Of late, neither Arizona nor ASU has done a great job keeping the top talent home. For every Ka’Deem Carey or D.J. Foster, there have been numerous Priest Willises, Cole Lukes and Connor Brewers.

Last season there were six 4-star products in state and only one (Chans Cox – ASU) stayed home. In 2012 there were also six, and just two, Foster and Zack Hemmila, remained home. Since 2010 there have been a total of 21 four or five star players in Arizona and just four of them chose an in-state school.

In 2011 not a single in-state 4 or 5 star signed with Arizona or ASU and only Marquis Flowers (Arizona) stayed home in 2010.

Most of those struggled are on prior coaches Mike Stoops and Dennis Erickson. Stoops and lead Phoenix recruiter Tim Kish did a wonderful job recruiting Phoenix when they first arrived in Tucson, but the state was hardly producing as many top tier athletes as it is now.

After Erickson arrived at ASU, they seemed to take some of the shine off of Arizona, but the Wildcats were also de-emphasizing Arizona a bit after players like B.J. Dennard, Terry Longbons and Glendon Bolasky were deemed busts.

Although Stoops was great in Tucson, the Cats lost just three athletes in the final seven classes and landed the likes of Adam Hall, Brooks Reed and Carey, for the most part the staff felt they could recruit elsewhere for better players.

“For every good player in Tucson, I could recruit 10 players just like him in Dallas that are overlooked by the Big-12,” said one Stoops era assistant.

Now both Arizona and ASU have all new staffs and both are recruiting Arizona. They’d be foolish not to. Rodriguez recruited Phoenix at Michigan, and upon arriving at Arizona he hired Chaparral coach Charlie Ragel to further boost in-state recruiting efforts.

In their first full classes both Rodriguez and ASU’s Todd Graham had mixed results with in-state kids. Arizona signed five Arizonans (four high school and one JC) while ASU inked just three (two high school and a JC.)

In reality last year’s in-state efforts could be deemed a push. Arizona signed more players, but both schools only signed a single top-10 in-state performer. The Devils actually signed the highest rated player, Blue Ridge’s Cox, a 4-star linebacker who is the 247Composte’s No. 3 player in the class. Both schools offered Cox, but Arizona never made a huge push and ASU received a very early commitment.

Both schools got long looks from CB Priest Willis, but ASU made his final list before he finally settled on ASU.

Although Arizona offered QB Tyler Bruggman early in the process, they never seriously pursued the drop-back passer from Brophy Prep. Once Arizona got commitments from Anu Solomon and two other prep passers, they completely backed off of a player that was not a perfect fit in the first place. Bruggman ultimately chose Washington State over ASU. The Devils actually made a final push right before signing with the Cougars.

No. 6 player Kenny Lacy committed to UCLA in the middle of the fall, but still took a visit to ASU.

Arizona signed the No. 9 player, linebacker DeAndre Miller and he never really considered other programs.

The Wildcats did not offer the No. 10 player, QB Ryan Finley, but ASU made a late charge at the Boise State commit after they lost QB commit Joshua Dobbs. Finley remained firm to the Broncos.

Cole Like, Devon Allen and Marcus Farria all had UA/ASU offer, but never really considered either school. Jalen Ortiz gave ASU an early look, but was sold on UCLA early in the process.

ASU signed TE Grant Martinez, a three-star prospect. Martinez is talented, but Arizona was not really involved. The same could be said for UA signees Mauriece Lee and Steven Gurrola. Both jumped at Arizona offers, their first offers. ASU never really got involved, but whether that was the case of their own evaluations or a lack of interest from the players is not really known.

Lee’s Marcos De Niza teammate said he felt more at home with the Arizona staff and chose Arizona over ASU early in the process. Arizona also signed Basha WR Nate Phillips who says he gave Arizona State “a chance” but preferred Arizona and committed to Arizona before his recruitment heated up. Although Lee and Elvira are not highly rated, they have impressed a number of observers like 247Sports’ J.C. Shurburtt and the Arizona Republics’ Richard Obert who think the duo may be a steal.

It is hard to truly judge the abbreviated 2012 class, as both Rodriguez and Graham had only been on the job a few months. ASU landed Foster, while Arizona held onto Hemilia and appeared to have DeVonte Neal before his 11th hour switch to Notre Dame.

The Wildcats signed more in-state players that season, but Dylan Cozens never arrived on campus, choosing professional baseball, while ASU landed Jaxon Hood, a player Arizona pursued. Arizona also added Dwight Melvin, Anthony Lopez, Jamar Allah and Cody Ippolito. Melvin and Allah both had ASU offers.

ASU also added Kody Kohl, a tight end from Mesquite that Arizona did not offer. They signed three JC players from in-state junior colleges, but none of them were originally from Arizona and the Wildcats only seriously seemed to pursue one of them.

For more on Arizona football recruiting check out WildcatSportsReport.com

The football team will stay in military barracks, the view outside their window likely to be more barracks.

The basketball team will stay at the Atlantis resort, the view outside their windows is majestic blue seas and the luxurious resort with all of its greens and blues.
In the end both trips will hope to accomplish the same thing, build better teams.

For Rich Rodriguez the goals of the trip are to build the team concept, continue to work on the new schemes and teach some life lessons in the backdrop of a sobering reality.
Sean Miller is trying to mesh seven new players, take advantage of additional practices and give his guys a bit of a vacation, all in the backdrop of a fantasy location.

The football team will rub elbows with military personnel making real sacrifices, while the basketball team will rub elbows with vacationers who are trying to forget the real world for a few days.

For the football team getting off of campus is good for several reasons. In years past the team would move into the dorms for fall camp, but this year the players stayed at home. The trip to Ft. Huachuca will force them to spend some time together.

“It brings the guys together,” said quarterback Matt Scott. “We are up in the barracks, everybody is in one place. It kinds of builds our team. It makes our bonding a little better. Coach Rod says when we come back we should be a complete team and I think that’s true.”

Moving to the base for a few days also isolates the team from distractions. With so much left to learn, some players really like the isolation and forced focus on football.

“Its fun to get away, to be with the team,” said Dan Buckner. “To get all the distractions out and get better as a team. You just get away, that’s all you have is football.”

Spending time with the soldiers is also a great experience for the team. Being on a college football team can be a step back from the realities of the real world. Although college athletes make sacrifices, rubbing elbows with the military puts it all in perspective.

“No fight is like their fight,” said Buckner. “Everyone praises what we do, but they are over there fighting for our freedom every day.”

Scott echoed those sentiments.

“We respect those guys so much,” the senior quarterback added. “They do so much for us and its just nice being around them.”

While the football team is slogging through two-a-days and being treated to a taste of the military lifestyle, the basketball team will be soaking up a bit of paradise and taking to the hardwood with a revamped roster.

The Wildcats not only welcome seven new players to the team, but the five remaining scholarship players are all in an adjustment phase. Kevin Parrom and Jordin Mayes both battled injury issues a year ago, while Nick Johnson and Angelo Chol hope to improve on up and down freshman seasons. Even All-Pac-12 performer Solomon Hill is moving back to the wing after spending last season at the power forward spot.

“You forget how much time last year combined they both missed,” Miller said of Mayes and Parrom.

“It’s great for them to practice, and be healthy and play,” Miller added. “In a sense get that head start where they feel healthy and get the feel for a game.”

Although the games and the trips in the Bahamas are nice, the real reward was the 10 extra practices the Wildcats received. The NCAA allows teams making an overseas trop to practice a few weeks before they leave and those practices could be invaluable in trying to get the four freshmen and Xavier transfer Mark Lyons integrated with the team.

The integration will not be only on the court, but off the court as well. Much like their football brethren, the Wildcat basketball team will use the Bahamas trip as a chance to bond.

“Although its about basketball its also about other things,” Miller said. “Players learn each other, they know each other. The difference between a newcomer and someone like Solomon Hill, who’s a senior, it’s really closed.”

“I’m committing to the University of Arizona,” Woodson tweeted Sunday night.

Woodson was first offered by Arizona back in May but has been recruited by Arizona assistant Tony Gibson for years.

“Their staff was interested in me my freshmen year when they were up at Michigan and my team won their passing tournament,” explained Woodson who accounted for over 1,700 yards of total offense and 16 scores.

Arizona was the first BCS school to offer Woodson and he is a player who has flown under the radar. 247Sports has Woodson rated as a 2-star prospect and has given him a player rating of 79.

Although he is a sleeper prospect at this time, Woodson feels he can bring something special to a team.

“I’m a player that brings excitement,” Woodson said. “A person that can use their arm just as well as their legs.”

It is Arizona’s 11th commitment and second from a quarterback. Las Vegas’ Anu Solomon committed earlier this spring.

Anu Solomon
6-1, 200
Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas, NV
3-stars, 83 rating, #33 Dual Purpose QB, #2 Player in Nevada
Scouting Report:

If there is a knock on Solomon, it is that he lacks size. The is a big deal to some programs, but Rich Rodriguez and the Wildcats are less concerned with height and more concerned with the ability to run the read-option offense.

Although he is on the short side, just 6-1, he finds passing lanes and knows how to prevent his balls from being batted back. He’ll have to continue to refine this skill at the next level as defenders get bigger and more athletic, but he has a good feel for moving in the pocket to find lanes that can’t be taught.

He’s not the thickest quarterback and some have expressed concerns about injuries at the college level, but he’s already over 200 pounds and has shown great toughness at the high school level.

Solomon has nice athleticism and can move in and out of the pocket. He’s not a burner north-south, but is elusive and can make plays with his legs. For a dual threat quarterback, he lacks the raw athleticism most associate with the position. While he’s mobile and quick, he does not have the speed to covert to wide receiver or defensive back like many other similar passers.

He’s a solid passer. He makes quick decisions and has shown a willingness to take what the defense gives him, which is a prerequisite of the RichRod offense. Described by some as the “anti gun slinger”, some have criticized his overall vision and ability to make the tough throw. Others have described him as cautious and patient enough to take the more sure play. Again, this fits what Rodriguez likes from his quarterbacks as he abhors turnovers and does not want gamblers

He has a quick release and puts good zip on the ball, but does not have a huge arm. Can make deep passes, but his bread and butter is delivering the short pass on time and with accuracy.

Maybe the best thing about him is his great fundamentals. He’s been praised for his footwork and overall feel for the game. For a player his age, he does a terrific job making his passes catchable. He puts balls where they need to be caught and is sound at throwing it as hard or as soft as it needs to be to get to the spot and be caught.

He’s also a winner. He has the swagger befitting a player that has won three state championships and has only lost three games so far in his prep career.

There were radical transformations when John Mackovic replaced Dick Tomey and then later when Mike Stoops replaced Mackovic. The coaches took time in the spring to put their own stamp on the programs, but spent most of it implementing schemes and evaluating talent. Although Stoops tried to create a positive culture change, it is nothing compared to what Rich Rodriguez is attempting.

Like Stoops, RichRod is making changes based in schemes, intensity and a new conditioning program, but he is also playing mental games to change the culture. He is not trying to slowly move the program in his image, he is trying to break the mold and drastically change things.

Rodriguez is using every avenue at his disposal. Like Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller, he is subtly, and not so subtly, using the media to get his message out. Whether it was the preseason comments about the Wildcats lack of strength, or more recent comments about how the team cannot go full speed due to a lack of overall conditioning. Past coaches worried about public perception and ticket sales would not have aired their dirty laundry. Rodriguez is not worried about that. He wants his players to know what they have been doing is not good enough. My guess is the strength and conditioning issues are not as bad as RichRod makes them out to be, but he wants the players and the public to know that things have to get better. The commitment level needs to be amped up.

“If they have not lifted or worked or trained a lot since November, they’re not treating themselves like an elite athlete,” Rodriguez said prior to the spring. “I believe if you are a division one college athlete, in any sport, I think you should be considered and treating yourself as an elite athlete. This is a high level in every sport, so elite athletes never take two months off from training or two weeks off from training.”

This was the first case of Rodriguez raising the bar and some of the players instantly responded. Several players cancelled spring break plans to remain in Tucson to train. Others adjusted plans to make sure they got workouts in around or during their breaks.

The fact that Rodriguez is calling his players “elite athletes” and expecting them to behave, train and perform like that shows a new level of expectations.

Stoops completely changed the culture from what Mackovic did, but Rodriguez is trying to take it to another level.

He has not just used the media to make his points, but has implemented things during practice. He jumped all over players in the first practice that did not move fast enough on and off the field or from station to station.

He installed a stoplight to let the players know at what pace they should be practicing. When the green light is lit, they should be at full speed…and the green light is lit a lot.

On Monday he cancelled on-field practice and instead had the team concentrate on film study from that weekend’s scrimmage. I can’t imagine Stoops or Mackovic giving up on-field practice time to watch film of a scrimmage, but Rodriguez obviously felt more could be learned by watching the tape. He seems less focused on today and tomorrow, than he is the long term changes he needs to make to the culture of the program. So if that means, two hours less on the field and two hours more in the film room, so be it.

By all accounts it was a humbling viewing for many players.

“It humbles some people,” said receiver Dan Buckner in an interview with TucsonCitizen.com’s Anthony Gimino. “You’re going to be put on the spot in front of all your team. You don’t want to let your team down. It’s not to embarrass you. It’s not personal. He called me out. He called a lot of players out.”

You get the feeling that Rodriguez hopes the desire to not be “called out” leads to better efforts, better performances.

“I think we all came out and worked harder today,” Buckner said after Wednesday’s practice. “Me personally, I didn’t want to put the film on and let my teammates down, let my coaches down. What you put on the field, that’s your resume.”

His most recent addition is the blue line. Rodriguez had a blue arc painted in front of the entrance of the practice field. Rodriguez wants the line to be the place where, for a few hours, players put school, family and personal issues to the back burner and focus on football.

“Once they cross the blue line, academics, personal issues and everything else has to go in the background and it’s all football,” Rodriguez told the media before Wednesday’s practice. “And when they cross back over, I hope they still think about football a little bit, but then their focus can go to other things as well.”

It’s again another ploy to shake things up. Rodriguez obviously felt the things he had been doing and saying were not enough, so a not-so-subtle reminder was painted on the grass.

With two weeks left of spring practice, you can bet Rodriguez is not done. You can also bet there have been other tactics have been used behind the scenes.

Rodriguez is, of course, building towards the season opener, but he is also building for the future. He is using spring to install an offense and defense, but to also see who is committed for the long term. He is seeing who will buy in and be ready to do it his way, not just next season, but the next few seasons.

Rodriguez does not want to coach a .500 program. He is not interested in a string of Las Vegas Bowls, he has his sights set on bigger and better things and that means changing things right now. He does not want to make small changes over the next few years, he wants to change things right now and will do what he needs to do to make those changes.

Rodriguez went to Michigan as the golden boy. He took a solid West Virginia program and made them a national power. The Mounties were good under Don Nehlen but Rodriguez built them into a two-time BCS team and was one bad loss to Pitt away from playing for a national title. He was 35-5 his final three seasons.

He was THE hot candidate after the 2007 season. He reportedly turned down the Alabama job and took the Michigan job, replacing Lloyd Carr.

It was never a good fit. While the fan base soured on Carr, the players loved him. Not only was Rodriguez an outsider coming in to replace a “Michigan Man” but he was bringing in a system that was radically different than system the current Michigan talent was recruited to play. Pro style quarterbacks like Ryan Mallett and Steven Threatt left the program and succeeded elsewhere.

His fast-paced pistol offense, which is a version of the spread option, was alien to the power football usually found in the Big 10 and it never really worked.

After a 3-9 season and a ninth place finish in the Big 10 he lost a lot of Michigan fans. He probably never had the team, most of whom were fiercely loyal to Carr. He lasted two more years, but despite a 7-6 finish and a Gator Bowl appearance, he was fired.

On the outside looking in one has to ask, “If he can’t win at Michigan, how can he win at Arizona?” Anyone on this site is a Wildcat fan, but even the most myopic Wildcat fan would not pretend that Arizona is close to Michigan as a football school. It is natural for fans to be worried.

Rich Rodriguez has something to prove. And that may be Arizona’s salvation.

Rodriguez is just 48 years old. This is not a last paycheck for him but a chance at getting back on top. He’s young enough to want to re-create his legacy and get back on top. This is not merely a coach who misses coaching and is looking for a gig to keep him near the game. This is a lot more.

Four years ago he was on top of the college football world. Two of the top five programs in college football wanted him. Today he has been shamed. He not only left Michigan with a losing record, but with a black eye from NCAA investigators. The first in the program’s history.

Now he has a chance to rebuild his reputation. You have to imagine that he’s motivated and ready to prove his detractors wrong. He wanted a second chance and he got it. He did not have to go to Conference USA or the MAC for his chance, he gets to take over a program that, as of 14 months ago, was 7-1. He does not have to create a program from scratch or go down to I-AA, he gets to take over a program that went to three straight bowl games and still has some young talent.

In short order, he gets a chance at a place where he can take advantage of that second chance.

Now he has to do it.

To do so he has to capture the magic of the coach who won 60 games at West Virginia and not the coach who went 15-22 at Michigan. He has to be the coach that had Alabama and Michigan clamoring for his services, not the coach who left two fan bases with a bad taste in their mouths.

The Wildcat fan base is torn right now but would be unified with a winner. Rodriguez can make fans forget flirtations with names like Bellotti and Petersen if he wins football games. If his pistol offense works and the 3-3-5 defense is effective, then fans will be on board.

They don’t care who wins football games, they just want to win football games.

The fans don’t really care how you win in Tucson, just that you win. Rodriguez has won before and won big. He has also lost before and fallen far.

None of that will matter if he dusts himself off and gets back on his feet. No one will remember the bad times at the Big House if he makes new memories in the Gray Old Lady. You have to think he’s motivated and more driven than ever. Second chances are rare and that is exactly what he has.

Rich Rodriguez has something to prove. Now he has his chance.

Greg Byrne Pt. 2 – on the decision to dismiss Mike Stoops.

Greg Byrne Pt. 3 – Discussing the coaching search

Interim Head Coach Tim Kish

With Mike Stoops out at Arizona, Defensive Coordinator Tim Kish assumes the mantle as interim head coach.  Let’s take a closer look at the man who will guide Arizona the rest of the season.

Profile
Age: 56
Years at Arizona: 8
Hometown: Westerville, OH
College: Otterbein College, Bowling Green State

Kish has been at Arizona since the start of the Mike Stoops era. He joined Stoops as his first linebackers coach and was named associate head coach a few years into his Arizona stint. In 2009 he was named co-defensive coordinator with Greg Brown after Mark Stoops left for Florida State. After Brown left for Colorado, Kish was given the coordinator job outright.

Kish has been coaching for over 30 years, with stints in the Big-10, MAC and Ohio Prep ranks among others. He has been one of Arizona’s top recruiters, focusing on Phoenix and parts of the Los Angeles area. He also helps recruit Chicago after Bill Bedenbaugh departed for West Virginia.

Kish began his coaching career in 1976 at the prep level before becoming a grad assistant at Bowling Green State. In 1979 he became the assistant secondary coach at Purdue and after three years moved onto Ball State where he coached both quarterbacks and defensive line in successive years.

From 1984 until 1996 he was defensive ends and linebacker coach at Army then Northwester. In 1997 he became defensive coordinator at Illinois and held that position with the Illini, Ohio and Indiana until the 2003 season when he joined Stoops’ staff.

Kish has coached in 11 bowls with five schools, including the 1995 Rose Bowl with Northwestern.

Kish was a defensive back at Otterbein College and also played basketball at the school.

Kish and his wife Angela have two daughters and a son.

Get all the latest news on the Arizona coaching search at WildcatSportsReport.com

Good News
Arizona did not give up 500 yards of offense to the Beavers. Just 403 yards. Arizona had given up over 500 yards of total offense in four straight games.

Bad News
Well, if you were playing The 1290 am Rob Lantz Crappy Special Teams Bingo at home, you had almost every category checked, save for a return for score. For those playing along, the Wildcats missed an extra point, missed a field goal, gave up a first down on a fake punt, had a punt blocked and returned for a score, muffed a kickoff, fumbled a kickoff and either called a fake punt that was snuffed out or had your cannon legged punter roll out for a rugby punt that went 30 yards.

Arizona failed to register a sack and only pressured Sean Mannion on a few occasions. One of those was an interception. HOWEVER, the Wildcats get the pick at the 28 yard line, and do not throw deep. When you have a chance to steal momentum, you have to take it. One thing Pete Carroll would do is go for the endzone to try and steal the momentum from a team that had yet to win. Instead Arizona runs the ball, throws short twice and settles for a missed field goal, no points, and gives the Beavers the momentum back.

The Wildcats cannot just rush for and hope to get any pressure whatsoever on the quarterback. More often than not, the defensive ends seem to be getting pushed up field. They move vertically, and cannot get any momentum towards the quarterback. The Wildcats did blitz at times, but when they do they seem to blow coverages more than they get to the passer.

The defensive ends are also struggling in the run game, getting manhandled, or worse, biting on fakes and not being in position to contain or make plays.

More Good
Arizona outscored the Beavers 21-10 in the second half. Of course they got outscored 27-6 in the first half. Even worse, the Beavers had scored more than 27 (28) just once … against a FCS team … in overtime.

Back To The Bad
Midway through fall camp Arizona moved Jack Baucus from tight end to tackle and then rotated him at right tackle off and on. Against Oregon State, Baucus was back at tight end. Of course, they never threw to the tight end. Six games, one pass to the tight end.

Oregon State baffled the inexperienced Arizona offensive line with delayed blitzes. Both the offensive line and the running backs were confused by the delayed blitz and Nick Foles paid the price. It seemed like Oregon State waited for the guards or the backs to help out on another inside pass rusher and then they would attack.

It was bad enough that Arizona ran the ball on third and short with a little over three minutes to play, but what was worse is that Arizona did not have the fourth-down play ready to run and had to burn a timeout to set it up.

Good But Bad
Adam Hall returned to action. While I do not believe he should have played this season after missing the first five games, you cannot deny he seemed to provide a motivation and spark to the defensive back. It was also nice to see Trevin Wade have a compatriot in getting frustrated with other defenders missing coverage assignments.

B-B-B Bad
Arizona has now been outscored 126-34 in the first half. Their best performance was actually against Stanford, where they trailed just 16-10 and missed a field goal at the halftime whistle.

Nick Foles has thrown 4 interceptions the past two weeks, after not throwing one the first four games.

Why was Daniel Jenkins in the game before Ka’Deem Carey? While I am not one of those who believes Carey is the end all be all for the offense, but the kid has been deserving of increased playing time. Jenkins, who has done nothing this year to date, came in early and had a critical fumble.

Good Night
Let’s end this on a positive note. Bryson Beirne came in for one play and the Wildcats scored a touchdown on a 14-yard Keola Antolin run.

Foles had another stellar game, going 31-45 for 378 and a score. So far this season he is 201-281 for 2,255 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Arizona State at Utah
I really don’t believe ASU is that great and looked ordinary in a road loss to Illinois. Utah is never an easy place to play, but if Washington can win there, so can the Poseidons. Then again, can anyone trust Brock Osweiler on the road? I keep going back and forth on this one, and can make a good argument with both.
Arizona State 33, Utah 28

Colorado at Stanford
Colorado went to Ohio State and were thumped. Palo Alto is not as tough an environment as Columbus, but the Cardinal are much better than the Buckeyes.
Stanford 45, Colorado 10

Washington State at UCLA
Washington State has played well, but a lot of that is due to the schedule. The Cougs have only played one team with a winning record, and that team, San Diego State, beat them 42-24. They did just earn a really nice road win at a mediocre Colorado team and although UCLA is a little bit better, they aren’t that superior to the Buffs. UCLA has two wins, but those two teams are a combined 2-7.
WSU 27, UCLA 20

Arizona at Oregon State
Arizona has played awful against really good teams, while Oregon State has just played awful. Oregon State usually plays better in October, but will it be enough? I think the Cats get the win, but it will be ugly.
Arizona 41, Oregon State 34

On a related note:
Arizona missed tackles 56, Arizona Points 41

Last Week: 4-1
Season: 36-5