ESPN.com: Wildcats signees rank in top half of Pac-12
Feb 8, 2013, 7:13 PM | Updated: 8:12 pm
The Arizona Wildcats and coach Rich Rodriguez finished National Signing Day with 24 new recruits.
Amongst those, the Wildcats fared better than their rivals in several categories — acquiring an ESPN 300 recruit, a quarterback(s) and earning a slightly better grade.
According to an ESPN Insider article, UA’s recruiting class ranked sixth in the Pac-12 primarily due to their offensive focus.
Breakdown: At the top, Arizona’s class is filled with speed and talent from the Southern California trio of ESPN 300 athlete Samajie Grant, four-star running back Pierre Cormier and four-star cornerback Derek Babiash. Coach Rich Rodriguez wanted players who could excel in his offense, and he seems to have done that with running backs Mauriece Lee and Zachary Green, and potential standout receivers Prince Holloway, Lawrence Walker, Nate Phillips and Paul Elvira. The quarterback position is in good hands as well, with junior college signal-caller Jesse Scroggins to go along with Jarrett Solomon.
Rodriguez’s top signee, California native and ESPN top 300 recruit Samajie Grant, heads the 2013 UA class. Grant provides versatility and playmaking ability for the Wildcats on either side of the ball.
While Rodriguez didn’t reach out too far from Arizona for talent like ASU coach Todd Graham, he primarily focused on players that would fit his style of UA football. The Wildcats also did nearly just the opposite of the Sun Devils, only signing two junior college athletes compared to Graham’s 10.
