The past few days, including the win in the AdvoCare V100 Bowl, have given Rich Rodriguez reason to smile. Photo by Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive tackle Jordan Poland, who had been committed to USC since June, switched his commitment to the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday.
That news came about an hour after five-star cornerback Jalen Tabor picked Arizona over Alabama on ESPN.
Poland is rated as the 143rd-best prospect in the nation by Rivals.com, which pegs him as a four-star recruit. Scout.com and 247Sports rate him as a three-star prospect.
Poland (6-8, 335) is from La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day High School.
He is the fourth offensive lineman in Arizona’s class, including junior college signee Kaige Lawrence. The other committed high school offensive linemen are Peoria Centennial’s Layth Friekh and Levi Walton from Cape Coral, Fla.
UA offensive line coach Jim Michalczik has been the primary recruiter on Poland, who has yet to take an official visit to Arizona.
Nine of the 23 high school players committed to Arizona have a four-star rating from at least one recruiting service.
Add those to transfers who become eligible in 2014 — former five-star WR Cayleb Jones, four-star WR Davonte’ Neal, four-star QB Connor Brewer, four-star QB Jerrard Randall and four-star LB David Wilkerson (who walked-on after spending three seasons at Cal) — and coach Rich Rodriguez has 14 new four-star recruits for next season.
Of course, watch out for those two-star guys, too. Arizona did well with those last season, including receiver Nate Phillips and linebacker Scooby Wright.
Here is UA’s entire 2014 class, including six signed junior college transfers:
| 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 |
| Darrell Cloy | TE | 6-3 | 220 | La Habra (Calif.) High | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jamardre Cobb | LB | 6-2 | 225 | Salesian High, Los Angeles | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Jerod Cody* | DE | 6-3 | 265 | Glendale (Ariz.) Community College | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Brandon Dawkins | QB | 6-3 | 205 | Oaks Christian, Westlake Village, Calif. | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Kaelin Deboskie | WR | 5-9 | 165 | Salpointe Catholic, Tucson | 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 | 3 |
| Layth Friekh | OL | 6-5 | 250 | Centennial High, Peoria | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Patrick Glover* | CB | 6-2 | 212 | Scottsdale C.C. | 2 | 3 | 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 |
| J.R. Hunt | S | 6-3 | 190 | Chandler High | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Kaige Lawrence* | OL | 6-4 | 290 | Chaffey C.C., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Kwesi Mashack | CB | 5-10 | 190 | Murrieta High, Vista, Calif. | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jordan Morgan | WR | 6-2 | 200 | Southridge High, Beaverton, Ore. | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Josh Pollack | P/K | 5-11 | 165 | Highland Park (Ill.) High | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Jordan Poland | OT | 6-8 | 335 | La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Jerrard Randall* | QB | 6-1 | 190 | Northeast Mississippi C.C. | 2 | NR | 3 |
| Antonio Smothers* | LB | 6-2 | 230 | Scottsdale C.C. | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jalen Tabor | CB | 6-1 | 182 | Friendship Collegiate Academy, Washington D.C. | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Levi Walton | OL | 6-4 | 280 | Baker High, Cape Coral, Fla. | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Marquis Ware | LB | 6-2 | 210 | Salesian High, Los Angeles | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Jace Whittaker | DB | 5-9 | 150 | Oceanside (Calif.) High | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Sharif Williams | DT | 6-2 | 300 | Central East, Fresno, Calif. | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Nick Wilson | RB | 6-0 | 191 | Central East, Fresno, Calif. | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Trevor Wood | TE | 6-6 | 238 | Chaparral High, Scottsdale | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jeff Worthy* | DT | 6-3 | 285 | Santa Ana (Calif.) College | 3 | 3 | 3 |
* — Signed