA last year, is no longer with the program.
Kenny transferred to Arizona from Iowa, sat out the 2015 season and played the β16 season as a walk-on. A redshirt junior last year, Kenny is getting his degree and moving on to other opportunities.
It is believed that Kenny would have remained at Arizona if the school had offered him a scholarship.
The Wildcats will have an almost completely rebuilt linebacking corps in 2017 under new position coach Scott Boone.
The five leading tacklers among linebackers β Paul Magloire Jr., Michael Barton, Kenny, Jake Matthews and Ippolito β are no longer with the team. Among the returnees, only senior DeAndreβ Miller has any substantial experience.
Among the nine linebackers listed on the current roster, only four are known to be on scholarship: Miller, Brandon Rutt, Jacob Colacion and Kahi Neves.
Rutt, a redshirt junior, is a former walk-on. He had 19 tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception in part-time duty last season. Colacion and Neves redshirted as freshmen.
Arizonaβs incoming recruiting class includes five linebackers: Joshua Brown, Tony Fields, Jose Ramirez, Colin Schooler and Kylan Wilborn. Fields and Ramirez are expected to begin school this week and participate in spring practice.
Opportunity for Magloire
Magloire has accepted an invitation to the East-West Shrine Game. He will play in the Jan. 21 showcase in St. Petersburg, Florida. He had been preparing for Sundayβs Tropical Bowl in Daytona Beach but will participate in the higher-profile East-West Shrine Game instead.
Arizona receiver Trey Griffey also is scheduled to participate in the East-West Shrine Game. The NFL Network will broadcast the game, which begins at 1 p.m. Arizona time.
