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UPDATING: Arizona Wildcats Signing Day blog: Harper picks Arizona over Oregon, UCLA

4:39 p.m.: Rich Rodriguez did have this to say about Bryan Harper, who was the 23rd recruit (all from high school) to sign today:

“One of the best athletes we saw on film,” he said.

Harper could end up at receiver, defensive back or quarterback, Rodriguez said.

* * *

3:18 p.m.: Bryan Harper, an versatile athlete from Ontario, Calif., has picked Arizona over Oregon and UCLA, according to WildcatSportsReport.com. (Arizona has confirmed.)

Harper (6-0, 185) is a two-way standout who could end up at quarterback for Arizona, where there is much more opportunity at the position than at Oregon or UCLA. He is a three-star recruit and a nice late get for the Cats.

Rich Rodriguez will be starting his press conference at about 3:30 p.m. More later.

Trey Griffey poses with his dad Ken Griffey Jr. and former NFL receiver Keyshawn Johnson at the Under Armour All-America high school game in St. Petersburg, Fla, last month. Photo by Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

12:30 p.m.: Nice story in the Orlando Sentinel about Trey Griffey and the process for how he made his decision to attend Arizona.

Excerpt from famous dad, Ken Griffey Jr.:

“I’m very proud of the things he’s accomplished so far in his life,” Griffey said.

“People, they think that because of his last name, it’s a cakewalk and it’s actually the opposite because people expect so much and before they even get a chance to know him, they are judging him. … He handles himself extremely well … and that’s the thing I’m most proud of.”

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11:46 a.m.: How are the Signing Day shakeouts affecting Arizona’s national rankings? The Cats have climbed a bit from last night, going from 54th to 46 on Scout.com, holding at 44 on Rivals.com and moving from 54th to 51st on 247Sports.

* * *

11:27 a.m.: DL Dwight Melvin sends in his letter — as does DE Dylan Cozens — so all of Arizona’s known committed players are accounted for — 23 of them, including mid-year transfer C.J. Dozier, who I believe counts toward last year’s scholarship limit of 25 (although I will have to check on that).

* * *

11:15 a.m. Here is some video of athlete Wayne Capers playing quarterback last season:

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10:55 a.m.: TE Keoni Bush-Loo from Honolulu is officially a Wildcat. Not much left — DT Dwight Melvin still has to send in his letter; QB/ATH Bryan Harper will announce his college choice later (Arizona, Oregon or UCLA) … and then everyone will be waiting on Davonte’ Neal for perhaps a couple of weeks.

* * *

10:50 a.m.: Here’s another (maybe) quarterback prospect: Wayne Capers. His recruitment has been well under the radar because he hasn’t talked much about it, but he is listed as a three-star recruit by the three major recruiting services.

He is initially listed as an athlete by UA and fits the run-pass mode of a Rich Rodriguez quarterback, although receiver could be his position at Arizona.

Capers is from Chartiers Valley High in Bridgeville, Pa., so it’s no shock that the UA coaches — three of whom worked at Pitt last season — knew about him.

I’ll have more on him later.

* * *

10:45 a.m.: Two more done: Offensive linemen Cayman Bundage and TD Gross.

* * *

10:35 a.m.: Arizona has secured a Parade All-American, having received the letter of intent from defensive end Kyle Kelley of Irvine, Calif. He made 41 sacks in the past two seasons at Woodbridge High School.

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10:27 a.m.: Separate story. A Signing Day win for Arizona: Dylan Cozens, a defensive end from Scottsdale Chaparral, goes with UA over Boise State and Washington.

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10:20 a.m.: Will the Wildcats get another QB signee today? I wonder if I wrote about this possibility on Tuesday in the “Who’s left?” list. We’ll see. Stay tuned …

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9:56 a.m.: Arizona has announced the signing of offensive lineman Zach Hemmila, arguably the Wildcats’ top recruit. He is the only member of the class to have a four-star ranking from two of the three major recruiting services.

* * *

9:42 a.m.: Lots of national info at Signing Day Central on CBSSports.com. I’ll be doing a phone interview between noon and 1 p.m. Tucson time to talk about the Arizona Wildcats.

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9:30 a.m.: Beau Boyster, one of four offensive linemen in the class, has sent in his letter. He projects as a center. With the entire starting line expected to be back — as well as all the backups — this quartet should have plenty of time to learn and get stronger before perhaps having to see the field in 2013.

* * *

9:25 a.m.: ASU has a nice group of running backs, closing the deal on Scottsdale Saguaro High’s D.J. Foster and signing top JC runner Marion Grice.

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9:00 a.m.: Wide receiver Clive Georges from Key West is a Wildcat. This is the kid who Rich Rodriguez found via a “fishing buddy.”

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8:55: Interesting difference in philosophy. New ASU coach Todd Graham has nine junior college transfers in his class so far. New Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez has none (although he would have loved to have landed mid-year transfer quarterback Cody Sokol, who went to Iowa).

* * *

8:44 a.m.: Defensive back Yamen Sanders has signed. I earlier posted his highlight video when he committed.

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8:35 a.m.: Defensive back Jamar Allah, who had been committed to Arizona State before coach Dennis Erickson was fired, signed with Arizona this morning. Allah (6-1, 190) is from North Canyon High in Phoenix. He is rated as a two-star recruit from Scout.com.

Arizona also took advantage of the ASU coaching change to land a commitment from LB C.J. Dozier, who enrolled at the semester break.

* * *

8:19 a.m.: Defensive back Bam Bradley, who took a recent visit to Arizona, was thought to be leaning to Pitt in recent days, and that is where he signed this morning. Bradley, from Trotwood, Ohio, also was considering Ohio State and Stanford, although reports had had him not making admissions at Stanford.

* * *

7:55 a.m.: Coming in fast: DB William Parks, QB Javelle Allen and athlete Anthony Lopez sent in their letters in about a four-minute span. …

And just a few minutes after that, LB Cody Ippolito from Scottsdale Chaparral signs. The only question is, how many from Chaparral will be signing with Arizona?

* * *

7:40 a.m.: The letters keep rolling in: WR Jarrell Bennett from New Orleans and DB Leo Thomas are officially Wildcats. Both initially committed to the former coaching staff, although Thomas de-committed for a while, only to re-affirm his choice after taking an official visit.

Bennett will get a look as a slot receiver and a returner.

Arizona has dabbled in Louisiana recruiting in the past few years, signing cornerbacks Jonathan McKnight and Cortez Johnson, although it remains to be seen if that will continue. The coaches who had long ties to the region — Garret Chachere and Frank Scelfo — are gone.

Some of the new staff has ties to the region, too.

Bennett, who has been childhood friends with Johnson, is said to have 4.45-second speed for 40 yards. His highlight video said he had 58 receptions for 1,020 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior.

* * *

7:30 a.m.: The commitment of running back J.T. Washington was on and off the scouting services’ lists the past few days after he took an official visit to Arizona last weekend. He’s officially a Wildcat now. Washington had been committed to West Virginia for several months and seemed solid with that choice just a couple of weeks ago.

Check out his junior year highlights

(I’ve added Washington and his ratings to the chart at the bottom of this post.)

* * *

7:20 a.m.: Trey Griffey’s letter of intent has arrived. Will his dad be hanging around fall camp in August?

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6:55 a.m.: One quarterback is in. Josh Kern from San Antonio committed to the Wildcats over the summer and stuck with them through the coaching change and the switch to the read-option offense. He is considered more of a pro-style passer, but the 6-5 Kern also ran for about 750 yards as a senior in high school.

Tweeted Kern: I am now officially committed to the University of Arizona! Very blessed for all my friends, family and coaches I owe so much to all of them.

How does he look? Check out the highlights from his senior year:

* * *

6:40 a.m.: Arizona’s first official member of the linebacker Dakota Conwell, who was originally committed to Pitt. Conwell, from Upper Saint Clair High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., is rated as a four-star recruit by Scout.com.

* * *

The first Signing Day for new Arizona Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez has arrived.

Trey Griffey Jr.

Trey Griffey -- a three-star recruit from Florida -- is the biggest "name" in this recruiting class. Photo by Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

UA’s national rankings won’t end up being spectacular — often the case in a year with a coaching change — but you never really know how any class is going to end up until years later. And there is plenty of the story of this class left to be written.

As the coaches sit by the fax machine starting early this morning, waiting for the signed letters of intent to roll in, several Arizona targets have yet to make their public announcements. The top target, receiver Davonte’ Neal from Scottsdale Chaparral, isn’t expected to decide for more than a week.

We looked at five players to watch in a Tuesday story.

As of late Tuesday night, Arizona was:

–44th nationally and ninth in the Pac-12 according to Rivals.com

–54th and 11th according to Scout.com

–54th and 12th according to 247Sports

We’ll be updating this post all day with breaking news and analysis, posting quotes and videos, so check back often. Here are more resources to guide you through Signing Day:

All Day — Arizona says it will use Rodriguez’s Twitter account — @CoachRodAZ — to provides updates as the faxes arrive.

10 a.m. — FoxSportsArizona.com will have a live webcast in which four in-state prospects will announce their decisions. Look for Scottsdale Chaparral High defensive end Dylan Cozens to likely pick the Cats, although Chandler Hamilton defensive tackle Jaxon Hood figures to go with ASU over Arizona and Boston College.

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. — CBS Sports Network sent Aaron Taylor to Tucson to give a behind-the-scenes Signing Day report with Rich Rodriguez, who worked as an analyst with the network last season.

3:30 p.m. — Rodriguez is expected to begin his Signing Day press conference. You can watch a live stream at arizonawildcats.com

4 p.m. to 7 p.m. — Catch one of Arizona’s new quarterbacks, Javelle Allen, in action with the U.S. Under 19-national team in the International Bowl. The game will be televised by the CBS Sports Network.

5:30 p.m. — Arizona and Rodriguez will host a Signing Day reception for fans at Arizona Stadium. The cost is $5 for season ticket holders, and $15 for the general public.

Here is Arizona’s updating recruiting class (plus there is walk-on RB/LB/S Lucas Petrullo from Scottsdale Chaparral, and don’t forget about Akron transfer LB Brian Wagner, who enrolled at the semester break):

*Asterisks indicate have sent in letters of intent; C.J. Dozier is already enrolled. (Recruiting rankings go up to five stars.)

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. School 247Sports Rivals Scout
Jamar Allah* DB 6-1 190 North Canyon HS (Phoenix) 2 stars 2 2
Javelle Allen* QB 6-1 205 Prosper (Texas) HS 2 stars 3 3
Jarrell Bennett* WR 5-10 155 Edna Karr (New Orleans) 3 stars 3 2
Beau Boyster* OT 6-4 285 St. John Bosco HS (Bellflower, Calif.) 3 stars 3 3
Cayman Bundage* OL 6-2 293 Douglass HS (Oklahoma City) 3 stars 3 3
Keoni Bush-Loo* TE 6-4 240 Kamehama School (Honolulu) 2 stars 2 3
Wayne Capers* ATH 6-0 190 Chartiers Valley HS (Bridgeville, Pa.) 3 stars 3 3
Dakota Conwell* LB 6-1 205 Upper Saint Clair HS (Pittsburgh) 3 stars 3 4
Dylan Cozens* DE 6-5 235 Chaparral HS (Scottsdale) 3 stars 3 3
C.J. Dozier* LB 6-1 200 Chaparral HS (Temecula, Calif.) 3 stars 3 3
Clive Georges* WR 6-1 190 Key West (Fla.) HS 2 stars 3 3
Trey Griffey* WR 6-2 190 Dr. Phillips HS (Orlando, Fla.) 3 stars 3 2
T.D. Gross* OL 6-6 260 Santana HS (Santee, Calif.) 2 stars 2 3
Zach Hemmila* OL 6-3 275 Chandler HS 4 stars 4 3
Cody Ippolito* LB 6-0 235 Chaparral HS (Scottsdale) 2 stars 2 2
Kyle Kelley* DE 6-3 205 Woodbridge HS (Irvine, Calif.) 3 stars 4 3
Josh Kern* QB 6-5 190 Clark HS (San Antonio) 3 stars 3 2
Anthony Lopez* RB 5-10 180 Mesquite HS (Gilbert) 2 stars 3 3
Dwight Melvin* DE 6-1 265 Betty H. Fairfax HS (Laveen) 3 stars 3 2
William Parks* DB 6-3 180 Germantown Friends School (Philadelphia) 3 stars 3 2
Yamen Sanders* S 6-4 185 Culver City (Calif.) HS 2 stars 2 3
Leo Thomas* DB 6-3 185 Sam Houston HS (San Antonio) 3 stars 3 3
J.T. Washington* RB 5-10 167 Satellite Beach (Fla.) HS 2 stars 2 3
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