Arizona football: Nick Wilson changes diet, takes up yoga to help prevent injuries

Wilson is doing everything he can to be healthy in his final season in Tucson

On the night before Nick Wilson’s last first day of fall camp with the Arizona Wildcats, he couldn’t help but wonder where the time has gone.

“I can’t believe it’s been so long,” he said. “I felt like I just got here. I remember the day moving on campus, my mom and dad telling me to grow up and ‘you’re a man now.’”

Now a senior, Wilson has several personal goals he wants to accomplish in his last hurrah in red and blue. But there’s one that stands out above the rest — to stay healthy.

“That is the ultimate goal,” he said. “When I stay on the field, I play good.”

A short, but true statement.

In Wilson’s first three seasons at Arizona, he has averaged 5.8 yards per carry, and no fewer than 5.5 yards per carry in a single season.

He’s been a consistent producer — when he’s been on the field, which has increasingly been a problem the last two seasons.

As a freshman, Wilson helped lead the Wildcats to the Fiesta Bowl, churning out 1,375 yards on the ground with 16 touchdowns in 13 games, shattering the school’s all-time rushing record for a freshman.

But as a sophomore, Wilson was limited to 133 carries for 738 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games. As a junior, he carried the ball just 55 times for 320 yards and three touchdowns in five games.

Despite once being on pace to break UA’s all-time rushing record, Wilson’s now most known for being a mainstay on Arizona’s injury report.

He’s suffered from concussions, ankle injuries, foot injuries, shoulder injuries. You name it, he’s had it.

“It is unfortunate that my career here has been kind of been plagued by injuries,” Wilson said. “It’s something that happens. As a running back, it’s something that comes with the territory.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a running back that’s said they’ve ever played pretty healthy during the season.”

That said, Wilson wants to be healthy enough in his last go-around.

He has changed his diet, vows to make daily trips to the cold tub, and, heeding his mother’s advice, has taken up yoga — anything to help him stay on the field.

“At first I was like, oh, it’s just yoga, it’s just stretching, but it’s actually kind of a workout,” Wilson said, with a laugh.

“I’m into it a lot more now. It definitely helps you loosen up and stretch and I think that’s another issue with the injuries. When you’re so tense it’s easier for you to injure stuff. I think me stretching and doing a lot more yoga will help a lot.”

In the weight room, Wilson has been doing “everything [strength coach] Chris Allen” has been recommending.

Wilson has bulked up and beaten many of his personal records — some by more than 100 pounds — and says he can now bench press 335 pounds.

“I’ve definitely been lifting a lot heavier,” he said.

Wilson’s role may be lessened to try to keep him healthy, too.

The Wildcats have the dynamic J.J. Taylor and highly-touted freshman Nathan Tilford in their backfield along with Wilson, and the trio could split carries, rather than rely on Wilson to be the workhorse he was a freshman.

“All power to it,” Wilson said. “...The more weapons we have on the field, the better chance we have.”

Yet, Wilson knows only so much can be done to prevent injuries — sometimes you just need some luck.

“I think a lot of the injuries I’ve had have just been really unlucky,” he said.

“It’s been like some random freak stuff happening, just dumb stuff that can’t be prevented, but I’ve changed up a lot of things, so we’ll see how it goes.”

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Arizona basketball recruiting: R.J. Barrett reclassifies to 2018

The Canadian phenom says Arizona is one of the schools recruiting him the most

Canadian phenom and five-star prospect R.J. Barrett has reclassified to the 2018 recruiting class, he revealed Monday.

“Really, it’s been a thought of mine for the last year, but I wanted to wait and see how the season would go and how school would go and when everything went well it became more and more real so I made the decision to go ahead and do it,” Barrett wrote in his personal blog.

“I can’t say that there was one thing that tipped my decision to reclassify; but it was more a collective decision based on the whole year. My family and I feel like this will be beneficial for me because I’m ready to move up and to be in college a year earlier.”

After the move, the 6-foot-6 forward could become the top player in the 2018 class if Marvin Bagley III reclassifies to 2017, which 247Sports reports is “likely.”

Barrett, previously ranked No. 1 in the 2019 class, wrote that the Arizona Wildcats are among the teams recruiting him the most, along with Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Oregon, Texas and UCLA.

It was reported earlier in July that Arizona is among the leaders for Barrett.

Barrett wrote that his reclassification won’t change his recruitment that much, but he will take his official visits sooner.

“I haven’t set anything up yet for sure with visits, but we’ll get to that,” he wrote.

On July 8, Barrett had 38 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists for Team Canada as it handed the USA Under-19 team its first loss since 2011.

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Arizona football depth chart: Previewing the Wildcats’ 2017 running backs

The Wildcats have a nice, diverse stable of running backs

Last year, the Arizona Wildcats posted the best rushing numbers in the Pac-12.

The ‘Cats averaged 235.0 yards per game, and that was with multiple running backs injured and a converted wide receiver (Samajie Grant) carrying the load at the end of the season.

Key Losses: Samajie Grant (sort of)

Key Returners: J.J. Taylor, Nick Wilson, Zach Green

Key Newcomers: Nathan Tilford, Gary Brightwell

One of the major positives for UA’s running back group is that all of its key members return from last season, except Grant. Another major positive for the group is the large amount of diversity in running styles.

There are multiple running styles that now reside in the Wildcat backfield. This can be a great asset for UA and a difficult aspect of their game for opposing defenses to stop.

Nick Wilson is a legit playmaker and game-changer. He had a heck of a freshman year and looked to continue that success throughout his career. Unfortunately, the injury bug has bit him consistently, including last year.

Wilson runs with quickness, mixed with power and can be tough to stop once he gets going. He should be good to go for fall camp and on Sunday he said he is up to 210-212 pounds and feels stronger than ever. The only thing potentially holding Wilson back from success is an injury.

Behind Wilson is explosive redshirt freshman J.J. Taylor. The human joystick made defenders look silly in his four games played last year before suffering a season-ending ankle injury against Washington. I picked him as one of the five most important offensive players this upcoming season and if he stays healthy he’ll be an integral part to the offensive attack this year.

Another back who saw extensive time last year due to injuries is Zach Green. The 5-foot-10, 229-pound power back had his first career 100-plus rushing yard game in the Territorial Cup last year.

One back I was pleasantly surprised with last year is walk-on redshirt sophomore Branden Leon. During his limited time last year he showed what he can do. He runs with aggression and speed, hitting the hole pretty hard. At 5-foot-8 and around 200 pounds, he is solidly built and could prove to be difficult to bring down. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the field again this year.

Arizona’s premier newcomer is Nathan Tilford, the highest-ranked prospect in UA’s 2017 class. At 6-foot-2 and 206 pounds, Tilford is built unlike any Wildcat running back in recent memory. He physically looks like a college running back and has the skill to back it up. He enrolled early and participated in in spring camp for UA. It will be absolutely no surprise to see him earn carries this year and be a major part of the running attack.

Gary Brightwell is another newcomer, who caught the eye of the Arizona staff late in the recruiting process. At 6-foot-1 and 196 pounds, he is another big back who is more of a north-to-south runner with power and toughness. He could add a little more weight onto his frame and become a dominant power back. The most likely scenario is that he will redshirt this year, barring a few injuries.

Another newcomer to the program has already been at a Division 1 school and that is Memphis transfer Quincy Wimbish. Wimbish participated in spring camp with the Wildcats and showed some good attributes. He ran with aggression and kept his feet moving once contact was made. He runs bigger than his size and it would also not be surprising to see the Southern California native get carries this year.

Local walk-on Dakota Poe is an intriguing running back. At 6-foot-1, he has impressive shiftiness for his size. However, the name of his game is speed. He can find a hole in the defense and blasts through it, outrunning the defense. One thing he needs is a little more weight on him while maintaining his speed. I’d expect him to redshirt this year but he should be a solid member for the running back stable in the future.

Last of the newcomers is Noah Pittenger. Pittenger is a small back, but runs like he’s 210 pounds. He has impressive speed and quickness. He is built like J.J. Taylor in a way. He is on the shorter side but solid. He also has a toughness to his game, embracing contact when it’s necessary. He is actually fun to watch and is someone that could easily see the field in the future.

Going through the list there are a lot of solid options at running back and that should help the Wildcats continue to be dominant in the ground game. The key for the group is to stay healthy. If everything falls into place, it is not hard to imagine Arizona having the top rushing attack in the conference, and possibly one of the top ground games in the nation.

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Wildcat Radio Podcast: Arizona’s Pac-12 Media Day and a preview of the Southern California schools

Listen to the latest Wildcat Radio Podcast

Wildcat Radio discusses Arizona Wildcats head coach Rich Rodriguez's comments at Pac-12 Media Days and previews the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins headed into the 2017 college football season.

Listen to the Wildcat Radio Podcast by playing below, or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, TuneIn Radio, Google Play, or any other podcast player.

Want to support the podcast? Purchase our 'Completely Uncalled for 2017 Pac-12 Football Preview' which includes:

Our Sleazy, Pac-12 Preview Includes:

— 94 Pages

— 12 full team previews

— USC coaching jokes

— Depth charts

— UCLA coaching jokes

— In-depth 2016 player stats including defensive statistics

— Over/Under Win total predictions

— A breakdown of the assumed breakfast habits of Kyle Whittingham

— All Pac-12 Team

— Regular jabs at bad coaches

— Predicted conference standings

— Lots of frowney faces in the Arizona sections

— A focus on 2017 rather than rehashed 2016 information

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Arizona football notebook: On quarterback competition, walk-ons, Devaughn Cooper, and more

Find out what Rich Rodriguez had to say on the eve of the team’s first practice

The Arizona Wildcats have their first practice Monday, and Rich Rodriguez met with the media Sunday to discuss the upcoming season.

Here were some notable takeaways:

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Arizona’s newcomers had an 80-minute workout Sunday, and Rodriguez said there were so many of them that he had them tape their names to their helmets.

“First names, because I think last names are kind of informal,” he said.

“It was a good workout. ... “I’m glad we did it, because even though they were half confused, I think they got a feel for what a Division 1 (practice) or what our practices are like. When we go tomorrow it will be a little easier for them.”

Rodriguez said this team has “by far the biggest number of newcomers” he’s ever had, but also the most talented.

Rodriguez mentioned at Pac-12 Media Day that there’s roughly 50 newcomers.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s 20 to 22 of them that wind up playing some for us this year,” he said.

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Rodriguez said Arizona currently has 120 players on its roster and has the best walk-on program in the country.

“To get a spot on the team you just can’t show up off the street,” he said. “The first year (I was) here you could probably do that, but now to get one of those spots it’s pretty competitive and that’s by design.”

Though sitting at 120 players right now, the Wildcats will eventually have to cut their roster to 105 players by Monday.

“We have good players that want to play that won’t be in camp,” Rodriguez said.

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Rodriguez said defensive end/linebacker DeAndre’ Miller will not be with the Wildcats at the start of camp, but is hopeful Miller will be ready for the season-opener. The redshirt senior had foot surgery last week.

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Rodriguez said he thinks there will be more competition at “all positions” than Arizona has ever had before.

“Literally it’s wide open at just about all of the spots as far as us trying to find 24 to 25 guys on both sides of the ball, including quarterback,” he said. “Brandon Dawkins is going to be the frontrunner because of what he’s done and what we think he can be, but he’s still gonna have to compete.”

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Rodriguez said Arizona will give reps to seven quarterbacks at the start of camp, but will narrow it down to four within a week and a half.

“Some coaches feel you can only rep two, I think we can rep at least four or five,” he said. “I’m going to throw all the offense at all of them and see what they absorb.”

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Rodriguez pointed out safety Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles as a player who can lead the newcomers by example.

“He’s interested in becoming the best version of himself everyday. That’s why he’s a great example of how you want your football players to approach their craft,” Rodriguez said. “Demetrius is a good one to follow. He has all the physical ability and our defensive coaches will take him to another level.”

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Rodriguez said he has continued to look for ways to cut down on injuries, including changes to his players’ diets and weight room habits.

“I have really looked at it a lot in the last two years,” he said. “The year before (2015) we battled with [injuries] too, and I was like, ‘is there something we’re doing training-wise, nutrition-wise?’

“I have to evaluate everything. It wasn’t really anything different than we did the year before in [2014] when we stayed relatively healthy. So that was really frustrating. With that being said, we tried to amp up our guys’ consciousness of nutrition .... what they’re doing in the weight room.”

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Rodriguez confirmed redshirt freshman wide receiver Devaughn Cooper is no longer with the team.

“I can’t tell you a whole lot about what he’s doing or where he’s going. I know he’s communicated again back with us, but I haven’t talked to him, so I don’t know where he’s at,” he said. “But we have a bunch of wideouts. We had eight or nine new ones out there this morning.”

Could Cooper return to Arizona?

“Until they talk to me and I approve that, that’s not going to happen,” Rodriguez said.

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Rodriguez said he tried to hire a long-time NFL coach as a football analyst, but was not allowed to because that coach had worked with one of Arizona’s walk-ons before.

“It’s ridiculous,” Rodriguez said. “The people that makes these rules...it’s worse than senators in Congress.”

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Rodriguez also discussed the hiring of Chuck Cecil. You can find our writeup for that here.

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Arizona football: Rich Rodriguez discusses Chuck Cecil hire

Rodriguez said Cecil is not allowed to coach, and will mostly be doing “football administrative” things

The Arizona Wildcats announced the hire of UA legend Chuck Cecil on Friday, and on Sunday it became clearer what the Hall of Famer’s role will be with the program.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez said Cecil will do “a little bit of everything,” but mostly will be doing “football administrative things.”

Rodriguez mentioned Cecil will not be allowed to coach at Arizona, according to NCAA rules.

“There will be some administrative stuff, but I’m not hiring him to do administrative duties like what Matt [Dudek] and those guys are doing, per se,” Rodriguez said.

“He’s going to be doing more football administrative things. He’s not allowed to do the coaching part because of NCAA rules, but there’s a lot of football administrative things and football player development stuff that he can do and bring his expertise in it.”

Cecil returns to Arizona as one of the program’s most decorated players of all-time.

He was an All-American and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 1987, is a member of both the University Arizona and College Football Hall of Fames, and was a two-time member of the All-Pac-10 First Team.

He holds the school’s all-time record for interceptions (21).

After Cecil’s career at Arizona, he played in the NFL for seven seasons, and was a Pro Bowler in 1992. After his playing career ended, he coached in the NFL for 16 seasons, including a stint as the Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator in 2009 and 2010.

“He’ll get natural respect,” Rodriguez said. “He’s in the Hall of Fame, he’s an All-American here, he played in the NFL, but I think he’ll get even more respect when [the players] see him talk and work with them. Every athlete wants to be around people that will help them get better, both on and off the field. You can every highlight film we have has Chuck’s highlights, especially that 108-yard return for a touchdown against ASU. But I think the biggest advantage for us using him is his expertise in the football world. I think our guys will be excited to get know him.”

Rich Rodriguez shared his thoughts on adding Chuck Cecil to the coaching staff http://pic.twitter.com/57NOv63bXD

— AZ Desert Swarm (@AZDesertSwarm) July 30, 2017

Rodriguez said he had communicated with Cecil about job openings before. However, Cecil was a member of the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams’ coaching staff up until 2016.

“We had an opening for player development and I kind of combined player development with an analyst role and I’ve been keeping in contact with Chuck anyway and I think he was looking at staying involved in it, so we’re excited about it,” Rodriguez said.

“He’s been a (defensive) coordinator in the NFL, obviously he loves Arizona, he’s got a lot of friends and people that he knows here in town, so he’s going to be a great addition to the staff.”

Rodriguez said Cecil will start “as soon as tomorrow” when the Wildcats hold their first practice of the season.

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Arizona football depth chart: Previewing the Wildcats’ 2017 defensive line

The defensive line needs to generate a better pass rush in 2017

The Arizona Wildcats registered 22 sacks last season and only nine were credited to defensive linemen.

This put them in ninth place in the conference and their 22 sacks were nearly half of Utah’s (43) and Washington’s (40).

It has been a point of concern for a while and this metric will improve if the line can get a push to create pressure on the quarterback.

KEY LOSSES: Aiulua Fanene, Sani Fuimaono, Justin Holt

KEY RETURNERS: Jack Banda (DE), Justin Belknap (DE), Luca Bruno, Finton Connolly, Marcus Griffin, DeAndre’ Miller (DE), Larry Tharpe Jr., Parker Zellers

KEY ADDITIONS: Dereck Boles (Boise State/JUCO), Kurtis Brown, Jalen Harris, My-King Johnson, Anthony Pandy, Sione Taufahema (JUCO)

Arizona is returning a key group from last season’s defensive line as it only lost two key contributors in Aiulua Fanene and Sani Fuimaono. Redshirt freshman Justin Holt medically retired in the offseason, but recently appeared in the news upon an announcement of a change of heart to continue his football career at Eastern Arizona Community College in 2017. Holt never played a snap for the Wildcats, but the Tucson product was expected to play a big role during his time with the program.

Arizona’s defensive line will have many recognizable names and is led by four key seniors: Jack Banda, Luca Bruno, DeAndre’ Miller and Parker Zellers. These four have been key pieces to the line over the last two seasons and will be asked to play major roles in their final season.

Miller and Zellers look to bounce back from an injury-riddled junior season campaign. They had impressive performances during the 2015 season which surrounded them with some hype leading into last season. Despite playing in nine of the team’s 12 games, they were never fully healthy which made for an overall disappointing 2016 season.

Banda and Bruno were far more reliable as they played in 12 and 11 games, respectively. They should be expected to finish their college careers with their strongest performances yet.

The two lone returning juniors, Larry Tharpe Jr. and Marcus Griffin, are arguably the most talented up front. The former walk-on Tharpe did not see much playing time during non-conference play but his snap count sky rocketed once conference play started. In his eight games, he recorded 16 tackles with 2.5 for a loss and three pass deflections.

Griffin, a former four-star recruit, has been underwhelming with his production throughout his time at Arizona. Coming out of high school, he was selected to multiple All-State and All-American teams. In fact, Griffin never lost a game in high school. He possesses the size and talent to have a breakout year. His playing time has been limited over the past two seasons, but will change if he can pull his game together.

As for the sophomores, this is a group that includes Justin Belknap, Finton Connolly and Tucson product Matt Thomas. Belknap is the most recognizable name of the group after having a highly productive redshirt freshman season in which he played in all 12 games and started 11. The staff was so impressed with his production that they made him a scholarship player on Mother’s Day.

Connolly and Thomas are two players that you may not be as familiar with. Connolly appeared in seven games last season, but certainly looks the part at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds. Thomas redshirted last season after transferring in from Wabash College in Indiana. He, like Connolly, has the size at 6-foot-1, 280 pounds to be a real asset to this group over the next few years.

Arizona’s defensive line has received criticism regarding their lack of size and inability to pressure the quarterback. Rich Rodriguez and Marcel Yates attempted to address these concerns in the 2017 class by signing defensive tackles Sione Taufahema (320 pounds) and Kurtis Brown (285 pounds). They were also able to land one was Yates’ former players at Boise State in Dereck Boles (296 pounds), assuming he academically qualifies.

As for the pass rush, Arizona was able to land two of the top in-state defensive ends in Jalen Harris and My-King Johnson, in addition to Southern California product Anthony Pandy. These three follow up on a 2016 recruiting class that signed talented edge rushers Francisco Nelson and Jalen Cochran.

Taufahema and Boles are the most likely newcomers to see an ample amount of playing time this year, but it’s nice to see young talent waiting in the wings.

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Arizona baseball: Wildcat commits dominate Under Armour All-America Game festivities

If these guys end up on campus, look out

For the high school baseball showcase circuit, one of the biggest weekends came and went in Chicago as the Under Armour All-America Game was held at Wrigley Field.

Ten of MLB.com’s 12 top high school prospects in the 2018 Draft class were in attendance, but it was a couple of Arizona Wildcats commits that dominated the festivities.

Nolan Gorman, a 6-foot-1 middle infielder from Sandra Day O’Connor High School in Glendale, started the Arizona dominance by winning the home run derby in as close to walk-off fashion as possible.

Nolan Gorman takes the #UAALLAMERICA HR Derby crown at Wrigley Field. @MLBPipeline http://pic.twitter.com/j3FMfsyP6m

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 29, 2017

Gorman knocked off two of the top eleven high school prospects in the country on his way to this particular title. He’s been regarded as one of the top hit-power tool prospects in the country, and these last few weeks have certainly confirmed that. He also won the MLB HS Home Run Derby in Miami earlier in the month.

But Arizona commits weren’t done dominating at Wrigley Field this weekend.

In the actual game, 6-foot-5 LHP Matthew Liberatore (Mountain Ridge Peoria) tossed three scoreless innings while striking out five of the ten batters he faced. This performance earned Liberatore MVP honors.

Matthew Liberatore (@ArizonaBaseball commit) is 2017 #UAAllAmerica MVP after fanning 5 of 10 batters in 3 scoreless IP in 2-1 11-inning win. http://pic.twitter.com/wbB6WIbmnC

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 30, 2017

2018 AZ LHP Matthew Liberatore finishes a 1-2-3 top of the 9th with a 93-mph fastball for the strikeout. #UAALLAMERICA http://pic.twitter.com/OsmxBagO4a

— Hudson Belinsky (@hudsonbelinsky) July 30, 2017

Matthew Liberatore with a backdoor curve to strikeout Nander De Sedas: http://pic.twitter.com/otXt8barQe

— Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) July 30, 2017

Just as Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Mountain Ridge (AZ) is getting oohs and aahs with his curveball, he blows this 92 mph FB by Mike Siani. http://pic.twitter.com/VCSfXUlidz

— Burke Granger (@burkegranger) July 30, 2017

The odds of either of these guys actually making it campus are certainly lower than going straight to professional ball next year. One thing that will make Liberatore interesting is that his high school teammate and friend Cameron Cannon chose Arizona over the draft last year, and would be a junior during Liberatore’s freshman season. The Wildcats could certainly use a left-handed arm with life like that.

Having two in-state prospects that are committed to Arizona like this is just another example of how Jay Johnson and the new staff have started to dominate the recruiting landscape within their own borders.

Either way, the fact that these two were rising to the occasion in a showcase event like this with some of 2018’s best prospects shows where the level of recruiting is for this particular Arizona staff now.

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Arizona football recruiting: 3-star athlete Jhevon Hill verbally commits to Wildcats

Arizona lands its eighth commit of the 2018 class

On Saturday, the Arizona Wildcats hosted their annual recruiting event called “The Closing.” The event hosted multiple big-time prospects on campus and one of those was Jhevon Hill, who ended up committing on the visit, according to Greg Biggins of CBS Sports.

Once a UCLA pledge, the 6-foot-3, 185 pound athlete out of Cajon High School (San Bernardino, Calif.) becomes the eighth commit in Arizona’s 2018 class.

Hill is the No. 500 recruit in the 2018 class, according to Scout.com.

Arizona offered Hill in mid-May after it visited his high school during the spring evaluation period, and a little under a month after that, Hill decommitted from UCLA, and since then has been a major target for Arizona.

Listed as an athlete, Hill can play safety, cornerback, and wide receiver, though he will most likely be patrolling the defensive backfield at the next level.

According to MaxPreps, Hill recorded 12 tackles, two interceptions, and pass breakups in eight games as a junior. He also snagged 11 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown.

Here are his junior year highlights:

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Which Pac-12 player would you want on the Arizona Wildcats’ roster?

Arizona football notebook: On the Wildcats’ updated 2017 roster

Some notes on the updated roster

The Arizona Wildcats have released their 2017 roster, and Rich Rodriguez announced at Pac-12 Media Days that he has added over 50 players to the team.

Here are some notes on each position group regarding some notable additions, key returners who have bulked up, and other things. You can find the full online roster here.

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Cornerbacks

• Nothing too interesting in this department. Everyone aside from DaVonte’ Neal returns and the staff added Tony Wallace and Malik Hausman in the 2017 recruiting class.

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Defensive end/linebackers

• This is a very interesting group, in which Arizona has a lot of viable options here.
• Kylan Wilborn enters the program as a 3-star recruit and checks in at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds. When he gets on the field, he’ll remind a lot of people of Derrick Turituri — a thick, aggressive dude who plays downhill.
• Jose Ramirez committed to Arizona without ever stepping foot on campus and enrolled just a few days later. He left high school at 195 pounds, and now checks in at 238 pounds. With DeAndre’ Miller being injury prone, Ramirez could be the next guy up.
• Another guy who has put on a lot of weight since high school is Francisco Nelson. Recruiting services had him listed at 215 pounds. His first season with the program he was at 231 pounds, now he sits at 244 pounds with a 6-foot-2 frame.
• Arizona brings in two freshmen at 6-foot-4, who have an enormous ceiling in Jalen Harris and My-King Johnson. Harris is listed at 212 pounds and Johnson is at 220 pounds.
• Justin Belknap bulked up a bit, now checking at 259 pounds. He played at 247 pounds last season.

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Defensive line

• Arizona adds freshman Kurtis Brown, who is listed at 6-foot-1, 285 pounds — a pretty solid size for a true freshman. He did tear his meniscus his senior season, and pre-existing injuries have not been kind to Arizona in the past, so his health is critical.
• Finton Connolly came onto the scene last season and has actually trimmed down, now listed at 270 pounds. He was previously hitting 280.
• A lot of people always ask about the four-star recruit Marcus Griffin. He’s now listed at 6-foot-3 as a redshirt junior, which means he’s grown three inches since he arrived to Tucson three years ago.
• An extremely pleasant surprise last season was Larry Tharpe Jr., who is just a very big body at 6-foot-5, 275 pounds.
• After a crazy recruiting story, Boise State defensive tackle Dereck Boles is officially listed on the roster and he is working with a 6-foot-2, 296-pound frame. He still needs some academic work to straighten up before he can play.
• And then there’s Sione Taufahema, Arizona’s big junior college transfer who just recently suffered an injury. He entered in January at 310 pounds, now he is up to 330 pounds.

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Fullback

• Arizona should just run a triple-option with Jamardre Cobb, who is listed at 6-foot, 275 pounds. He entered the program as a linebacker weighing 239 pounds, but injuries slowed him down significantly.

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Linebackers

• True freshman Tony Fields II has received a lot of high praise from Rich Rodriguez since he enrolled early this spring. He’s listed at 6-foot-1, 223 pounds, extremely good size for a freshman weak-side linebacker.
• If Fields doesn’t start, it will likely be redshirt freshman Gavin Robertson Jr., a converted safety who checks in at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds. He’s going to be a big-time hitter at Arizona.
• Colin Schooler, the Orange County Defensive Player of the Year enters the program with some high expectations, and checks in at 6-feet, 224 pounds. He will be physically ready to play middle linebacker.
• Another potential contributor at middle linebacker is Josh Brown, out of Long Beach Poly. The freshman comes in at 6-foot-3, 244 pounds. Some of that might be bad weight, but that can certainly change as the season goes on.
• One last freshman to watch out for is Anthony Pandy, he comes in with solid size at 6-feet, 225 pounds.
• Notice how the four freshmen mentioned already come in with solid size, and that’s just the work before summer camp. This is a promising group for the next four years given the talent that was brought in. It’s just a matter of who their coach will be for the next four years.
• Rodriguez mentioned that he brought in 50 new players to the program, between walk-ons and scholarship guys, and there are 11 new linebackers on this roster.

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Offensive line

• Layth Friekh made a huge weight jump, previously at 282 pounds, he’s now just north of 300 pounds.
• Arizona did not nearly do as much as they should have on the offensive line with the 2017 recruiting class, but they did bring in a raw Edgar Burrola, who suffered a shoulder injury during his senior year. If he can get healthy, his 6-foot-5, 293-pound body will be a great asset in the future.
• Maisen Knight was added this summer to the 2017 class, where he is a early qualifier, allowing him to transfer from Ventura College after just one season, meaning he’ll have four years to play three at Arizona. He is listed at 6-foot-5, 279 pounds.
• Jacob Alsadek, Arizona’s lone shot at having an NFL Draft pick this season, is up 10 pounds to 325 standing at 6-foot-7. He’s really big.
• Bryson Cain is an offensive tackle that doesn’t get a lot of attention. He entered at 276 pounds and is now at 291.
• Overall, Arizona’s scholarship offensive linemen are very large. Aside from Knight and Christian Boettcher, every scholarship offensive lineman is over 290 pounds, and their average weight as a group is 299 pounds.

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Quarterbacks

• Rich Rodriguez says he is not afraid to play three quarterbacks this season, so it’s going to come down to one of these guys.
• Rhett Rodriguez is listed at 6-feet, 186 pounds as he enters year one
• K’Hari Lane, a very late addition to the 2017 class, is a big guy, listed at 6-foot-1, 245 pounds. He’s going to need to trim about 15-20 pounds before he ever sees the field.
• Donavan Tate, Arizona’s 26-year old freshman quarterback, is 6-foot-2, 207 pounds.

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Running back

• Nathan Tilford seems to be the only significant running back to mention. He is Pac-12 ready, with a 6-foot-2, 206 pound frame.

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Safety

• A lot of new safeties on this roster, but nothing too significant in terms of returning players, although Tristan Cooper and Isaiah Hayes both bulked up a bit from their 180 pound frames.
• Troy Young, an incoming freshman, is listed at 6-feet, 205 pounds, which gives his a shot to be converted to a linebacker if necessary, much like Paul Magloire Jr. and Gavin Robertson.

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Tight end

• Two new tight ends, both freshmen named Bryce, listed at 6-foot-3. Bryce Gilbert out of Higley High (Gilbert, Ariz.) is listed at 225 pounds. And Bryce Wolma, a childhood friend and Rhett Rodriguez’ roommate, is checking in at 239 pounds.

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Wide receiver

• It’s no secret that Arizona lacks size, but they do bring in a big body in Drew Dixon, who checks in at 6-foot-2, 203 pounds. He might be a little raw, being that he played mostly quarterback and running back at Sabino, but there’s a high ceiling there.
• A notable walk-on is Isaiah Lovett, the son of former Wildcat and current color commentator Lamont Lovett. Isaiah checks in at 6-foot-1, 193 pounds and is a very valuable walk-on.
• It will be interesting to see if Brian Casteel gets a shot to play as a true freshman. The way he played at Charter Oak High School (Covina, Calif.), he seems like an ultra-productive Nate Phillips type of receiver.

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Arizona football hires Chuck Cecil to be Director of Player Development

The former ‘Cat is coming home

The Arizona Wildcats have hired Chuck Cecil to be the football program’s new Director of Player Development, it was announced Friday.

Cecil, a UA alum, played safety at Arizona from 1984-1987 and was ranked the program’s second-best player of all-time by the Tucson Citizen.

Cecil is presumably replacing Matt Dudek, who took a job with the Michigan Wolverines earlier in month.

Here is the press release with more information:

Former Arizona football star safety and National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame member Chuck Cecil has been hired as the program’s Director of Player Personnel, head coach Rich Rodriguez announced Friday. Cecil will begin work next week with the Wildcats, who report to preseason camp Sunday evening and hold their first official practice on Monday.

“Chuck will be an outstanding addition to our staff,” Rodriguez said. “His playing career both collegiately and professionally speaks for itself, and he’s been a very successful professional coach. I’m excited to utilize his experience and connections as a former Wildcat to fill a variety of key roles within our program.”

A two-time First Team Academic All-America selection (1986-87), Cecil played for Arizona from 1984 to 1987, first under the late Larry Smith and then under former head coach Dick Tomey for his final year. He began as a recruited walk-on from Helix High School in San Diego, Calif., and finished his UA career as one of the Pac-10's noted and fearless safeties before later being inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

A consensus All-American in 1987, Cecil was the Aloha Bowl MVP and a two-time first-team all-conference selection, plus earned second-team honors as a sophomore. He was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and Pac-10 Player of the Week on three occasions.

Off the field Cecil was a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection and culminated his education as a recipient of the NCAA VI Award, one of the nation's top scholar-athlete citations. He was named Arizona's male winner of the Pac-10 Conference Medal.

Cecil finished his UA career with the then No. 1 mark in passes defended, 38, which currently is second to Michael Jolivette's 44 from 2000 to 2003. He led the Wildcats with 80 solo tackles his senior year and also posted the school record that season with four interceptions at Stanford.

Today, Cecil still ranks No. 7 on Arizona's all-time tackles chart with a total of 392. Additionally, he holds the Arizona career record with 21 interceptions and among those returned one 100 yards for a touchdown against Arizona State in 1986, a play that likely rests atop many UA partisans' choice as the single-most electrifying and revered moment in UA football history.

Drafted in the fourth round of the 1988 draft by the Green Bay Packers, Cecil spent seven seasons in the NFL with the Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Houston Oilers. He went on to an extensive coaching career under head coach Jeff Fisher, first with the Tennessee Titans from 2001-10 and later the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams from 2012-16. Cecil was the defensive coordinator for the Titans for the 2009-10 seasons.

To the disapproval of many Arizona fans, the UA football program has not had many alumni around the program recently, so the addition of Cecil will likely be well-received, especially since he appears to be more than qualified for the position.

Arguably, Cecil’s most famous moment at Arizona was a 106-yard pick-six against the Arizona State Sun Devils in 1986.

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Marvin Bagley III files paperwork to reclassify to 2017, per report

Arizona football: Devaughn Cooper no longer on Wildcats’ roster

Arizona football: Rich Rodriguez ‘excited’ about Wildcats’ young linebackers

Pac-12 Football Championship Game staying in Santa Clara through 2019, should move to Las Vegas after that

Let’s get the conference’s two biggest events in a non-member city

To kick off its 2017 college football season, the Pac-12 started Media Days by announcing the conference would keep its football championship game in Santa Clara through at least 2019, extending the current deal two years.

In 2020, it’s time to move the thing to Las Vegas.

As part of this new deal the Pac-12 announced, they have the option to keep the game in Levi’s Stadium for 2020, which I like to think is the backup plan in case construction of the new Las Vegas stadium is delayed.

The Oakland Raiders move to Las Vegas in 2019, and the new stadium that is located just off The Strip is set to open in 2020.

A Pac-12 game is already scheduled for that new stadium. The Arizona Wildcats’ 2021 game vs. the BYU Cougars that was originally slated to be played in Sam Boyd Stadium has been moved to the Raiders’ new home.

So let’s get the Pac-12 Championship Game there too.

It’s not like this is the first time the Pac-12 would upgrade its conference postseason by moving something to a city without a member institution. We all remember when the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament was played in STAPLES Center and how much of a disaster that was. Now look at that event in Las Vegas. It just sold out the massive T-Mobile Arena in its first year in that venue.

With the P12FCG’s lowly attendance and excitement level since moving to Santa Clara in 2014, there has been some clamoring for the original setup of having the game at the school that finished with the better record. There’s also the idea of moving to the new Los Angeles Stadium that will be completed in 2019.

But I don’t think this new deal’s ending date is an accident. It’s the ultimate setup for a far superior football weekend experience. There’s no reason the Pac-12 shouldn’t do this. Attendance will be better. Exposure will be better. There is no drawback.

And honestly, don’t you want two reasons to go to Vegas for a weekend each year instead of one?

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Arizona basketball recruiting: Devon Dotson, Marvin Bagley III to visit in first week of August

Arizona football 2017 depth chart: Previewing the Wildcats’ wide receivers

Struggles in the passing game are ahead

There’s no secret that the Arizona Wildcats’ passing game is little more than an idle threat.

It’s more than a knock against the quarterbacks (who trend toward running) or the offensive line (who trend toward injuries). It’s a knock on the current slew of wide receivers on the Arizona roster, and it’s an indictment on how Rich Rodriguez has recruited.

KEY LOSSES: Nate Phillips, Samajie Grant, Trey Griffey

KEY RETURNERS: Shun Brown, Tyrell Johnson, Cam Denson, Shawn Poindexter, Zach Benjamin, Tony Ellison

KEY NEWCOMERS: Devaughn Cooper (redshirted in 2016)

Nate Phillips, Samajie Grant, and Trey Griffey exit Arizona Stadium carrying a combined career totals of 376 receptions, 4,811 yards, and 33 touchdowns out the door with them. That’s a lot of production and experience departing the roster. What’s left is a collection of wide receivers green behind the ears and unproven in big-time competition.

Say what you will about expectations in the passing game this year, but Shun Brown is primed for a breakout season. The diminutive receiver (5’8”) has proven to be a durable football player who can make plays. He is the most seasoned receiver on the active roster with career totals of 33 receptions, 545 yards, and three touchdowns. Whereas these totals aren’t record setting, they leave no doubt that Arizona quarterbacks will be looking Shun’s way with regularity.

Unfortunately, there may not be much to distract opposing secondaries from keying on Shun. The remaining roster has a combined 51 career receptions. This stat highlights the biggest concern with the UA wide receivers: experience. Secondaries throughout the Pac-12 are loaded with hardened defensive backs. The best odds for a stellar wide receiver performance this season will be against California, Washington State, and Arizona State. After that, there appears to be little chance for much wide receiver impact.

Rodriguez again failed to land a touted recruit at receiver, so the key newcomer is a returnee. Devaughn Cooper has loads of potential, and after suffering an injury in the first game last year, he was awarded a redshirt season. According to 247Sports, Devaughn is Arizona’s highest-rated receiver.

Overall, the UA wide receiver roster is in the bottom quartile of the league in numerous categories.

To wit, Arizona wide receivers are:

• 7th in the Pac-12 in total playing experience
• 11th in the Pac-12 in 2016 catches returning
• 11th in the Pac-12 in career catches returning
• 10th in the Pac-12 with number of wide receivers on roster
• 10th in the Pac-12 in average height (71.54 inches/5’11.5”)

Looking to the future, the cupboard is growing bare. The Arizona receiving corp is 10th in the league with regard to average 247Sports Composite scores, barely ahead of Oregon State and Colorado. There just isn’t much potential that a game-changing receiver is on the current roster.

With the dearth of playing experience among the receivers and the absence of a highly-touted threat, the Arizona faithful had best hope for a few pleasant surprises this season.

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Arizona basketball: Wildcats to use Spain exhibition tour to build continuity

Arizona football: Wildcats’ quarterback situation has ‘changed for the better’

Scooby Wright III shining in Arizona Cardinals training camp

Scooby is high on the Cardinals’ depth chart for now

Scooby Wright III has been proving doubters wrong since he was in high school.

Coaches from Cal and Washington told him he wasn’t good enough to play in the Pac-12, and the Arizona Wildcats were his only Division I offer.

That worked out OK.

Wright ended up being a unanimous All-American, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, and swept the defensive award circuit winning the Bednarik, Nagurski and Lombardi awards in his sophomore season.

He battled through injuries his junior season before declaring for the NFL Draft. Once a projected a third to fourth round pick, Wright fell all the way to the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round at pick 250, fourth to last in the 2016 NFL Draft.

He was later cut by the Browns, and signed by the Arizona Cardinals, where he immediately contributed to the special teams units.

Now in his second year as a professional, Wright has been thriving at Cardinals training camp. For now, he is listed as the No. 2 money linebacker, behind first round pick Haason Reddick. Deone Bucannon, the bonafide starter, is on the physically unable to perform list, coming off an ankle surgery in May.

In case you weren't sure @AZCardinals season was here, we have a depth chart.#CardsCamp http://pic.twitter.com/wLMmbJMvxT

— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) July 26, 2017

Wright has quickly taken advantage of Bucannon’s absence and become one of the notable playmakers on the Cardinals’ defense.

“He had a hell of a spring,” head coach Bruce Arians said of Wright. “If he’d just quit tackling them wide receivers and tight ends going over the middle. He’s very aggressive. He has a knack to play the linebacker position. He’s trimmed down. It’s going to be a big camp for him.”

After deciding to leave Arizona a year early, Wright has also been taking classes at the UA to earn his economy and industry degree.

#AZCardinals LB Scooby Wright with a interception off a tipped pass. (11 on 11) #CardsCamp http://pic.twitter.com/DuIiq3DOmd

— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) July 26, 2017

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Pac-12 making changes to shorten football games

Shorter halftimes and fewer commercial breaks, in particular

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott addressed the elephant in the room during Wednesday’s Pac-12 Football Media Day in Hollywood, Calif.

The “elephant” for Scott revolves around the elongated gridiron contests that have become rampant across the college football world.

In 2016, the average college football game time was 3 hours and 24 minutes, the longest in the sport’s history.

Scott told reporters that the conference was well aware that fans want shorter games, and also addressed the late game times that are common in the Pac-12.

“A final area in which we're showing collective leadership is around the issue of the length of football games,” Scott said. “We know fans are feeling the impact of longer games. We support the ongoing work of rules committees that are working nationally to examine this issue and look at possible rule changes that affect the pace of the game and the length of the game.”

Scott unveiled a plan for games on the Pac-12 Network during the non-conference schedule to cut back on game times, including fewer commercial breaks and a reduced halftime, from 20 to 15 minutes.

Scott says the conference found through research that an average of 30 percent of football viewers watching games on either ESPN or the Pac-12 Network stop watching by halftime, which he felt was due in part to the length of halftime ceremonies.

“We very much salute and support some of the halftime rituals and presentations and of course the break for the student-athletes, but when I talked to our coaches about this, I really started this by talking to our coaches about halftime, from a student-athlete health perspective and welfare perspective, and I was delighted to hear our coaches feel like 20 minutes is more than they need from a student-athlete health and rest and an Xs and Os perspective,” Scott said.

“Some even believed that 20 minutes may be too long in terms of keeping the muscles loose and all that. That led me to want to push our conference to pilot with this shortened format. It's a step.”

Scott said the conference has also heard a lot of complaints from fans about the growing number of 30-second television timeouts, which also contributed to the reforms.

He pointed to the Open Championship broadcast on NBC, which used split-screen commercial breaks that allowed commercials to air while still showing live footage, as a possible model going forward.

“We'll test it during the non-conference season. We'll get some good feedback,” Scott said. “...And let me underscore, this is a comprehensive look at the presentation of the game that we have to bring to it.”

Scott said the conference’s goal is to bring game times closer to three hours within the coming years. Plan your drinking games accordingly.

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Arizona football: Dereck Boles in, Noah Jefferson out for Wildcats

Some defensive line updates from Rich Rodriguez

College football recruiting is weird.

The Arizona Wildcats had originally received a verbal commitment from former Boise State defensive lineman Dereck Boles back in May, but a month later, he changed his mind and flipped to South Florida.

Yet, now he is in Tucson for the 2017 season, and will be joining Arizona after all.

I sat down and asked Rich Rodriguez if he expects any more late roster additions and he drops that JUCO DL Dereck Boles is already in Tucson

— Matt Moreno (@MattGOAZCATS) July 26, 2017

"It’s not 100 percent yet, because he’s got some academic work he’s got to finish up, but we expect Dereck Boles to be part of our program pretty soon," Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez told reporters at Pac-12 Media Day.

Boles, a 6-foot-3, 290 pound defensive tackle, will be eligible to play this season pending academic clearance. It’s a big boost for UA’s defensive line if he can work his way onto the field.

Boles played for Arizona defensive coordinator Marcel Yates at Boise State before the latter left for Tucson. Now they’re reunited.

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While Arizona is expecting to have Boles on the roster, the Wildcats will be without highly-touted USC transfer Noah Jefferson.

The 6-foot-6, 315-pound defensive tackle will not be on Arizona’s roster, Rodriguez said.

USC transfer DL Noah Jefferson will not be on Arizona’s roster and Rich Rodriguez says there’s a couple more potential additions late

— Matt Moreno (@MattGOAZCATS) July 26, 2017

Jefferson announced his transfer to Arizona in March, but evidently things did not work out.

Jefferson, a sophomore, would have had to sit out the 2017 season, but could have been a key figure on defense for the Wildcats in 2018 and 2019.

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And lastly on the defensive front, it appears as if the injury bug is already hitting early. DeAndre’ Miller did not attend Pac-12 Media Days because of a foot injury, now defensive tackle Sione Taufahema is dealing with an injury.

“He had a little injury issue,” Rodriguez said at Pac-12 Media Day. “He gained a little bit of weight, so he's got to drop some weight and get in shape before he can contribute. But if he gets in shape in the next month, he can help us.”

Taufahema, a 6-foot-3, 310 pound transfer from College of the Canyons, enrolled early this spring. He was expected to compete at nose guard with Parker Zellers, and still can, if he gets back into shape and heals up.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez said Miller is dealing with a “stress thing” in his foot, and had surgery last week, reports Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star.

RichRod said DE-LB DeAndre' Miller had "a stress thing" in his foot + had surgery last week. The hope is that he'll be back by Week 1.

— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) July 26, 2017

Rodriguez said he hopes Miller will be back for the season opener on Sept. 2 against NAU.

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Arizona football: 2007 Thursday night upset of Oregon sparked Wildcats for two years

Arizona football: My-King Johnson being openly gay ‘should not be a story,’ says Rich Rodriguez

Rodriguez wants Johnson’s story to be about his play on the field

Arizona Wildcats freshman defensive end My-King Johnson is set to become one of the first active openly gay scholarship players in major-college football history when the season begins in September, but head coach Rich Rodriguez said at Pac-12 Media Days that he “hopes it’s to the point where it’s not a story.”

“And for us that’s the way we’re treating it,” he said. “His personal lifestyle should not be a story. What should be a story is how he’s going to play on the field. So the way I’m treating My-King or (26-year-old quarterback) Donavan Tate is like they’re any other of the newcomers. When they start making plays and being the guys that’s getting sacks or throwing touchdowns passes, then let’s talk about that as a story.”

Johnson was a three-star recruit out of Tempe, Ariz., and told the Wildcats’ coaching staff he was gay during the recruiting process.

They had no issue with it.

"When I found out, I really couldn't sleep," Arizona defensive line coach Vince Amey told the Daily Star. "And it wasn't like I was uncomfortable with it. I was just like, all right, it's different, it's new. ... I said, 'Look, you are who you are, I am who I am, and I'm going to coach you the same way. I'm going to treat you the same way. I'm going to get on you the same way as everybody else. There's no difference. You do what you do.'“

Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 225 pound defensive end, was one of the top pass rushers in the state of Arizona in high school. The former UCLA commit had 22 sacks in his junior season and 22.5 sacks in his senior season.

Arizona lacked a consistent pass rush in 2016, generating only 22 sacks as a team, and Johnson could help the Wildcats immediately in that department as a freshman.

If he does, Rodriguez wants that to be the storyline around him, not his sexual orientation — and Rodriguez said Johnson feels the same way.

“He’s going to be hands off story-wise with all the other freshmen. ... because we’re not interested, and I know My-King is not interested in having it be a huge story,” Rodriguez said.

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Arizona football: Wildcats picked to finish last in Pac-12 South

Not much is expected of Arizona football this season

Coming off their worst season in over a decade, a 3-9 campaign that featured just one conference win, the Arizona Wildcats are looking to hit the reset button in 2017.

But the media doesn’t expect 2017 to yield much different results.

Arizona was selected to finish last in the Pac-12 South by a rather large margin, and received the least number of votes from the media in the entire conference.

The USC Trojans and Washington Huskies were overwhelmingly selected to win their respective divisions.

Here is the full breakdown:

The Wildcats being picked last is hardly a surprise. Their roster is full of question marks, as they’re bringing in over 50 new players — Rich Rodriguez admitted on Pac-12 Media Days that “it’s almost like a reboot” — and the team’s returning talent isn’t awe-inspiring.

However, Arizona can only go up from last season plus has a rather favorable schedule as it avoids playing Washington and Stanford.

But 2017 is expected to be a make-or-break season for Rodriguez, and if the media is correct and Arizona does finish last in the Pac-12 South, Arizona may be looking for a new head coach at the end of the year.

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Arizona basketball: Gabe York to sign in Germany with Medi Bayreuth, per report

York finds a home after two stints in NBA Summer League

Former Arizona Wildcats guard Gabe York has agreed to sign with Medi Bayreuth, reports Orazio Cauchi of Sportando.

The German club, based in Bayreuth, Bavaria, is part of the Bundesliga, the country’s top basketball league.

The terms of York’s contract were not disclosed.

York participated in NBA Summer League in July, playing for the Charlotte Hornets in Orlando Summer League and the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas Summer League.

Between the two, he averaged just north of 3.0 points per game in nine games.

This will be York’s second stint overseas, as the 23-year-old appeared in six games for Italy’s Vanoli Cremona last season before being waived by the club.

York then signed with the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League, where he averaged 15.7 points per game in 44 appearances (35 starts).

Medi Bayreuth, whose colors are black, white, and lime green, are generally one of the worst teams in the Bundesliga, but they did place fourth in the league last season with a 22-10 record, their best finish since being promoted in 2010.

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Arizona football recruiting SitRep: A look at the Wildcats’ defensive back targets

We take a look at players on the back end that are a priority for UA’s coaching staff

As the summer comes to a close and the start of Pac-12 Media Days and fall camp draw near, it’s about to be a busy time for the Arizona Wildcats.

Before that, we will take a look at some targets remaining for the coaching staff on the 2018 recruiting front. This week, we’ll focus on defensive backs.

Let’s get to it in this week’s SitRep:

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Defensive Back Priorities

Jemaurian Jones, Brookhaven High School, Brookhaven, MS

We’ll start off with a recruit I was not at all expecting. When the 6-foot-1 cornerback released his top 10 in late June, it was an interesting one. The Wildcats made the cut along with schools like Florida State, Georgia, UCLA, Oregon State, and Ole Miss to name a few. With schools from all over the country, his recruitment could go any number of ways. It will be interesting to see how things play out, but for now the priority for the Arizona staff is to get Jones on campus for a visit.

Dallas Taylor-Cortez, Chaminade College Prep, West Hills, CA

The Wildcats have put themselves into a great position for the tall, lengthy cornerback from Southern California. The talented corner hasn’t taken any visits yet but plans to take some soon, as his planned commitment date is August 10 (his mother’s birthday). He has interest in the ‘Cats and would like to take a visit out to Tucson soon, so it’s a matter of getting him on campus to make more headway in his recruitment. Washington State is sitting well with Taylor-Cortez as well, and is probably Arizona’s biggest competition.

Full Interview

Dominique Hampton, Centennial High School, Peoria, AZ

Hampton has been a huge in-state target for the Wildcat staff for quite some time now. UA’s staff has constant communication with the cornerback and Hampton likes that about the staff. In early July, Hampton released a top five of nothing but Pac-12 schools, so it’s safe to say we know what conference he’ll play in. Besides the ‘Cats, Hampton has high interest in Washington and Colorado.

Full Interview

Steve McIntosh, Bishop Alemany High School, Mission Hills, CA

McIntosh is a versatile defensive back from Southern California. He does have a large amount of interest in Arizona and we can confirm he will be visiting Tucson on July 26. McIntosh made some good plays and opened some eyes during the Battle at the Beach in Huntington Beach earlier this month. He is versatile enough to play safety but also cornerback. If his visit goes well this week, it’s highly possible McIntosh will become a new member to Arizona’s class.

Full Interview

Tyric LeBeauf, Long Beach Poly, Long Beach, CA

UA has quietly done a nice job with another rangy Southern California corner in LeBeauf. Marcel Yates has been leading the charge at LBP and has been doing a good job at the school. LeBeauf has been hearing from Arizona for some time, receiving his offer when he took an unofficial visit to campus in March. Some of the biggest competition for the ‘Cats in this one comes from Utah and Washington State.

Kenny Churchwell, Mountain Pointe High School, Phoenix, AZ

At one point, it was safe to say that Arizona was the school to beat for Churchwell’s services. But with his head recruiter, Charlie Ragle, leaving for Cal it has become a little murkier now. Churchwell has taken numerous visits to campus so far so there is a sense of familiarity there. Churchwell has been taking the process slowly, so there is time for the ‘Cats to make up ground.

Chigozie Anusiem, Sonora High School, La Habra, CA

Anusiem is another versatile defensive back that can play either safety or cornerback. Either way, measuring 6-foot-2 and 171 pounds, Anusiem has the size that college coaches like to see in the defensive backfield. Anusiem was offered by the Wildcats during the spring evaluation period and the ‘Cats continue to be one of his bigger options. Arizona, however, does have its work cutout for it as Notre Dame, UCLA, Washington State, and California are some of the schools also involved. It looks to be an uphill battle for Arizona, but as expected, getting him on campus could go a long way.

Jhevon Hill, Cajon High School, San Bernardino, CA

During the weekend, Hill confirmed to Rivals.com that he will be in Tucson on July 29 for the big, end-of-summer event UA holds every year. At 6-foot-3, 185 pounds it’s easy to see why Arizona would be so interested. And the interest is reciprocated. If this weekend goes well for the former UCLA commit, it is easy to see him playing at the next level in Tucson.

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Recruiting Notes

As mentioned above, July 29 marks the last summer recruiting event for the Arizona staff before they turn their attention to fall camp and the current team. During the week and throughout the weekend, we will work to get complete a visitor list, which we’ll present in next week’s SitRep.

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2018 Offers (1)

Wide Receiver

Tre Adams: Wakeland HS (Frisco, TX)/WR/6-foot-3/178 pounds/3-star

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Arizona basketball: Chance Comanche’s mom wanted him to return to school

Arizona football: DeAndre’ Miller injures foot, will miss Pac-12 Media Days

Not a good sign for someone the Wildcats need to stay healthy this season

The Arizona Wildcats will be relying on inexperienced players at linebacker in 2017, with the exception of DeAndre’ Miller.

The redshirt senior was one of Arizona’s top pass rushers a season ago, but was nagged by injuries throughout the year and wound up missing three games (while being limited in a few others).

The Wildcats need Miller to have a better stretch of health in 2017 to make a marked improvement on defense, but things haven’t gotten off to a great start.

Miller was scratched from Pac-12 Media Days after suffering a foot injury last week, reports Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star.

Miller was one of two players (offensive lineman Jacob Alsadek being the other) tabbed to represent Arizona at the event, which takes places July 26 and 27 in Hollywood, Calif., but now senior defensive lineman Luca Bruno will take Miller’s place.

Miller is projected to start at the “stud” position for Arizona, a defensive end/linebacker hybrid role.

He had 18 tackles, including three sacks last season, but missed Arizona’s first two Pac-12 games with a high-ankle sprain, then missed UA’s game at Oregon State later in the year.

In 2015, Miller missed two non-conference games due to injury, and in 2014, he played in three games before suffering a season-ending injury.

It is not known how severe Miller’s injury is, but it’s obviously not a good sign that he’s already ailing before practice has even started.

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Arizona Wildcats 2017 football schedule and other important dates to know

All the dates you need to know for the upcoming season

The 2017 college football season is almost here and the Arizona Wildcats are less than a week away from their first practice.

Arizona begins camp on July 31 and will practice Monday through Saturday until Aug. 19 (Sundays off-days).

Here are some other dates to be mindful of as the calendar flips to August:

Pac-12 Media Days

Wednesday, July 26 and Thursday, July 27

Head coach Rich Rodriguez, offensive lineman Jacob Alsadek, and defensive lineman Luca Bruno will speak to the media to discuss the upcoming season and other things relevant to Arizona football at Hollywood & Highland in Hollywood, Calif.

Linebacker DeAndre’ Miller was supposed to attend instead of Bruno, but a foot injury has sidelined him (our Gabe Encinas listed Miller as one of Arizona’s most important players this season, so that is obviously not an ideal start for him).

Pac-12 Media Days will be airing on Pac-12 Network and can be live streamed on Pac-12.com.

The event starts at 9 a.m. PT on Wednesday. The full schedule can be found here.

Local Media Day/Fort Huachuca Team Dinner

Saturday, Aug. 19

After a morning practice and a team lunch, Arizona’s players and coaches will meet with local media before heading up to Fort Huachuca for a team dinner with personnel and community members on post.

Start of Classes

Monday, Aug. 21

Arizona will return to its standard regular season practice schedule, shifting from afternoon practices to early morning practices.

Beanie Bowl – Open to the Public

Friday, Aug. 25

The Beanie Bowl is an open-to-the-public scrimmage that is not only designed to allow UA’s players to get some extra work in before the season, but it’s also an opportunity for students, especially new ones, to get their first glimpse of the team.

The Beanie Bowl is not the most interesting thing if you’re looking for high-quality football — it’s mostly non-contact and starters vs. the scout team — but they did hand out Raising Cane’s vouchers to those in attendance last year, so that’s cool at least.

2017 season begins vs. NAU

Saturday, Sept. 2 | 8 p.m. MST

Arizona will host the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks to kick off the 2017 season. The rest of the Wildcats’ schedule is as follows...

Arizona vs. Houston

Saturday, Sept. 9 | 7:30 p.m. MST

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Arizona at UTEP

Friday, Sept. 15 | 7:15 p.m. MST

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Arizona vs. Utah

Friday, Sept. 22 | 7:30 p.m. MST

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Arizona at Colorado

Saturday, Oct. 7 | TBD

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Arizona vs. UCLA

Saturday, Oct. 14 | TBD

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Arizona at Cal

Saturday, Oct. 21 | TBD

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Arizona vs. Washington State

Saturday, Oct. 28 | TBD

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Arizona at USC

Saturday, Nov. 4 | TBD

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Arizona vs. Oregon State

Saturday, Nov. 11 | TBD

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Arizona at Oregon

Saturday, Nov. 18 | TBD

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Arizona at Arizona State

Saturday, Nov. 25 | TBD

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Kyle Fogg leads Overseas Elite to semifinals of The Basketball Tournament

Fogg and Overseas Elite are going for a three-peat

It’s been one heck of a summer for Kyle Fogg.

The former Arizona Wildcat signed a $2 million deal with the Guangzhou Long-Lions in June, and now has led his team, Overseas Elite, to the semifinals of The Basketball Tournament.

Fogg scored a game-high 26 points in the quarterfinals Sunday as Overseas Elite came back to beat the VCU alumni team, Rams Nation, 86-79 in Brooklyn.

Fogg and Overseas Elite will take on Boeheim’s Army — a Syracuse alumni team — in the semifinals on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 6 p.m. PT in Baltimore. The game will be televised on ESPN.

The championship game will take place Thursday, Aug. 3 at 4 p.m. PT.

Fogg is in search of a three-peat, as his team has won The Basketball Tournament the past two years.

The winning team receives a $2 million prize, which is divided up equally among the team’s members.

Last year, Fogg was the tournament’s MVP, and he used the earnings ($174,000) to help furnish his mom’s house, which he helped buy with the earnings from 2015.

Hopefully he can win a third title and do more cool things for his mom.

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Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire

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Pac-12 athletic directors have lowest salaries in the Power 5

Dave Heeke has one of the lower salaries among Pac-12 ADs

The college athletics industrial complex has inflated salaries for football coaches and administrators across the country, according to a survey compiled by USA Today and athleticdirectoru.com.

The survey, which analyzed salaries for both at public universities across the country (private colleges do not make their salaries public), found that average salaries across the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly called Division 1A), which has 129 teams in total, increased 31.9 percent over the last five years.

The survey also revealed another interesting nugget — the Pac-12 ranks last amongst Power-Five conferences in average total compensation ($695,292), with the Atlantic Coast Conference leading the way, averaging a whopping $1.079 million.

Another unsurprising, yet interesting nugget from the survey was the disparity between the five power conferences and the rest of the division at large, with the Power 5 averaging $876,925 in compensation, compared to a mean division-wide salary of $605,618 in 2017.

Within the Pac-12

A look at the Conference of Champions reveals a stark split in athletic director salary, with UCLA’s Don Guerrero leading the way at $893,501 in base salary.

Surprisingly enough, Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes (formerly the AD at Pitt) ranks second in the conference in base salary, at $850,000.

Arizona Wildcats athletic director Dave Heeke is tied for eighth in salary amongst the conference’s 10 public universities, making an even $500,000 in 2017.

Heeke and Washington State AD Bill Moos, who earn the same base salary, slot just behind University of California-Berkeley’s Michael Williams, who will make $519,000 this year.

The only schools whose athletic directors earn less than Heeke are Utah’s Chris Hill, who earns a paltry $450,000 in base salary, the least in the conference, followed by Washington’s Jennifer Cohen, who makes $460,000 a year.

Three of the four highest paid athletic directors in the nation hail from the ACC, with Louisville’s Tom Jurich and Duke’s Kevin White leading the way, earning $2.7 and $1.4 million dollars this year, respectively.

Guerrero’s salary ranks 12th overall, with Barnes earning the 14th-most of any athletic director in the nation.

How does Arizona compare?

Heeke’s base salary pales in comparison to his predecessor, Greg Byrne, who will make $900,000 this year (most in the Southeastern Conference).

Heeke, 53, falls in line with the average age of Power Five athletic directors, who average 54 years of age (nine years older than Byrne),

In terms of bonus money, Heeke has the potential of tacking on $346,156 this year, while the Pac-12 as a whole averaged $304,376.

Rival Arizona State will pay fourth-year athletic director Ray Anderson $642,600 this year, with a bonus matching his yearly salary.

In total, one thing becomes clear upon reading the survey that it pays to be an athletic director in 2017.

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Arizona Wildcats offer 2018 4-star point guard Jalen Carey

Arizona basketball: Chance Comanche playing in the Drew League

“My time will come,” Comanche tweeted.

Where in the world is Chance Comanche?

After going unselected in the 2017 NBA Draft in June, the former Arizona Wildcat has mostly been off the radar.

Comanche surprisingly did not participate in any of the three NBA Summer League events (most likely because he did not receive an invite) and there have been no reports of him signing overseas.

So, what is he up to? Comanche is playing in the Drew League in Los Angeles.

Sweeeet Jumper by @comanche2414 @DrewLeague http://pic.twitter.com/qwga5IB0qz

— Shereen Rayan (@SportsCrazee) July 22, 2017

@Chimezie_Metu to @comanche2414 SLAM DUNK!!! @DrewLeague @PlanetAsha http://pic.twitter.com/ceRIE7IhPa

— Shereen Rayan (@SportsCrazee) July 23, 2017

The Drew League is a pro-am league that “matches up 28 invitation-only teams to battle it out on the hardwood,” according to its website.

“(It plays) host to Southern California’s toughest competition, attracting streetball legends, collegiate athletes, and several NBA stars.”

Notable participants in the Drew League this year are: Pistons center Andre Drummond, Lakers forward Julius Randle, Warriors guard Nick Young, Clippers guard Lou Williams, Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, and former NBA guard Baron Davis.

USC guard De’Anthony Melton and forward Chimezie Metu are in it, too. So is 2018 recruit Marvin Bagley III and former Wildcat Stanley Johnson.

Comanche (along with Metu) plays for the Clozers, and he had 21 points and 12 rebounds on Saturday.

It’s fair to wonder if Comanche’s post-Arizona plan has unfolded the way he originally envisioned after he chose to forgo his final two years of eligibility.

The 21-year-old was never expected to be drafted, but getting a spot on a Summer League roster certainly wasn’t out of the question.

Neither of those happened, but there’s still plenty of time for Comanche to sign a deal overseas or in the G League, and Comanche’s physical tools alone — a 7-foot-2 wingspan with good mobility — should be enough for somebody to take a flyer on him.

Eventually.

“My time will come,” Comanche tweeted.

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