Rich Rodriguez has commitments from 13 recruits. Photo by Mark Evans, TucsonCitizen.com
Arizona Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez added two linebackers to his 2013 recruiting class on Monday, including an in-state prospect who also held an offer from Arizona State.
That would be Buckeye High’s DeAndre Miller, a fast-rising prospect who committed during an unofficial visit.
Arizona was the first Pac-12 school to offer a scholarship, but Miller (6-3, 215) also picked up offers from ASU, Washington, Boise State, Minnesota … and Oregon was showing serious interest, his coach, Bobby Barnes, told the Arizona Republic, our Gannett partner.
“When we got film out, it started to pick up for him,” Barnes said of Miller’s recruitment.
Miller had 134 tackles last season, including three sacks. He also forced two fumbles for a Buckeye team that went 9-3 and reached the Division IV state semifinals. His family moved to Buckeye from Anchorage, Alaska, before his freshman season.
“DeAndre has a huge upside because he is willing to take instruction and criticism and learn from it,” Barnes told the Republic. “He can be a player that has no limit as to what level he reaches.”
The other linebacker to commit to Arizona on Monday was Philip Wright from Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa, Calif. He is not yet rated by the major recruiting services, but is known as a physically strong, athletic player. Wright (6-1, 225) told WildcatSportsReport.com he has a reported vertical jump of nearly 38 inches.
“They told me I was ‘OKG,’” Wright told WildcatSportsReport.com. “Our Kinda Guy.”
Arizona was also his first major scholarship offer.
The Wildcats are up to 13 commitments, roughly at the halfway point of their 2013 class. Several of the committed players probably would fall in the “sleeper” category for now, but, like Wright said, Rodriguez and his veteran staff have “Our Kinda Guys” in mind for UA’s read-option offense and unusual 3-3-5 defense.
The headliner is quarterback Anu Solomon, who had been rated No. 132 nationally by Rivals.com, although he now sits at 223 heading into his senior season at Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas.
| Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | School | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Allensworth | CB | 5-11 | 175 | Heritage HS | Brentwood, Calif. |
| Jack Banda | DE | 6-4 | 225 | Grayson HS | Loganville, Ga. |
| Paul Elvira | WR | 5-11 | 175 | Marcos De Niza HS | Tempe |
| Zachary Green | RB | 5-10 | 210 | St. Bonaventure HS | Ventura, Calif. |
| Steven Gurrola | C | 6-2 | 280 | Glendale CC | Glendale |
| Prince Holloway | CB | 5-9 | 160 | Hutchinson CC | Hutchinson, Kan. |
| Mauriece Lee | RB | 5-8 | 185 | Marcos De Niza HS | Tempe |
| DeAndre Miller | LB | 6-3 | 215 | Buckeye HS | Buckeye |
| Nate Phillips | WR | 5-9 | 165 | Basha HS | Chandler |
| Anu Solomon | QB | 6-0 | 195 | Bishop Gorman HS | Las Vegas |
| Logan Stott | OG | 6-3 | 300 | Pine View HS | Saint George, Utah |
| Tommy Woodson | QB | 6-1 | 215 | Gateway HS | Monroeville, Pa. |
| Philip Wright | LB | 6-1 | 225 | Cardinal Newman HS | Santa Rosa, Calif. |