In today's paper, I took an in-depth look at Arizona's recent battles with decommitments.Β
On that note, with signing day coming on Wednesday, here's a closer look at where Arizona stands with everybody currently committed to its 2017 class. All ratings according to Scout.com.
(Note: This is 25 players, with five of them early enrollees counting toward the 2016 class. So, basically, if all the remaining 20 sign with Arizona, the Wildcats still have room for five more signees, even if that includes graduate transfers.)
Flip Watch
- ATHΒ Jalen Harris (Desert Ridge/Mesa): The three-star defensive end committed to Arizona in August, but has since visited Colorado, Illinois and Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are Arizona's biggest threat, and Harris will announce his decision on Wednesday morning.Β
- SΒ Troy Young (Mobile Christian School/Mobile, Ala.): The wind seems to be blowing in the direction of Alabama-Birmingham for this three-star safety, who had received recent interest from a handful of lower-tier schools in the South, where he's from.Β
Keep An Eye On
- CB Tony Wallace (Desert Pines/Las Vegas): The three-star cornerback told the Star on Sunday that he was sticking with Arizona...but that came about an hour after he told Scout.com he was leaning toward Nebraska. He's likely bound for Arizona, but the possibility looms that he changes his mind again.
- WR Brian Casteel (Charter Oak/Covina, Calif.): The three-star receiver has given no indication he plans to look elsewhere, but he did recently tell the Star that coaches from UCLA, Oregon and Washington State had been in contact with him.
- S Rhedi Short (Cathedral/Los Angeles): For a while it seemed like the three-star safety was a flip candidate — he visited Illinois — and there hasn't been much heard from him in a while, but by all accounts Short is still solid.
Solid (a.k.a almost 100 percent Wildcats but nothing is ever 100 percent in recruiting)
- LBΒ Anthony PandyΒ (Narbonne/Harbor City, California): It'sΒ highlyΒ unlikely the three-star linebacker would back out of his Arizona commitment so quickly after committing, but it was long believed that if the Oregon Ducks offered, they were the favorite. An offer never came, and even if it did, it's probably too little, too late at this point.Β
- DEΒ My-King Johnson (Tempe High School): The three-star defensive end was a very surprising addition, but it'd be a shocker if he changed his mind at the last minute.
- LBΒ Colin Schooler (Mission Viejo/Mission Viejo, Calif.): The three-star linebacker loved the Wildcats before Scott Boone was hired as linebackers coach. He committed to Arizona after they hired Boone, who had a prior relationship with. He's solid.
- OLΒ Cody Shear (Sheldon/Eugene, Ore.): The three-star offensive tackle convincingly told the Star on Monday night that he was sticking it out with the Wildcats, despite a late offer from Boise State and interest from Oregon, California and Washington State.Β
- CBΒ Malik HausmanΒ (Bishop Gorman/Las Vegas): I spoke with the three-star corner on Monday night. He's one of the players most passionately committed to Arizona in this recruiting cycle. More on Hausman later today.
- SΒ Xavier Bell (Mater Dei/Santa Ana, Calif.): Bell hasn't done too many interviews since committing, but it was his family was the one who pushed Austin Faoliu to initially commit to Arizona, and his high school coach gave no indication he was looking elsewhere.Β
- SΒ Scott Young (Helix/La Mesa, Calif.): The three-star safety told me recently about how badly he wants to help turn Arizona's program around and get the school to the College Football Playoff. He's solid.Β
- LBΒ Joshua Brown (Long Beach Poly/Long Beach, Calif.): Even Hausman has nothing on this three-star linebacker, who's been as close to 100 percent committed as any non-coaches son can be. He's coming.Β
- OLΒ Edgar Burrola (Desert Pines/Las Vegas): The three-star offensive lineman added some offers after his quick Arizona commitment over the summer, but Arizona's loyalty to him, offering him a scholarship before anyone else, has helped. He's coming.
- ATHΒ Drew DixonΒ (Sabino): The three-star athlete will play receiver at Arizona. If not for his solid commitment to Arizona, he might've received some more offers, but Dixon was never playing anywhere else.Β
- TEΒ Bryce WolmaΒ (Saline/Saline, Michigan): The three-star tight end has been a close friend of Rich Rodriguez's family since middle school. He loves the Rodriguez family, and he loves Arizona. He's coming.
- DTΒ Kurtis BrownΒ (Liberty/Bakersfield, California): The three-star defensive tackle was getting some push from Washington State, but he's never wavered in his Arizona commitment. Another one of the more passionate UA commits of this class.Β
- LBΒ Kylan Wilborn (Notre Dame Prep/Sherman Oaks, Calif.) The three-star linebacker hasn't spoken to the media much since committing, but he hasn't added too many offers since then either. He's coming.Β
- KΒ Lucas Havrisik (Norco/Norco, Calif.): The two-star kicker doesn't have any other scholarship offers. If he gets some at the last minute (unlikely) then maybe this changes.Β
Coach's SonΒ
- QBΒ Rhett RodriguezΒ (Catalina Foothills): Do I need to explain?
Already Enrolled
- RBΒ Nathan Tilford (Colony/Ontario, Calif.): The centerpiece of this year's recruiting class and its only four-star-rated player. Getting him on campus early was Arizona's biggest win of this recruiting cycle.Β
- DLΒ Sione Taufahema (College of the Canyons)
- LBΒ Jose RamirezΒ (Auburndale Senior/Auburndale, Florida)
- LBΒ Tony FieldsΒ (Desert Pines/Las Vegas)
- TEΒ Bryce Gilbert (Higley/Gilbert)Β
