The fairest way to describe the signing class Arizona procured Wednesday is “incomplete.”
The Wildcats need more than the 12 players who inked national letters of intent, and UA coach Kevin Sumlin acknowledged that they aren’t finished yet.
“We’ve got two signing dates,” Sumlin said in an interview posted to Arizona football’s Twitter account. “There’s a lot of things that are gonna happen, not just today. Recruiting’s just getting going for a lot of places. There will be some real surprises in the month of January and the first Wednesday in February.”
The early signing period began Wednesday and runs through Friday. It’s possible Arizona will supplement its class between now and then.
It’s likely the Wildcats will add more players on Feb. 5, the traditional signing day that has become less impactful since the early period was introduced in 2017.
Three of Arizona’s verbal commitments — offensive lineman Cedric Melton, cornerback Alphonse Oywak and linebacker Jabar Triplett — have said they will wait until February to sign.
Meanwhile, several UA targets also are delaying their announcements. Those players include tailback Frank Brown, offensive lineman Jake Griffin, defensive end Jason Harris and receiver Brenden Schooler, a graduate transfer from Oregon.
The explosion of the grad-transfer market and the advent of the NCAA transfer portal have added layers to the player-acquisition process that didn’t previously exist.
“Recruiting has changed a lot just in the last two years,” Sumlin said. “January is going to be another mad scramble for people across the country.”
Here’s a look at the 12 players Arizona had secured as of Wednesday, including comments from assistant coaches who broke down their film for the UA football Twitter feed:
OL JOSH BAKER
Height/weight: 6-3, 280
School/hometown: Eureka HS (Eureka, Mo.)
Coach says: “We’re going to move him inside. You watch his tenacity ... we set out on a mission to recruit guys who love football and have passion for football, and this guy has all those qualities. He’s a smart football player. He’s extremely explosive, extremely gifted in the weight room. I got to watch him play live this fall, and ... really fell more in love with him, even though he was already committed.” – OL coach Kyle DeVan
CB KHARY CRUMP JR.
Height/weight: 5-11, 175
School/hometown: Culver City HS (Culver City, Calif.)
Coach says: “Very athletic. Has a high football IQ and is super competitive. He has an athletic arrogance about himself that we covet in the back end. He has natural ball skills. Great hand-eye coordination. He tends to make some uncanny catches when he has the opportunity to. Track kid. I think he topped out last year at like a 10.8 (in the 100 meters). Playing corner, you can never be too fast.” — CB coach Demetrice Martin
OL WOODY JEAN
Height/weight: 6-4, 285
School/hometown: Deerfield Beach HS (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Coach says: “You’re going to see a longer-bodied kid with long arms that we feel we can put outside at tackle but potentially could be a big offensive guard for us. Anytime you talk about 35-inch arms, that’s pretty exciting. You see him trap defensive ends. You can’t do that if you’re a short guy. If you don’t have long arms, you can’t do the things that he has shown (he can) do.” — DeVan
RB JALEN JOHN
Height/weight: 5-11, 210
School/hometown: Lakeridge HS (Lake Oswego, Ore.)
Coach says: “Big, powerful guy. Has great vision, speed, balance. His power is what separates him from a lot of other running backs. Breaking a lot of tackles is something we need as a runner. We can’t get them all blocked every time. We’d like to see him get his pads down a little bit. We’ll work on that when he gets here. But the main thing is his leg drive, finishing runs — his tenacity to not go down by one guy.” — RB coach DeMarco Murray
PK TYLER LOOP
Height/weight: 6-0, 160
School/hometown: Lovejoy HS (Lucas, Texas)
Coach says: “He’s a very good soccer player. He’s got a fast leg. That’s what you look for out of kickers. And it’s accurate as well. He’s a very confident kid. Just put it on the field, he’ll make it. He’ll want to do it. That’s what you look for in these guys too. What kind of confidence do these guys have? Are they going to be nervous out there in the big moment? This guy wants to be in that big moment.” — special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer
TE STACEY MARSHALL
Height/weight: 6-5, 240
School/hometown: Hutchinson CC (Hutchinson, Kansas)
Coach says: “He brings the size, athleticism and versatility of a true tight end. He’s played with his hand on the ground. He can also stand up and flex out. He shows a great catch radius when it comes to the pass game, and obviously he has the ability to help us develop our run game, too. He (was) a teammate of current Wildcat Paiton Fears, so he’s very familiar with us and what Coach Sumlin is trying to do with the program.” — inside receivers coach Theron Aych
WR DYELAN MILLER
Height/weight: 6-2, 190
School/hometown: Centennial HS (Peoria)
Coach says: “The man is physical. He’s going to do a great job separating with his speed and also his acceleration. Red-zone routes, doing a great job of using his length, catch radius, high-pointing the ball — he does all of that at a high level. Also, with his big frame, he’s really good at blocking the perimeter for the run game. Something that we do well. Something that he’ll do great here at Arizona.” — outside receivers coach Taylor Mazzone
WR ROBERTO MIRANDA
Height/weight: 6-2, 220
School/hometown: Schul-und Leistungssportzentrum (Berlin, Germany)
Coach says: “Hard worker. They put him everywhere on the field. His way of catching the ball is so natural. The thing we’re excited about is his explosiveness. When he catches the ball, his separation with his speed is outstanding. Big frame, big legs. A guy that we know can take a few hits and get those extra yards that you need on critical downs. We have to find ways ... to get the ball in his hands.” — Mazzone
QB Will Plummer
Height/weight: 6-2, 205
School/hometown: Gilbert HS (Gilbert)
Coach says: “He’s tough, he’s a leader, he’s accurate. He can create plays with his legs, as well as create plays with his arm. One of the things I really love about Will is his ability to make all the different throws on a football field. And to make them with his feet being off-balance — as they say, off-platform throws. He’s got the arm strength to get the ball down the field. He’s also got the ability ... to move out of the pocket.” — offensive coordinator/QB coach Noel Mazzone
DE REGEN TERRY
Height/weight: 6-4, 250
School/hometown: Florence HS (Florence)
Coach says: “Very physical with his hands. Does a great job shedding blocks. Does a really good job of using his power. His feet and his hands are constantly working. He can take a double team, push them back and disrupt the run game. Does a great job of coming off the edge and using his long arms. At 6-4, when he puts his hands up, it’s hard for a quarterback to throw the ball over him. A constant terror in the backfield.” — Taylor Mazzone
DL DION WILSON JR.
Height/weight: 6-4, 256
School/hometown: Orange Vista HS (Perris, Calif.)
Coach says: “Coach Sumlin wanted us to target guys who were bigger, (had) length, that type of thing. He’s versatile. This kid is athletic, long and really loves the game. He’s a multiple-sport athlete. Runs track, plays basketball. You name it, he does it. He’s kind of new to football. I think this is only his third year actually playing. He’s still a little raw in some of his technique. But this kid can run. He’s tough. He’ll hit you. And he cares.” — Martin
WR MAJON WRIGHT
Height/weight: 6-2, 197
School/hometown: Cardinal Gibbons HS (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Coach says: “He brings high energy. He’s very passionate. He’s a very fierce competitor. When he catches ball, he makes a big play downfield. With his physicalness on the outside, blocking, making plays, putting his body in position to succeed, he has it all. They put him out at the high safety (position). Tracking the ball, catching it — it just shows you the toughness, his ability to make plays on both sides of the ball.” — Taylor Mazzone
