Scott
Quarterback Matt Scott didn’t see any reason to look around any longer.
Not wanting to risk missing out on the chance to play for Arizona, the four-star signal caller gave an oral commitment to the Wildcats on Friday.
“Quarterbacks commit early, and I didn’t want to lose out on a chance to get a scholarship from a good school like Arizona,” Scott said in a phone interview. “It is a great fit for me. I am the first quarterback the new (offensive) staff has signed since it changed offenses. I felt it would be a good thing to be the first quarterback.”
The Wildcats already have a commitment from Gerell Robinson of Chandler Hamilton High, but the senior-to-be gave his verbal commitment to Arizona nearly a year ago, under the previous offensive coaches.
Scott, a dual-threat QB from Centennial High in Corona, Calif., is rated the No. 9 quarterback in national preseason polls by Scout.com and No. 8 by Rivals.com.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound quarterback won’t need a crash course in running the spread offense. He already knows the basic concepts, as his high school runs a similar system.
“It’s a lot like Arizona’s, and that is good. It will make me a lot more comfortable,” Scott said. “I should have a little bit of an advantage over the other quarterbacks. I like the spread. We do a lot out of the shotgun, which allows you do quite a bit.”
Scott’s final two choices were UA and Minnesota, after he eliminated nine other schools that had offered him a scholarship.
Arizona’s seventh commitment for the 2008 recruiting class passed for 1,703 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior, while also rushing for 536 yards and seven scores.
Scott is a threat on the ground, but his reputation has been built by his all-around athleticism and a cannonlike arm.
“My arm is one of my strengths, but I think I can do a lot more. I like to be a lot like a Michael Vick-style quarterback,” Scott said. “Where some quarterbacks can mostly run and not throw, or throw and not run, I like to do both.”
Arizona wouldn’t mind if Scott brings a couple of his teammates to campus with him, including tailback Ryan Bass and linebacker Brandon Magee.
Bass, a 2,000-yard rusher, is a four-star recruit and rated 24th among tailbacks nationally by Scout.com. Magee is a three-star defender.