Former Ironwood Ridge High quarterback Tyler D'Amore is one of several new walk-ons on the roster. 2010 photo by Andy Morales, TucsonCitizen.com
Spring football is right around the corner — the Arizona Wildcats start Monday — and the university has updated the team’s roster.
What’s new?
Well, there are a couple of sophomore walk-on quarterbacks that we have told you about it — Tyler D’Amore from Ironwood Ridge High and Alex Cappellini, who graduated from Pinnacle High in Phoenix.
Coach Rich Rodriguez added several other walk-ons at the semester break, including a pair of former Scottsdale Chaparral High players. They are freshman linebacker Kyle Combs, who redshirted at Southern Illinois last season, and offensive lineman Carter Wood, who redshirted last season at Colorado Mesa College.
Wood is the son of former defensive tackle David Wood, who started at Arizona in the early 1980s, and is the nephew of ex-Cat linebacker Brent Wood, who played from 1983 to 1986.
Other walk-ons include:
–Junior kicker Jake Smith, who began his career at Syracuse and was a kickoff specialist at Youngstown State before his transfer.
–Defensive tackle Tevin Hood, a former All-Arizona player from Chandler Hamilton High (more info on him at the bottom of this story).
–Wide receiver Vince Miles, a freshman from St. Francis High in Mountain View, Calif. He mostly played defensive back as a senior in 2010, leading the team with 64 tackles.
Also, as expected, long-snapper Chase Gorham is back. He started as a true freshman in 2010 before leaving the team for personal reasons in 2011 fall camp.
So, who isn’t on the roster?
Defensive tackle Sani Fuimaono, who started two games last season as a freshman and made seven tackles, said last fall he was going to take a church mission. Another freshman defensive tackle, Aiulua Fanene, isn’t listed, either. It’s possible he is on a church mission, too.
Rodriguez could clarify Fanene’s status at a pre-spring press conference Thursday morning.
Also, safety Josh Robbins from Canyon del Oro High School, is no longer on the roster. He missed last season because of a back injury.