Matt Scott is prepping for the NFL Draft, which begins April 25. Photo by Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Former Arizona Wildcats quarterback Matt Scott has had promising offseason workouts but remains just a mid-round draft prospect, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper.

Kiper, who called Scott a fourth-round pick during an appearance last week on ESPN, hedged his projection a bit Wednesday in a media conference call.

“He’s probably in that four-to-five, four-to-six round area,” Kiper said.

“And he’s probably going to go to a team that doesn’t have as critical a need but wants to look at a young quarterback that maybe feels like, OK, let’s see if we can develop him, put him off the radar for a couple years and develop him old school way and see what happens there.”

Other draft analysts figure that Scott won’t slide past the third round.

According to various reports, Scott has or will soon meet for individual workouts with Philadelphia, Buffalo, Cleveland and Seattle.

Gil Brandt at NFL.com this week listed Scott among players who helped themselves the most with their pro day workouts. Brandy wrote:

“Scott didn’t play a lot until 2012, so people hadn’t seen much of him, but he had a good pro day. I think he surprised people with his arm strength. Here’s what happens: When you’re standing behind the drill, you get a better idea of what a guy’s velocity is on the ball than if you’re sitting up in the stands and watching him throw. You get a better idea of how he can move around. Scott also surprised everybody with his short-area quickness.”

Matt Scott’s stock is headed up. Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Scott let his arm do the talking at Arizona’s Pro Day.

The former Arizona Wildcats quarterback didn’t need to re-do all the testing he did at the NFL Combine — it was impressive enough to just let it ride — but he attempted 85 throws in front of about 25 scouts at the team’s practice field Thursday.

The workout was closed to the media, but Scott’s quarterback coach, George Whitfield Jr., talked about it afterward.

“I have never seen, let alone heard of, a workout that consisted of 85 throws,” Whitfield said.

“Usually guys stay in the 60, 65 range. When you go past that threshold, you’re putting yourself out there for all the world to see. Now, you’re going to show your stamina, your strength, in that extra 20 throws. Can my mechanics hold up? Is my focus there? Is my accuracy going to be consistent enough?

“He showed that. So, one, he is competitive enough to go that distance, and two, he went out there and gutted it out after losing his No. 1 guy.”

Whitfield said the script called for 95 passes, but the top receiver at the workout, Dan Buckner, tweaked a hamstring and was unable to catch passes from Scott.

“Matt looked great,” Buckner said.

“I have been working with Matt since he got back earlier this week. His footwork is great. His ball is coming out whistling like a Nerf ball, a pretty spiral. You can tell Matt has improved greatly. He was a great quarterback before and now he’s even better.”

This was the latest step in the process for Scott, who has helped himself at the East-West Shrine Game, with his explosiveness at the Combine and now, apparently, at the Pro Day.

His next major event: Flying out to Philadelphia on Monday to meet with the Eagles. He said the team will come to him late in the month to work him out in San Diego, where he has been training with Whitfield.

(The Eagles could be interesting, huh? Scott and Nick Foles competing on the depth chart again, just like in 2009 at UA. Scott’s dual-threat ability is a way more natural fit, though, for Chip Kelly’s offense.)

Scott said he didn’t really know Kelly, although the former Oregon coach did offer him a scholarship after he had already committed to Arizona.

“I didn’t really have any interest at that time in changing my decision,” Scott said.

The Arizona Cardinals, certainly in need of help at quarterback, have been among the other teams most interested so far, Scott said. The list also includes Seattle, Washington, Buffalo, Jacksonsville and San Diego.

(The Jags could be interesting, huh? It would be a reunion with Scott’s old quarterbacks coach at Arizona, Frank Scelfo, who is the new position coach in Jacksonville.)

Scott smartly denied having any favorite destination in mind, but smiled Thursday when the subject of Jacksonville came up. The Jags have been recently rumored to have interest.

“We were in San Diego when we heard that,” Whitfield said. “He was like an 8-year-old a couple of days before Christmas. He could not stop smiling. … The possibility of a reunion like that would make anyone excited.”

Whitfield said the area in which Scott has made the biggest strides in the past couple of months is footwork. After starting in Rich Rodriguez’s full-time shotgun spread, Scott has to show scouts rhythm and timing and power in his steps while coming out from behind center.

Scott agreed with the assessment of footwork being his greatest improvement.

“Everyone was talking about how my footwork was bad,” Scott said. “It was pretty bad at times. I feel that is one thing I had to correct over this process, and I think I have.”

Another positive has been Scott adding a needed 16, 17 pounds to his lanky 6-2 frame. He’s up to about 212 and is looking for a few more pounds as he prepares for more workouts, erasing some of the doubts of him being an injury risk or not being durable enough for the rigors of the NFL.

“It was big,” Whitfield said of the weight gain.

“I told him, your skill set is going to say one thing, your resume is going to say another, but teams have to have the confidence that you have enough to survive a 16-, 17-, 18-game season.”

At its last update, CBSSports.com projects Scott as a fifth-round pick, but the general thought is Scott is a rising and intriguing prospect. Draft analyst Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net tweeted that scouts are talking about Scott as having third-round potential.

The QB class is led by West Virginia’s Geno Smith and USC’s Matt Barkley.

“I don’t know, there might be one, maybe two, more guys in this draft class with his kind of arm talent,” Whitfield said of Scott.

“He’s not going to be the front-runner, headline kind of guy. But some team is going to have a toast after the draft after they got him, and they probably stole him.”

Related:

Pro Day: WR Dan Buckner goes fast — at least for 30 yards

OL Pro Day: Kyle Quinn will do his sweating on the field, not during the draft

Rich Rodriguez: Matt Scott ‘as good a thrower as I’ve coached or competed against’

Matt Scott’s running skills are an important part of his overall skill set. Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Scott caught the attention of scouts at the NFL Combine. Photo by Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Former Arizona quarterback Matt Scott, fresh off promising workouts at the NFL Combine last month, will get another chance to improve his stock at the Wildcats’ Pro Day on campus Thursday.

His throws and times and other measurables likely will speak for themselves, but he can also rely on a job recommendation from his old coach, Rich Rodriguez.

“I haven’t talked to a lot of them,” Rodriguez said of NFL scouts. “But everybody I’ve talked to has said he might not have as much buzz as some of those other guys, but they have him ranked really high.

“I know I’m biased, but I’m not sure there are 64 quarterbacks in that league better than Matt Scott,” Rodriguez added, totaling the two deep for all the NFL teams. “And I know there’s not 96. That’s my opinion.”

And Rodriguez had one more thing to say about Scott.

“This guy can make every throw you want to make,” Rodriguez said. “He’s as good a thrower as I’ve coached or competed against, and I’ve competed against a lot of good ones and coached a lot of good ones.”

Assuming his memory is intact, that’s a mighty large statement.

Not sure if he was including his time as an assistant at Tulane and Clemson, but, if so, that list of competitors would include Syracuse’s Donovan McNabb (who actually threw four first-half interceptions against Tulane in 1997) and Virginia Tech’s Michael Vick.

As a head coach at West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona, Rodriguez took on, among others, Miami’s Ken Dorsey, Louisville’s Brian Brohm and USC’s Matt Barkley, a potential first-rounder in April’s draft.

Rodriguez’s most famous quarterback pupils have been Pat White and Denard Robinson, noted for their running skills. As an assistant, he coached Tulane’s Shaun King and Clemson’s Woody Dantzler.

Scott is projected as a fifth-rounder by CBSSports.com, although his physical skills give him considerable upside and could improve his draft positioning.

He was on campus Wednesday, working out on the team’s old practice field while the Cats held spring practice at adjacent Kindall/Sancet Stadium.

The UA lists Scott as one of 17 former players who will work out for scouts. Others from the most recent senior class include receiver Dan Buckner, fullback Taimi Tutogi and center Kyle Quinn.

The question about Buckner is his speed, so this will be a critical audition for him.

“He’s one of the most intelligent receivers I’ve ever coached,” Rodriguez said. “This is a guy who learned all four (receiver) positions in really less than two months. He picked up our stuff really quick.”

Matt Scott has added about 15 pounds since his senior season. Photo by Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Former Arizona Wildcats quarterback Matt Scott earned positive reviews during workouts Sunday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Scott was credited with an official 40-yard dash time of 4.69 seconds, third among the 13 quarterbacks who participated. West Virginia’s Geno Smith ran in 4.59 seconds and Florida State’s EJ Manuel was at 4.65.

An even more telling drill might be the 20-yard shuttle, which better tests short-area explosion and lateral quickness.

From a three-point stance, players run 5 yards to the right, 10 to the left, pivot, and run 5 more yards to the finish. Scott completed the drill in 3.99 seconds, the best time for a quarterback at the combine since at least 2006 (results listed on NFL.com don’t go back further).

Scott also was first in the three-cone drill, a good measure of change of direction. His time of 6.69 seconds was the second-best for a quarterback in the past eight years, trailing only Tim Tebow at 6.66 seconds.

Beyond the testing, Scott did well during the throwing portion of the workout.

Wrote Tony Pauline for at USAToday.com:

“Scott’s draft grade has been ascending since September, and he made another positive impression on scouts at the combine. He looked comfortable and confident on the field Sunday and delivered his passes with speed and accuracy. His timing was a bit off as receivers were waiting on throws, but general managers around the league are excited about Scott’s potential after his workout.”

And there was this from Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com/CBSSports.com:

“The ball explodes out of his hand on short and intermediate throws. Several caught receivers by surprise during the gauntlet drills with how quickly they arrived.

“It wasn’t all good for Scott, however, as his accuracy tailed off on deeper throws. Also, while Scott demonstrates plenty of arm talent, his footwork can be a bit inconsistent. He didn’t consistently step into his throws Sunday.

“As one of the few quarterbacks in the 2013 class with dual-threat capabilities, Scott could spark interest early in day three of the draft or perhaps even earlier if he impresses teams on the white board.”

Rounds four through seven are held on the third day of the draft.

NFLDraftScout.com projects Scott as a fifth-rounder for now. NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt told Pros2Preps.com regarding Scott this week: “I know there are a lot of people that really like him. I think he’ll be taken down in that fourth-round area or a little past that.”

In other testing Sunday, Scott tied for second in the broad jump (9 feet, 10 inches) and was fourth in the vertical jump (31.0 inches). Scott, who was listed at 198 pounds at Arizona as a senior, checked in at the combine at 213 pounds — a needed addition to his lean 6-2 frame.

Related link: Scott: I’ll have the strongest arm at the NFL Combine

Matt Scott will be ready to let it fly at the NFL combine this weekend. Photo by Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona Wildcats quarterback Matt Scott is headed to Indianapolis today for a job interview years in the making.

What will be his pitch to teams at the NFL combine?

“My competitive nature, I think, is unmatched,” Scott said on KJR radio in Seattle on Tuesday.

“I’m a big competitor. I like to go out and lay it on the line every play, every down. I have great arm talent. I can do pretty well on the move, can be mobile at times. I think I’ll be a great fit for any offense.”

NFLDraftScout.com projects Scott as a fifth-round pick in a down year for elite quarterback prospects. Scott, a second-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2012, has intriguing physical skills with the potential for ample growth, considering he only started one full season in college.

Whether he can handle a more complex NFL playbook and make deeper reads under fire are questions he and other quarterbacks coming from a college spread system have to begin to answer.

“We put up a lot of big numbers,” Scott said of Rich Rodriguez’s offense last season, “but it was kind of basic.”

Scott is one of 16 quarterbacks at the combine. They will be put through on-field testing on Sunday.

He told KJR he is hoping to run the 40-yard dash as fast as the mid-4.5-second range … or at least in the low 4.6s.

As for arm strength?

“Honestly,” he said, “I think I have the strongest arm in this coming class.”

Scott, who was listed at 6-foot-3 at Arizona, measured 6-1 3/4 and 202 pounds at the East-West Shrine Game last month.

He was been working on his throwing fundamentals in San Diego with quarterback guru George Whitfield, whose recent clients includes Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and 2012 Heisman winner Johnny Manziel.

Scott added that he also is consulting with former San Diego State and NFL quarterback Kevin O’Connell.

“He’s been helping me a lot with the mental aspect of it,” Scott said.

Scott completed 301 of 499 passes for 3,620 yards, with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last season. He ran for 506 yards.

For now, he’s considered a quarterback that NFL teams could stash away for a couple of years while trying to develop Scott’s upside.

“I’m kind of taking it day by day,” Scott said of where he might get taken in the draft. “I’m not too concerned with where I go.”

Here is the segment on KJR (the Scott interview starts at the 2:50 mark):

Matt Scott earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors last season. Photo by Matt Kartozian-USA Today Sports

Former Arizona Wildcats quarterback Matt Scott is one of 16 quarterbacks who have been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

The combine will held Feb. 20-26 in Indianapolis.

Scott is rated the 10th-best quarterback in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com, which projects him as a fifth-round pick.

The NFL drafted 11 quarterbacks last season, including Arizona’s Nick Foles, who went in the third round as the seventh quarterback off the board.

Scott is the only Arizona player invited to the combine.

Arizona State will send three prospects — linebacker Brandon Magee, punter Josh Hubner and safety Keelan Johnson.

The NFL released the official list of invitees to the combine Thursday.

Related link: Matt Scott at Shrine Game: ‘Not bad, not great’

Juron Criner was the only all-conference player for Arizona from its 2008 recruiting class. Photo by Chris Morrison-USA Today Sports

The Arizona Wildcats football recruiting class of 2008 is in the books.

Arizona was coming off a 5-7 season in coach Mike Stoops fourth season and hadn’t had a winning record in nine seasons.

The Cats weren’t operating from a position of strength and finished 39th nationally in the recruiting rankings of Rivals.com and Scout.com, which put Arizona slightly below average among BCS conference teams.

So, how did Arizona do with its 2008 recruiting class?

Somewhere around average sounds about right.

The Cats hit on about half of the class, with “hit” defined as a starting player, but there wasn’t a lot of star power and not nearly enough defense.

Let’s take a look …

Good: You wouldn’t have known it at the time, but the eventual headliner of the 23-player class was three-star receiver Juron Criner (who was rated as only as two-star recruit by Scout.com). Criner was the only first-team All-Pac-10/12 player in this class, becoming one of the most prolific receivers in school history.

“We knew in high school he was pretty special,” Stoops said in 2010.

“He was a big, strong, physical guy. Played basketball. Could jump. I don’t know … we didn’t see anything that showed us he wasn’t going to be a very talented player.”

Good: The class was heavy on offensive linemen; seven signed with the Cats and six proved to be starters, including a pair who helped lead the 2012 line as fifth-year seniors — center Kyle Quinn and guard Trace Biskin.

Bad: Three of the offensive linemen were junior college transfers, so Arizona filled a need but didn’t get much lasting benefit. And the career of promising guard Vaughn Dotsy was cut short because of injury.

Bad: The best offensive lineman of the group — junior college transfer J’Marcus Webb — never made it to Arizona but has gone on to be a three-year starter for the Chicago Bears.

Good: Defensive back Robert Golden was one of the top-rated players in Arizona’s class and became a three-year starter and a NFL player last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Criner, Golden and wide receiver David Douglas (who appeared in one game with Tampa Bay late in the season) all made the NFL from this class.

Good: Not included here is a player Arizona landed in the spring of 2008 — Michigan State transfer quarterback Nick Foles.

Good: Quarterback Matt Scott, able to redshirt in 2011 behind Foles, was a fifth-year senior last season. He earned second-team All-Pac-12 team and was the foremost reason why the Cats posted a surprising 8-5 mark in coach Rich Rodriguez’s first season.

Bad: With a class that featured six junior college transfers, five players who never played a down for the Cats, injuries, and guys who simply weren’t good enough, Arizona got useful play from only three fifth-year seniors: Scott, Quinn and Biskin. Lack of depth from the upperclassmen was a huge hurdle for Rodriguez in 2012.

Bad: Arizona went 0 for 5 in defensive linemen in this class, a huge reason why the Cats failed to have a suitable pass rush in 2011 and 2012. UA also went 0 for 2 on high school linebackers. The alarming lack of enduring defensive talent in this class helps explain Arizona’s woeful stats in the past two seasons.

Here is a player-by-player look at the 2008 class, with ratings by Rivals.com:

Keola Antolin, RB, Las Vegas, Bishop Gorman HS (3 stars)
He gave Arizona steady production for four seasons, finishing with 2,398 rushing yards, 508 receiving yards and 26 total touchdowns.

Dominique Austin, DE, La Puente, Calif., Bishop Amat HS (3 stars)
He was little-used before this year. He started the first five games before being sidelined with an injury, able to return briefly in the New Mexico Bowl.

Kenny Barnes, DE, Glendale, Raymond S Kellis HS (2 stars)
Never played. Quit the team in the summer of 2009 after redshirting.

Trace Biskin, OL, Westlake Village, Calif. Oaks Christian HS (3 stars)
Started 17 games over the past two seasons, including seven in 2012, when he battled a toe injury.

Juron Criner, WR, North Las Vegas, Canyon Springs HS (3 stars)
With excellent body control and leaping ability, Criner excelled at catching the deep pass from Nick Foles. He finished with 209 catches for 2,859 yards and a school-record 32 touchdown receptions, going on to play for the Oakland Raiders as a rookie.

Mike Diaz, OL, Cerritos, Calif., Cerritos CC (3 stars)
He started 20 games in two years, including 11 at left tackle in 2009.

Vaughn Dotsy, OL, Ventura, Calif., St. Bonaventure HS (3 stars)
He started two games as a junior early in the 2010 season before being sidelined by a back injury that forced him to give up football after the year.

David Douglas, WR, McKinney, Texas, McKinney North HS (2 stars)
Douglas caught 151 passes for 1,542 yards and 11 touchdowns at Arizona. He was on the New York Giants practice squad for most of last season before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked him up late in the season.

Zander Fabbri, LB, Bakersfield, Calif., Centennial HS (3 stars)
He suffered a concussion in 2008 fall camp and eventually had to give up football.

Phillip Garcia, OL, Cerritos, Calif., Cerritos CC (3 stars)
Redshirted in 2008 because of a knee injury, made a couple of spot starts in 2009 and then started every game in 2010 at right tackle.

Robert Golden, DB, Fresno, Calif., Edison HS (4 stars)
He started two seasons at safety and one at cornerback for the Cats before sticking with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season as an undrafted free agent.

Herman Hall, OL, Brenham, Texas, Blinn CC (2 stars)
He started 11 games as a senior in 2009, playing both guard spots.

Solomon Koehler, DT, Kaneohe, Hawaii, Castle HS (4 stars)
Plenty of recruiting hype but didn’t have the quickness needed at defensive tackle and was moved to the offensive line late in his redshirt freshman season. He was gone a year later.

Sterling Lewis, LB, Brenham, Texas, Blinn CC (3 stars)
Was a solid player, starting 15 games in two seasons and making 97 tackles.

Chris Merrill, DT, Scottsdale, Saguaro HS (3 stars)
He merely saw spot duty through his career, coming up with 15 tackles, including five in 2012.

Greg Nwoko, RB, Pflugerville, Texas, Pflugerville HS (2 stars)
Had a role in 2009 and 2010 as a bigger running back, but he lost 2011 to a knee injury and 2012 to a hip injury after moving to linebacker in fall camp.

Kyle Quinn, OL, Brentwood, Calif., Liberty Union HS (3 stars)
Quinn was a two-year starter at center, extending the program’s stability at the position after taking over for Colin Baxter. Worked out for scouts at the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game and the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

Matt Scott, QB, Corona, Calif., Centennial HS (4 stars)
Got his chance to be the full-time starter as a senior, completing 301 of 499 passes for 3,620 yards, with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Scott has the potential to be a mid-round NFL draft pick in April.

Vuna Tuihalamaka, LB, Torrance, Calif., El Camino CC (4 stars)
He was productive as an every-game starter in 2009, with 72 tackles, including 5.5 for loss.

Jowyn Ward, DT, Katy, Texas, Mayde Creek HS (2 stars)
Only saw spot duty (11 tackles) for three years before being moved to backup offensive guard during the 2012 season.

Mark Watley, DB, Encino, Calif., Crespi HS (2 stars)
He seemed to be in line to be a contributor in 2012, but he made only four tackles as he slipped on the depth chart after making 27 stops in 2011.

J’Marcus Webb, OL, Corsicana, Texas, Navarro JC (4 stars)
He was the only member of Arizona’s recruiting class who failed to qualify, landing at lower-division West Texas. Webb, who began his career at the University of Texas, was a seventh-round pick of the Bears in 2010.

R.J. Young, LB, DeSoto, Texas, DeSoto HS (3 stars)
After making 25 career tackles at Arizona, Young transferred after the 2010 season to Louisiana-Monroe, where he led the team in tackles in 2012 with 94, including 11 for loss.

The last time Matt Scott played, he was the offensive MVP of the New Mexico Bowl. Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Former Arizona Wildcats quarterback Matt Scott played to mixed reviews during practices this week for the East-West Shrine Game.

Scott was — and is — considered the top quarterback prospect in the game, but he apparently didn’t zoom up draft boards in advance of Saturday’s game in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“It wasn’t an overwhelmingly great week,” said NFLDraftScout.com’s Dane Brugler, who observed practice all week.

“It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. It was average. He has a quick delivery. He’s also tough, physical, but he showed some things he needs to work on — too often making throws flat-footed, some mechanical issues.

“His accuracy was very up and down. I think it goes back issues from his mechanics; his touch and ball placement was slightly off this week.

“I don’t think it’s going to hurt him too much. He was the best quarterback here this week.”

It is a somewhat uninspiring group of quarterbacks in the 2013 Draft, lacking the buzz created by talents such as Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III or Cam Newton. Still, about nine quarterbacks could go in the first three rounds.

Scott likely will be taken on the third and final day of the draft, when the NFL holds rounds four through seven. NFLDraftScout.com/CBSSports.com rates him as the 10th-best quarterback.

At the Shrine Game practices, Scott was able to show a strong arm, and his athleticism has always been considered a plus. At times, Brugler said, Scott struggled to handle snaps from under center. That’s part of the adjustment coming from an all-the-time read-option shotgun offense.

Arizona listed Scott at 6-3, 197 pounds as a senior. He measured 6-1 3/4 and 202 pounds at the Shrine Game. NFL scouts like to see the extra weight, Brugler said.

The other former Arizona player at the Shrine Game is receiver Dan Buckner. The ankle injury that bothered him near the end of the regular season and into the bowl game resurfaced, wiping out most of his practice time.

The NFL Network will carry the East-West Shrine Game, starting at 2 p.m. Tucson time. A pair of ex-Cats — center Kyle Quinn and fullback Taimi Tutogi — will play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.

OTHER OPINIONS ON SCOTT

Draftinsider.net: “Strongest arm of any quarterback at both Shrine practices. Passes display nice zip and relatively accurate. Has nice height. Wed- Strong arm but the problem is you don’t know where the passes will end up.”

OptimumScouting.com: “Matt Scott clearly had the most upside of any quarterback this week thanks to his athleticism and arm strength upside. But he lacked consistent ball placement downfield, his accuracy on timing routes on the edge were very erratic, and he didn’t get a chance to showcase his nimble-ness as a runner. Scott still intrigues, but no longer is a draft-pick lock.”

Scouts Inc/ESPN.com (after the first day of practice): “Arizona QB Mat Scott showed some interesting flashes, with a quick release and the ability to get the ball out in a hurry. Scott does need to learn to control the pace of his underneath throws, though, and his ball placement was off early on. Scott forced receivers to make some tough catches, but to his credit he took coaching well midway through the session and did a better job keeping the ball up from that point on.”

Kyle Quinn leaves Monday morning for a week of practice and interviews at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Photo by Matt Kartozian-USA Today Sports

About a week after the Arizona Wildcats’ win in the New Mexico Bowl, senior center Kyle Quinn got a call from a number he didn’t recognize. He answered anyway.

Hello?

“This is Coach Tomey.”

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,” Quinn said about hearing from Dick Tomey, the winningest coach in Arizona history.

“I got nervous. I actually got goosebumps. Just hearing from him with the amount of respect I have for him and the passion he has for this school and this city, it’s really amazing.”

There was a practical purpose for the call. Tomey, serving as a head coach and procurer of talent for the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game, was inviting Quinn to participate in the game, which took place Friday at Kino Stadium.

Quinn and two other ex-Wildcats — fullback/defensive end Taimi Tutogi and defensive lineman Dominique Austin — helped the West squad to a 40-7 victory.

“I was really proud of all those guys,” Tomey said after the game. “Taimi was terrific. Kyle is a great leader.”

Tutogi and Quinn, having absorbed lessons from Tomey and the Casino Del Sol coaching staff, are moving on this week to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which will be played Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Quinn figured a week of practice at the Casino Del Sol game will give him an edge.

“The good thing was that I got the rust off, because we all felt the rust. A lot of guys had been off for a few weeks,” Quinn said.

“Going into next week, I feel like I have the advantage over most of the guys because a lot of them haven’t played yet. I’ll take that and use it to my advantage. I have learned you have to strap that helmet up really tight because these guys can hit.”

Quinn split time at center on Friday night with Utah’s Tevita Stevens. Austin had two tackles, including one for loss. Tutogi carried five times for 28 yards.

“It was nice,” Tutogi said of his workload, “seeing that I only got the ball once at the U of A this year. I tried to take the ball and have a little bit of a chip on my shoulder and did what I could with it. I think it worked out well.”

Quinn and Tutogi will get more good coaching this week. The head coaches for the NFLPA game are Herm Edwards and Dick Vermeil. Former NFL players fill many assistant coaching spots. Former Arizona defensive coordinator Larry Mac Duff is assisting, as well.

“I have to memorize a whole new playbook,” Quinn said. “So I have to burn this playbook in the back of my mind and get ready. But that’s the life of an NFL player. You have to be a student every week. It’s a lot of fun.”

Two more former Wildcats will be in action this week. Quarterback Matt Scott (the top prospect among ex-Arizona players) and receiver Dan Buckner will play in the East-West Shrine Game from St. Petersburg, Fla., on Saturday.

The NFL Network will carry the East-West Shrine Game, starting at 2 p.m. Tucson time. ESPN2 will show the NFLPA game beginning at 4 p.m.

Matt Scott ran for 506 yards and six touchdowns as a senior. Photo by Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

A pair of former Arizona Wildcats — quarterback Matt Scott and receiver Dan Buckner – have accepted invitations to play in the East-West Shrine Game.

Both players were on rosters released on the game’s website Friday. The East-West Shrine Game will be held Jan. 19 in St. Petersburg, Fla., and will be televised by the NFL Network.

Scott is Arizona’s best draft prospect, a second-team All-Pac-12 quarterback who has an intriguing blend of passing ability, athleticism and upside.

NFLDraftScout.com recently upgraded his projection to the third- or fourth-round range.

(Here is more on Scott’s draft prospects as the new NFL prototype in a story I wrote last month after the Wildcats’ win in the New Mexico Bowl.)

Scott, in his first full year as Arizona’s starting quarterback, completed 301 of 499 passes for 3,620 yards, with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

He will be joined on the West roster by two other quarterbacks — Texas Tech’s Seth Doege and Western Michigan’s Alex Carder.

Buckner appears to have late-round possibilities. He caught 61 passes for 773 and five touchdowns this season, battling an ankle injury that limited his availability late in the season. At 6-4, 214, he has the size to be a possession receiver in the NFL, although questionable speed probably limits his ceiling.

Nine Pac-12 players are listed on the current West roster, which could still undergo some changes before the game. Arizona State will send punter Josh Hubner and safety Keelan Johnson, whose fourth-quarter forced fumble against Scott was the pivotal moment of the Sun Devils’ comeback win over the Cats in the regular-season finale.

Three ex-Arizona players are set to appear in the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game in Tucson. They are center Kyle Quinn, fullback/defensive end Taimi Tutogi and defensive lineman Dominique Austin. The game will be played Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. at Kino Stadium.