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Arizona adds a high-profile quarterback to 2013 recruiting class

Soon after Rich Rodriguez became the Arizona Wildcats football coach last November, he was left with one quarterback — senior Matt Scott — on the roster.

Since then, Rodriguez added six other possibilities at quarterback for 2012, including trying receiver Richard Morrison at his old his high school position … and, now, the coach has his first recruit for the 2013 season.

That would be Anu Solomon, who will be a fourth-year starter for Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman High and is rated a four-star recruit by Rivals.com.

This is the kind of quarterback recruiting prowess expected from Rodriguez and his veteran coaching staff, which worked with Pat White at West Virginia and helped develop Denard Robinson at Michigan in a prolific read-option offense.

Solomon, rated the nation’s fifth-best dual-threat quarterback by Rivals.com, has passed for 7,215 yards and 101 touchdowns in three seasons at Bishop Gorman, leading the Gaels to three state titles and a 43-3 record.

He ran 57 times for 402 yards and six touchdowns as a junior.

Solomon (6-1, 200) also held scholarship offers from Arizona State, Colorado, Illinois, UCLA and UNLV, according to Rivals.com.

“I feel like Arizona is the right place for me,” Solomon told the Las Vegas Sun. “I am comfortable with (committing early).”

Since the beginning of the year, Rodriguez added two walk-on quarterbacks from junior college (Tyler D’Amore and Alex Cappellini), signed two freshmen (Javelle Allen and Josh Kern) and later signed a junior college transfer who can play in 2012 (B.J. Denker from Cerritos Junior College in California).

Solomon has been one of Arizona’s top quarterback targets, and the Cats are likely to pursue more in the 2013 class. This will be a key class for Rodriguez, who could use some high-profile recruiting victories — and Solomon is one of those, rated No. 132 nationally by Rivals.com.

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