Mark J. Rebilas – USA TODAY Sports
The Arizona Wildcats closed out July with a monstrous recruiting weekend. Four new commitments joined Rich Rodriguez‘s 2014 recruiting class in Tucson, bringing their total commitments to 18. The four new commits are emblematic of the class as a whole: well rounded.
Darrell Cloy (La Habra, Calif.) is a hybrid receiver/tight end/H-back. Versatility is the name of the game for him. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, he has a frame that could play any one of those positions. He’ll likely start out at H-back because that’ll be the fastest way for him to see the field, and it’ll also help improve his blocking skills. I’d expect him to eventually move to tight end, though.
J.R. Hunt (Chandler, Ariz.) is another versatile specimen. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, he has experience playing both safety and outside linebacker. Many think that his speed and length will be his best assets, especially if he plays in the box for the ‘Cats. Still, if he’s going to play linebacker, he’s going to need to put on at least another 20 pounds to play effectively in the Pac 12.
Kwesi Mashack (Norco, Calif.) is an underrated cornerback who’s still growing. He’s a ball hawk, though, and he’s a feisty playmaker. He’s underrated because of his height (5-foot-9), but he’s grown an inch the last year alone. If he continues growing, his stock could soar.
Lastly, the ‘Cats also brought in tight end Trevor Wood, arguably the best player in the entire class now. The 6-foot-6, 240-pounder is exactly what you’re looking for in the trendy modern tight end role: too big for safeties to cover and too fast for linebackers (a la Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, Jason Witten, etc). Wood could be a future star in the making and might be the best tight end in Tucson since Gronkowski.
Rodriguez has done a fantastic job in this class of touching on all positions to increase the quality of depth for the ‘Cats. Receivers and defensive backs in particular are looking like a really solid group, and everyone knows you can’t win in the Pac 12 without a plethora of either.
Really, the only thing left for Rodriguez and co. to do is continue focusing on bringing in more offensive linemen. The only lineman currently on board is junior college tackle Kaige Lawrence (Chaffey Community College). Addressing needs at linebacker, depending on where some hybrids like Hunt land, will also be a priority moving forward.
Rick Stavig is a National Recruiting Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickstavig or add him to your network on google.
