The Arizona Wildcats, aiming for much more football recruiting news over the next several days, got a push in the right direction with a commit from quarterback Brandon Dawkins on Thursday night.
Dawkins, from Oaks Christian High in Thousand Oaks, Calif., is rated the nation’s 13th-best dual-threat quarterback by 247Sports. Rivals.com lists him as the 14th-best dual threat QB.
He is rated a three-star recruit by both of those recruiting services, plus Scout.com.
Dawkins picked the Cats over Utah, Notre Dame and North Carolina State. He had drawn interest from several other top schools and attended a camp at LSU this summer. At one point, he told 247Sports that “Arizona State has been after me the hardest.”
Dawkins is the first quarterback to commit to Rich Rodriguez’s 2014 recruiting class as the program prepares to host about 25 recruits this weekend, debuting the new Lowell-Stevens Football Facility. The coaching staff moved into the north end zone complex this week.
Dawkins completed 174 of 283 passes for 2,135 yards, with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, last season. He also ran 88 times for 486 yards and seven scores.
He joins a promising group of offensive skill recruits for Rodriguez. Salpointe Catholic four-star receiver Cameron Denson got things started by committing in January. Four-star running back Nick Wilson, three-star running back Jonathan Haden and receiver Jordan Morgan, whose rising stock is not yet reflected in the recruiting rankings, are also on board.
Arizona has also been looking at Texas transfer quarterback Connor Brewer.
Dawkins is Arizona’s 14th commitment in advance of a huge recruiting weekend. Check below for a look at the recruiting rankings for Arizona’s 2013 class:
I am officially a wildcat. #BearDown
— Brandon Dawkins (@TheRealBDawks) July 26, 2013
| Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | School | 247 | Rivals | Scout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devon Brewer | S | 6-0 | 175 | Central East, Fresno, Calif. | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Rodney Carr | DB | 6-0 | 185 | Salesian High, Los Angeles | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Jerod Cody | DE | 6-3 | 265 | Glendale (Ariz.) Community College | NR | NR | 2 |
| Brandon Dawkins | QB | 6-3 | 205 | Oaks Christian, Thousand Oaks, Calif. | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Cameron Denson | WR | 6-1 | 170 | Salpointe Catholic, Tucson | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Tony Ellison | WR | 5-11 | 170 | Granite Bay (Calif.) High | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Patrick Glover | CB | 6-1 | 181 | Scottsdale C.C. | NR | NR | 2 |
| Jonathan Haden | RB | 5-8 | 189 | Friendship Collegiate Academy, Washington D.C. | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Naijiel Hale | CB | 5-11 | 170 | St. John Bosco High, Bellflower, Calif. | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Kaige Lawrence | OL | 6-4 | 290 | Chaffey C.C., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Jordan Morgan | WR | 6-2 | 200 | Southridge High, Beaverton, Ore. | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Josh Pollack | P/K | 5-11 | 165 | Highland Park (Ill.) High | NR | 2 | 3 |
| Jace Whittaker | DB | 5-9 | 150 | Oceanside (Calif.) High | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Nick Wilson | RB | 6-0 | 191 | Central East, Fresno, Calif. | 4 | 4 | 4 |