With signing day near, what's left for the Arizona Wildcats to do for 2017?
- Updated
The Wildcats have 25 players committed to the 2017 class heading into Wednesday’s signing day festivities, with five of them already enrolled at the school.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
A year ago, Arizona’s overhauled coaching staff scrambled to fill out a recruiting class on short notice.
The Wildcats were coming off a rash of decommitments from the month prior and only had 15 players committed. By signing day, the Wildcats’ class grew to 20.
Chacho Ulloa was a former Stanford commit, Jalen Cochran was thought to be leaning toward Michigan State, Josh Allen had already decommitted from Arizona once, Lorenzo Burns was choosing between Arizona and Cal. Shawn Poindexter wasn’t even on Arizona’s radar.
All five picked the Wildcats in the end.
This year feels a little less dramatic.
The Wildcats have 25 players committed to the 2017 class heading into Wednesday’s signing day festivities, with five of them already enrolled at the school. UA coaches are still in pursuit of a few new players, and trying to fend off other schools for a couple commits.
“I think they’re going to have a top-20 class and they went 3-9,” Pac-12 Networks analyst Yogi Roth said. “That’s impressive.”
Here are some questions Arizona must answer before Wednesday:
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Each school is only allowed to add 25 scholarship players per recruiting cycle. Even though Arizona has 25 players committed, there are five slots still free.
That’s because Arizona added running back Nathan Tilford, defensive lineman Sione Taufahema, tight end Bryce Gilbert and linebackers Tony Fields and Jose Ramirez as early enrollees. All will technically count toward the 2016 class’ scholarship count.
The Wildcats will likely add between two and four more players to its class by Wednesday, though that number could change should any current commits flip elsewhere. The UA could use some help at wide receiver, quarterback (more on that below), offensive line and interior defensive line. Coaches are focusing on:
- Chris Green, a three-star defensive lineman from Los Angeles.
- Travell Harris, a two-star receiver from Tampa, Florida.
- Gary Brightwell, a two-star running back from Middletown, Delaware.
- Ryan Stonehouse, a three-star punter from Santa Ana, California.
- Chris Martinez, a three-star offensive lineman from Turlock, California.
The Wildcats could also add a graduate transfer. Coaches are focusing on Oregon receiver Jalen Brown, an Arizona native who would be eligible to play right away.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Injuries decimated Arizona’s quarterback position to the point that a third-string tight end (Matt Morin) and a walk-on (Zach Werlinger) received significant snaps in 2016, and true freshman Khalil Tate was forced to burn his redshirt.
Now Anu Solomon has transferred to Baylor and longtime UA commit Braxton Burmeister flipped to Oregon. While Catalina Foothills product Rhett Rodriguez is still committed, the 2016 season proved that Arizona needs more than three quarterbacks.
The Wildcats recently offered Nick Tronti, a two-star QB from Ponte Vedra, Florida, but he chose Indiana.
Coaches have been in contact with Marvin Washington, though they’ve yet to offer him a scholarship. The two-star quarterback from Orlando, Florida, recently decommitted from Central Florida.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Don’t expect UA coach Rich Rodriguez to invite Oregon coach Willie Taggart to his lakehouse in Georgia anytime soon.
Taggart has stolen three Arizona commits — Burmeister, receiver Darrian McNeal and defensive lineman Austin Faoliu — and is after a couple more.
Tony Wallace, a three-star cornerback from Las Vegas, committed to Arizona in December but has since received offers from Oregon, USC and Nebraska.
Offensive lineman Cody Shear is from Eugene, Oregon, but doesn’t hold an offer from his hometown school yet. Shear has been talking with Ducks coaches recently, however, making his recruitment one worth watching.
Linebacker Anthony Pandy verbally committed to the UA this week. The three-star was believed to be waiting for an Oregon offer at the time of his commitment.
UA coaches will continue to keep an eye on three-star safety Troy Young, an Alabama native who took a visit to UAB this weekend; three-star Jalen Harris of Mesa Desert Ridge, who is being tempted by Notre Dame; and receiver Brian Casteel, who’s recently talked to coaches from Washington State, UCLA and, of course, Oregon.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Based on the online recruiting rankings, there’s a consensus on Arizona’s best recruit, and it’s unanimous — Tilford, a four-star running back from Ontario, California.
Who comes after him?
Colin Schooler is rated four stars by 247sports.com and could start immediate starter at middle linebacker.
Sabino’s Drew Dixon is a four-star recruit, according to Rivals.com. At 6 feet 4 inches, Dixon brings much-needed size to Arizona’s receiving corps.
“To get Dixon, to keep a guy in Tucson at that size, that ability, is pretty impressive,” Roth said.
Los Angeles linebacker Anthony Pandy is Arizona’s fourth-highest rated recruit according to Scout.com.
Tempe’s My-King Johnson, the No. 1 defensive end in Arizona, is another impact player. The defensive end chose the UA over offers from Oregon, USC, UCLA and Texas A&M.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
A year ago, Arizona’s overhauled coaching staff scrambled to fill out a recruiting class on short notice.
The Wildcats were coming off a rash of decommitments from the month prior and only had 15 players committed. By signing day, the Wildcats’ class grew to 20.
Chacho Ulloa was a former Stanford commit, Jalen Cochran was thought to be leaning toward Michigan State, Josh Allen had already decommitted from Arizona once, Lorenzo Burns was choosing between Arizona and Cal. Shawn Poindexter wasn’t even on Arizona’s radar.
All five picked the Wildcats in the end.
This year feels a little less dramatic.
The Wildcats have 25 players committed to the 2017 class heading into Wednesday’s signing day festivities, with five of them already enrolled at the school. UA coaches are still in pursuit of a few new players, and trying to fend off other schools for a couple commits.
“I think they’re going to have a top-20 class and they went 3-9,” Pac-12 Networks analyst Yogi Roth said. “That’s impressive.”
Here are some questions Arizona must answer before Wednesday:
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Each school is only allowed to add 25 scholarship players per recruiting cycle. Even though Arizona has 25 players committed, there are five slots still free.
That’s because Arizona added running back Nathan Tilford, defensive lineman Sione Taufahema, tight end Bryce Gilbert and linebackers Tony Fields and Jose Ramirez as early enrollees. All will technically count toward the 2016 class’ scholarship count.
The Wildcats will likely add between two and four more players to its class by Wednesday, though that number could change should any current commits flip elsewhere. The UA could use some help at wide receiver, quarterback (more on that below), offensive line and interior defensive line. Coaches are focusing on:
- Chris Green, a three-star defensive lineman from Los Angeles.
- Travell Harris, a two-star receiver from Tampa, Florida.
- Gary Brightwell, a two-star running back from Middletown, Delaware.
- Ryan Stonehouse, a three-star punter from Santa Ana, California.
- Chris Martinez, a three-star offensive lineman from Turlock, California.
The Wildcats could also add a graduate transfer. Coaches are focusing on Oregon receiver Jalen Brown, an Arizona native who would be eligible to play right away.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Injuries decimated Arizona’s quarterback position to the point that a third-string tight end (Matt Morin) and a walk-on (Zach Werlinger) received significant snaps in 2016, and true freshman Khalil Tate was forced to burn his redshirt.
Now Anu Solomon has transferred to Baylor and longtime UA commit Braxton Burmeister flipped to Oregon. While Catalina Foothills product Rhett Rodriguez is still committed, the 2016 season proved that Arizona needs more than three quarterbacks.
The Wildcats recently offered Nick Tronti, a two-star QB from Ponte Vedra, Florida, but he chose Indiana.
Coaches have been in contact with Marvin Washington, though they’ve yet to offer him a scholarship. The two-star quarterback from Orlando, Florida, recently decommitted from Central Florida.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Don’t expect UA coach Rich Rodriguez to invite Oregon coach Willie Taggart to his lakehouse in Georgia anytime soon.
Taggart has stolen three Arizona commits — Burmeister, receiver Darrian McNeal and defensive lineman Austin Faoliu — and is after a couple more.
Tony Wallace, a three-star cornerback from Las Vegas, committed to Arizona in December but has since received offers from Oregon, USC and Nebraska.
Offensive lineman Cody Shear is from Eugene, Oregon, but doesn’t hold an offer from his hometown school yet. Shear has been talking with Ducks coaches recently, however, making his recruitment one worth watching.
Linebacker Anthony Pandy verbally committed to the UA this week. The three-star was believed to be waiting for an Oregon offer at the time of his commitment.
UA coaches will continue to keep an eye on three-star safety Troy Young, an Alabama native who took a visit to UAB this weekend; three-star Jalen Harris of Mesa Desert Ridge, who is being tempted by Notre Dame; and receiver Brian Casteel, who’s recently talked to coaches from Washington State, UCLA and, of course, Oregon.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Based on the online recruiting rankings, there’s a consensus on Arizona’s best recruit, and it’s unanimous — Tilford, a four-star running back from Ontario, California.
Who comes after him?
Colin Schooler is rated four stars by 247sports.com and could start immediate starter at middle linebacker.
Sabino’s Drew Dixon is a four-star recruit, according to Rivals.com. At 6 feet 4 inches, Dixon brings much-needed size to Arizona’s receiving corps.
“To get Dixon, to keep a guy in Tucson at that size, that ability, is pretty impressive,” Roth said.
Los Angeles linebacker Anthony Pandy is Arizona’s fourth-highest rated recruit according to Scout.com.
Tempe’s My-King Johnson, the No. 1 defensive end in Arizona, is another impact player. The defensive end chose the UA over offers from Oregon, USC, UCLA and Texas A&M.
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