Arizona Football: The moving pieces in the high school recruiting puzzle

It’s difficult to keep up with the ever-changing 2017 Arizona Football recruiting class, but we will do our best.

We all new things would change with the 2017 Arizona Football recruiting class, but we didn’t foresee one of our favorite coaches leaving right as recruitment started up again. Get ready for the roller coaster ride.

Donte’ Williams took an offer for double the salary from Nebraska that even caused ripples through the Arizona football program. Sure enough, one of our favorite commits Greg Johnson out of August Hawkins High school opened up his recruitment, and it’s thought the reason being Williams departure. He visited ASU, can I plug my nose? He knows how I feel about that school.

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Can’t think he would leave Arizona for ASU, so next visit seems to be Notre Dame. Now we know that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has visited Hawkins during the season, you have to think he jumped on Johnson and others which prompted him to open his recruitment. Harbaugh is now being sought after by Eric Dickerson to take the Rams head coach position vacated via a firing today by Jeff Fisher.

Commit Jalen Harris, son of former Arizona and NFL LB Sean Harris, is looking at Colorado as he just took a visit on December 9th.  Just two years ago, Arizona fans were watching the Wildcats take down the Buffs decisively, and now Colorado can say they contended for the Pac-12 Championship losing to fourth-place Washington Huskies.

And the news that broke our hearts a bit this last week or so was this tweet from a commit we all thought was a solid Arizona commit. Rhedi Short’s tweet makes it sound like the winds are changing in his world. Let’s hope he’s just shocked like the rest of us, but Rich Rod has to hire someone great ASAP!

First, let’ let you in on some good news! Arizona just got a new commit! JUCO transfer DL Sione Taufahema! Experience and size (6-foot-3, 320), just what the veterinarian ordered for the Cats.

Arizona awaits the announcement of four-star corner back Thomas Graham who will announce his commitment on December 16th. Arizona doesn’t have a CB coach right now, so it may be a stretch, but hey, there’s room for a four-star to play immediately at Arizona.

https://twitter.com/jjonesxiv/status/808132593530990595

Recruits and Commits Visiting Arizona:

• Commit Nathan Tilford
• Recruit Antjuan Simmons
• Recruit Adrian Ealy Four-star offensive lineman from Louisiana
• Recruit Dodge City JUCO Gary Johnson, inside linebacker

Coaches Visits:

Arizona had an in-home visit with 2017 commit out of Long Beach Poly HS (CA) ILB Joshua Brown, Joshua’s visit included Donte’ Williams, so we will see what happens here, but we are very positive about Joshua, we think he’s very committed.

https://twitter.com/jbrown3_/status/804181039409078272

Commit Warren Jackson WR got a visit, he is 6’6” 185

Commit Kylan Wilbourn got a big visit from Coach Rich Rodriguez last week, although he was wearing a t-shirt that said ALL ND or Notre Dame. Kylan has an offer from Nebraska as well.

https://twitter.com/kylanwilborn8/status/806744061021257729

Antjuan Simmons, outside linebacker (6-foot-2, 215) a former Ohio State commit, Arizona in his top 4 on December 7th Marcel Yates and Chris Singletary visited Antjuan.

https://twitter.com/_antjuan_/status/806650009055875072

Austin Faoliu also got a visit also from Coaches Yates and Amey, and senior  Sani Fuimaono called out to Austin on Twitter. Faoliu, who started out a two-star recruit, was offered first by Arizona and committed.

Now a three-star recruit, he is getting a ton of attention from other schools, and he is listening to what they have to say. Washington State also went to knock on Austin’s door for a home visit. They have been doing that a lot lately. So his commitment may be wavering for Arizona, but we hope not.

I took a moment today to talk about all that’s going on, keep in mind the makeup of the recruiting class could change by the minute. Some committing, some committing, For fans it’s difficult. You fall for someone, get interested, watch tape, and for us, interview them and get to know them better. Then BOOM they’re gone.

It’s  business, hate to say it, but it is. The Coaches get paid a ton of money to convince young teenagers to come to play for them, and they do it honestly. But then money gets thrown at some of them, and they cannot pass it up. Then all the young men who bought in who are excited to come to Arizona get attention from that same coach at the new school, or attention from new big-time coaches and now they feel compelled to reassess their options.

Can’t blame them, but there should probably be a non-compete clause in coaches contracts, they can recruit from their former schools class, but only after one year maybe? Or just plain be a man of integrity and leave the class you recruited for the school who paid you alone, even try to convince them to stay with their commitment.

It just doesn’t make any sense, is this the best thing for these young men? It doesn’t sound like it, and they are looking to play in the NFL, let’s be serious. Arizona’s coaches are said to be honest, and that’s why players tend to jump on the Wildcats bandwagon. We just hope when the commit, they commit to the school and not one coach or one reason. Tricky business this commitment conundrum.

It kind of feels like dating, but it’s not just two people learning to fall in love with the other, it’s an entire fan base, the player and the players family along with the high school who is also affected.

We agree with Rich Rodriguez, and something has to change with regards to the timing of the commitment and signing. No one should commit unless they are willing to sign, a commitment is not a commitment these days unless you are Arizona QB Khalil Tate. He never waivered. But it takes maturity to be able to deal with the recruitment process.

In the end, those who want to come to Arizona will be the happiest playing for Arizona, and if they don’t want to come then, they won’t give it their all. So in the end, it all works out, and there’s nothing we can do to change it at this time. We just have to deal with the jilted feelings of those who commit becoming the apple of our eyes, just to possibly break up with us and reject the school, he coaches, the students and the fan base.

Must Read: Arizona Football: Coaches blazing the recruiting trails

Even if they aren’t rejecting the fans, it still feels like it. I mean, don’t you still feel a lump in your throat over T.J. Leaf changing his mind and going to UCLA? If you don’t you soon will when the Wildcats take on the Bruins. Just remember the players who came to Arizona deserves our full support, they want to be in Tucson, and we should reward them with our cheers.