Itβs hard to imagine any recruit being more familiar with the program heβs about to join than Rhett Rodriguez. But shortly after the Catalina Foothills High School quarterbackβs commitment to Arizona became official Wednesday, he realized he was about to experience something new.
βItβs going to be interesting, because Iβm never the guy he yells at,β Rodriguez said β βheβ being Rich Rodriguez, Rhettβs father and the Wildcatsβ head coach.
βAt practice heβll yell at people. I donβt think itβs funny, but Iβm like, βEh, thatβs just what Dad does.β If heβs yelling at me, which will happen β¦ Iβll be fine. I donβt think Iβll take it too personal.β
Before the father-son relationship enters a new phase in the fall, the Rodriguez clan shared a once-in-a-lifetime moment at Catalina Foothillsβ signing day ceremony. Rich, wife Rita and daughter Raquel were among dozens packed into a classroom just steps from the football field where Rhett became a college prospect. The crowd cheered and snapped pictures as Rhett and six of his classmates signed their national letters of intent.
Rich Rodriguez never had experienced national signing day from this particular perspective.
βIβve seen it from the other side β way on the other side, standing by a fax machine,β he said. βIβm not worried about faxing this one. Iβll just carry it to the office in a few minutes.β
Rhett Rodriguez was supposed to be one of two quarterbacks in Arizonaβs 2017 class. But four-star prospect Braxton Burmeister signed with Oregon instead. With veteran Anu Solomon having transferred, Rodriguez is one of only three scholarship QBs on the roster.
If returning veterans Brandon Dawkins and Khalil Tate were to get hurt, Rodriguez could be forced to play as a freshman. Is he ready for that?
βYeah, definitely,β said Rodriguez, who says he knows about 90 percent of the offense already. βYou never know whatβs going to happen. Iβm going to go in and try to be ready to play from Day 1.β
While some are skeptical that Rodriguez can play at the FBS level β heβs a two-star prospect, per Scout, and listed by the UA at 6-foot-1 β his future and former coaches arenβt among them.
βI wouldnβt sign anybody or bring anybody into the program if I didnβt think they could contribute and play,β Rich Rodriguez said.
βIf itβs achievable,β Catalina Foothills coach Jeff Scurran said, βRhett will climb that ladder and get it done. I donβt think he knows anything else. I donβt think he was raised to understand anything else.β