New Arizona Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez has benefitted from both ends of the Arizona State coaching change.
Linebacker C.J. Dozier, who had been committed to the Sun Devils before they fired coach Dennis Erickson after the regular season, decided to attend Arizona over the weekend and enroll early.
On Monday, outside linebacker Dakota Conwell — who had been committed to Pitt before coach Todd Graham bolted to ASU — opted to be a Wildcat. Naturally, in a sign of the times, he tweeted the news.
Conwell, from Upper Saint Clair High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., is rated as a four-star recruit by Scout.com and a three-star recruit by Rivals.com.
He also was a dual-threat quarterback in high school, rushing for 1,087 yards and 11 touchdowns and passing for 997 yards and 19 scores.
New Arizona defensive backs coach Tony Gibson, who had recruited Conwell to Pitt, helped convince Conwell to switch to the Cats.
Conwell might not be the last of the Pittsburgh connection.
At Pitt, Gibson was part of the effort trying to bring in four-star outside linebacker/safety Deaysean Rippy from McKees Rocks, Pa. The West Virginia staff — of which three are now at Arizona, including coordinator Jeff Casteel — also were recruiting Rippy. He took an official visit to Arizona last weekend.
Arizona also played host last weekend to twins Chris and Demitious Davis, who are committed to Pitt. A trio of new UA assistants — Gibson, Calvin Magee and Tony Dews — helped lure the receivers to Pitt, but couldn’t change their minds. The twins told Rivals.com they are still committed to the Panthers.