Enough has happened – or not happened – in the world of Arizona Wildcats football of late to warrant another edition of news and views. So here we go:
News: Pro prospects Reggie Gilbert and Will Parks post impressive numbers at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
Views: Gilbert, a defensive lineman, had one of three sacks by Team American in the senior showcase played Saturday in Carson, California. Parks, a safety, was credited with four solo tackles, tying for team-high honors. Team American lost to Team National but held Team National without a touchdown. Kicker Andrew Baggett of Missouri made six field goals to account for all of Team National’s 18 points. Gilbert’s sack on third-and-12 on the third possession of the third quarter forced one of those field-goal attempts. Two of Parks’ tackles limited Team National runners to 1-yard gains. Gilbert and Parks have a chance to be drafted, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. Pauline currently projects Gilbert as a seventh-round pick, Parks a sixth-rounder. It’ll be interesting to see if they get invited to the upcoming scouting combine. The invite list will be released the first week of February, per NFL.com. Arizona receiver Cayleb Jones apparently is going:
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#indybound thank you @CoachRodAZ truly blessed you gave me an opportunity! pic.twitter.com/UKLyvQCgKt
— Cayleb S Jones (@1caylebjones) January 27, 2016News: Scooby Wright is projected as a third-round pick in the latest mock draft at WalterFootball.com.
Views: Wright definitely will be invited to the combine, and he should be the highest-drafted Wildcat barring something unforeseen. Where he’ll go exactly is unclear, and the range of projections is unusually wide. As I’ve documented previously, Pro Football Focus had Wright in its first-round mock draft – and one of the experts at NFL.com ranked him 31st, which also would put him in the first round. Pauline, meanwhile, projects Wright as a fifth-rounder. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, and that’s where WalterFootball.com has Wright going in its latest mock draft. WalterFootball has the Green Bay Packers taking Wright with the 88th overall pick. That would be a terrific landing spot. As noted in the comments, adding Wright would enable the Packers to move Clay Matthews back to outside linebacker, his natural position. Green Bay also has an excellent record when it comes to developing its draft picks.
News: Rich Rodriguez pushes back the start of spring practice by five days.
Views: It was always going to be logistically challenging to start spring practice Feb. 5, which is just two days after National Signing Day. Starting it Feb. 10 – which is still tentative; the UA has yet to release an official schedule – provides a little bit of breathing room. It also gives Rodriguez more time to fill the one remaining opening on his coaching staff. It’s odd that RichRod has filled three spots while leaving one vacant, but that’s how it goes sometimes. The current theory going around, as posited by colleague Jason Scheer of Wildcat Authority, is that the mystery defensive line coach is with another school and has agreed to stay there through signing day. He’d come aboard soon after. If spring ball started Feb. 5, that coach would have no time to get acclimated. This way he’d at least have a few days. Also worth noting: The “spring game,” still scheduled for March 4, likely won’t mark the end of spring practice. Each school gets 15 workouts, and the Wildcats probably will have some left over. They might not even be finished by spring break, which runs from March 12-20.
News: Arizona loses several verbal commitments … and gains some back.
Views: At one point, the Wildcats had 17 verbal commitments for the class of 2016. They’re now down to 13, including the players who already have enrolled (QB Khalil Tate, DB Isaiah Hayes, LB Kahi Neves) but not including the grayshirts who count toward the ’16 class (TE Jamie Nunley, DB Antonio Parks, OL Harper Sherman, OL Keenan Walker). Those inside the program insist there’s no reason to panic and that the UA will finish this recruiting cycle strong. It’s also hardly unprecedented for the composition of a recruiting class to change when the coaching staff has changed. Half the players who have de-commited play defense. The two most recent commitments (Tristan Cooper, Jarrius Wallace) play defense. All of the coaching changes occurred on that side of the ball. Rodriguez hired Marcel Yates and Donté Williams for a reason. Their track records as recruiters and talent evaluators suggest they know what they’re doing.
