Nothing is guaranteed in recruiting. Four-star quarterback Braxton Burmeister could be a superstar — or a bust.
But after Burmeister slipped from Arizona’s grasp Friday, there’s no disputing that the Wildcats’ vaunted 2017 class isn’t as strong as it once was.
Once considered the centerpiece of the UA class, or at least the co-headliner, Burmeister is now headed to Oregon. He is the seventh prospect to decommit from Arizona for one reason or another since early December.
Burmeister also is the second consensus four-star prospect to change his mind, joining athlete Greg Johnson, who reopened his recruitment shortly after cornerbacks coach Donté Williams left for Nebraska.
Burmeister’s departure leaves Arizona with only one player considered a four-star prospect by most recruiting websites: running back Nathan Tilford, who already has enrolled at the UA and will take part in spring practice.
The class Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez said could become the best in school history lacks the quality and quantity it had when he first made that proclamation.
“They did have a chance to have a really special class,” said Greg Biggins, national recruiting analyst for Fox Sports and Scout.com. “I don’t think it was a silly comment to make at the time. But that’s what makes recruiting so unpredictable. You never know what’s going to happen. You never know what a kid is going to do.”
Burmeister was supposed to join Tilford and four others as an early enrollee, starting classes this week. But when Oregon and new coach Willie Taggart swooped in with a late scholarship offer, Burmeister’s plans changed.
His commitment to Oregon marks the second time he has backed out of a pledge to Arizona. The product of La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day School decommitted from the UA in March. About two months later, in an unusual move in the recruiting world, Burmeister recommitted to the Wildcats.
One of the most prolific quarterbacks in California prep history, Burmeister arguably faces a more cluttered path to playing time at Oregon. Justin Herbert emerged as the Ducks’ starter as a true freshman last season, throwing for 1,936 yards and 19 touchdown passes in nine games.
Some believed Burmeister would have had a chance to compete for immediate playing time at Arizona, which returns incumbent starter Brandon Dawkins, a redshirt junior, and promising youngster Khalil Tate, a sophomore. Biggins, for one, didn’t see it playing out that way.
“He would have fit RichRod’s system to a tee,” Biggins said. “From that standpoint, it hurts the depth.
“I think, long range, he had some potential. Do I think he would have come in and beat out Dawkins or Tate next year? No.”
With Burmeister out of the mix, Arizona is left with three scholarship quarterbacks for next season: Dawkins, Tate and Rhett Rodriguez, Rich’s son and an incoming freshman from Catalina Foothills High. The Wildcats officially lost another quarterback earlier this week when veteran Anu Solomon transferred to Baylor.
Arizona could add another quarterback to its ’17 recruiting class, although that might prove difficult with national signing day (Feb. 1) less than three weeks away.
The Wildcats still have 23 players in the fold with time to add more. But the attrition of the past six weeks is not commonplace and somewhat difficult to explain.
“It’s unusual,” Biggins said. “What makes it unusual is there was no head-coaching change. Typically, you don’t see this many decommits with the same coaching staff (aside from Williams).
“When you have that many (early commitments), you run the risk of a little bit of turnover. But you can’t sugarcoat it. It’s definitely not a great way to finish.”
