Salpointe's Bijan Robinson (5) runs out of the reach of Marcos de Niza's Mario Gastelum (44) in the second quarter of their 4A state playoff game at Salpointe Catholic High School, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star

Football recruiting for the Class of 2017 concludes in 10 days, but RichRod’s staff is working beyond that. Last week they offered a scholarship to Salpointe Catholic freshman back/receiverΒ Bijan Robinson, who gained 727 all-purpose yards in his varsity debut and projects to be a 4-star prospect soon. Those who recruit Salpointe will soon target 6-foot 5-inch, 255-pound junior linemanΒ Matteo Mele, who has impressive football bloodlines. He is the grandson of Arizona’s 1967 all-WAC linemanΒ Β Bill Lueck, who was the first-round draft pick ofΒ Vince Lombardi’s Packers in 1968. Lueck played eight NFL seasons. Mele is so versatile that he caught eight passes last fall, and has size to be a Pac-12 prospect.Β 


Become a #ThisIsTucson member! Your contribution helps our team bring you stories that keep you connected to the community. Become a member today.