Arizona football roster notes: Bradford not joining Wildcats, Cooper lands at UTEP, Eletise trying to get waiver at Hawaii

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Three-star defensive tackle Kane Bradford is not expected to join the Arizona Wildcats this season, according to Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star.

The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Texan was the No. 91 defensive tackle in the 2019 recruiting class, according to 247Sports composite rankings. At minimum, he would have served as a depth for a UA defensive line.

“Kane has a big interior body that adds needed size and strength to our defensive line,” d-line coach Iona Uiagalelei said on signing day. “He has great range and size to play both the run and the pass rush.”

It does sound like Bradford could try to join the Wildcats in the spring, though:

DT Kane Bradford is not expected to enroll at Arizona this fall b/c of academic issues. Bradford posted on IG that he's leaving Texas in January, which would make him a candidate to grayshirt at Arizona if he comes here. But a concrete plan hasn't been finalized as of yet.

— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) August 6, 2019

In other news, former UA wide receiver Devaughn Cooper has surfaced at UTEP after being dismissed by Arizona in the spring.

The speedy Los Angeles native was fourth on the Wildcats in receiving last season, catching 18 passes for 386 yards. UTEP has been one of the worst teams in college football the past two seasons, compiling a 1-23 record.

“He’s getting his paperwork done as far as his physical back in El Paso and we figure on bringing him up to camp (Wednesday),” UTEP coach Dana Dimel told the El Paso Times this week. “He’s a good player, he was starting for Arizona this spring at their slot position so we feel like he can really help us.

”I don’t want to say much until he gets here and competes. I like our receiver group, I really do. They are getting better all the time.”

Meanwhile in Hawaii, former Wildcats offensive lineman and four-star recruit Michael Eletise is hoping to receive a waiver so that he does not have to sit out the 2019 season.

He told the Star-Advertiser that he transferred from the UA for family and personal reasons. If Eletise receives the waiver, he would be able to suit up against his former team on Aug. 24, a possibility that he was well-aware of in the spring when he was no longer with the Wildcats but still wrapping up his coursework at the UA.

“It was a little awkward when they’d come home from spring ball, maybe talk about stuff, and I’m like, ‘Maybe you shouldn’t be talking about this stuff because we’ll be playing each other,’ ” Eletise told the Star-Advertiser. “We joke around while we’re playing video games — who’s going to de-cleat who. It’s all fun and games while we’re chilling at the house.”

Eletise appeared in 23 games in two seasons at Arizona after redshirting his freshman year. He started in four games in 2018, including three at right guard after Bryson Cain suffered a season-ending injury.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/31udckG
via IFTTT