Arizona didn't expect to have too much drama on signing day.
Of course, that's not possible.
First, Arizona added running back Gary Brightwell into the fold. The two-star running back — from Middleton, Delaware — had previously been committed to Temple. Brightwell visited Arizona recently but never announced receiving a scholarship offer.
Shortly after, offensive lineman Cody Shear announced that he was signing with Oregon. This news was somewhat shocking considering Shear told the Star on Monday night that, despite the late push from Oregon, he was happily committed to Arizona and had planned to sign with the Wildcats. As of Monday night, Oregon had yet to offer Shear a scholarship.
Steve Mims of the Register-Guard reported Shear as saying he received the scholarship offer at 7 a.m. this morning.
Both news items are significant for 2017 recruiting purposes. First, Arizona desperately needed depth at running back after the struggles of last season that saw two different converted receivers — Samajie Grant and Tyrell Johnson — toting the ball at different points. Arizona has the injury prone Nick Wilson, undersized J.J. Taylor, incoming four-star freshman Nathan Tilford and fifth-year senior Zach Green. Now, Arizona adds Brightwell.
As for Shear, the Wildcats are set to lose three starting offensive linemen after the 2017 season, and the loss of Shear leaves the Wildcats with just one offensive lineman coming in this class: Las Vegas product Edgar Burrola. It's still possible Arizona adds an offensive lineman, either a new recruit or via the graduate transfer route.
For more about Signing Day, be sure to check out our live blog.
