Arizona Wildcats football: UA adds copper helmet to 2012 football uniform

Check out the new copper helmet the Arizona Wildcats football team will be wearing this coming season.  It sounds like the new helmet will be paired with a yet to be revealed alternative uniform designed by Nike.

Arizona Wildcats Football lands potential QB of the future.

Arizona Wildcats head coach Rich Rodriguez has addressed a huge need by landing the verbal commitment of highly rated QB prospect Anu Solomon.  With no quarterbacks with any starting experience behind Matt Scott, Solomon could prove to be the most important piece of this recruiting class.

The numbers from Solomon's Junior season all look good.

Passing: 3,059 yards, 43 touchdowns, 3 interceptions

Rushing: 402 yards, 6 touchdowns

This recruit really excites me.  He has the stats, coming into a system that is perfect for him, and he's saying all the right things.

"Ever since I visited Arizona I felt like it was a great place," the Rivals250 recruit said. "As time went on I started to pray about it and I felt that it was a great fit for me, and I felt like right now was the right time to make a commitment."

"I'm a quarterback who likes to throw a lot and I'm a pass first, run second kind of guy. I feel like Rich Rodriguez and the offense can be that kind of thing for me."

The statement that he is a pass-first QB alone is cause for excitement.  The great weakness of a dual-threat QB is the tendency to run first, negating the true benefit of all that speed.  If the QB is a legitimate passing threat, their opponent must defend the run, the pass, and contain the QB.

This commitment is very exciting, and it will be fun to see how he develops over the next four or five years.

Anu Solomon's profile

Rivals 250 quarterback gives verbal pledge to 'Cats

ESPN Video: Entering the offseason -- Arizona

An interesting video here.  I've got to say that I don't like the overall tone of this video by ESPN's Ted Miller.  His assertion that Arizona's new coach Rich Rodriguez showed up and thought the 'Cats were "fat and lazy" doesn't seem to match up with anything I've read or seen from RichRod so far.
True, he did say that conditioning was a major issue, but that is far from Miller's statement.  This comes across as yet another analyst stating that RichRod showed up to a bare cupboard.
Embrace the underdog role, Wildcat fans.  More and more it seems that nobody is giving the 'Cats a shot this year.

Fit not a concern, but Rodriguez facing other challenges at Arizona

Not a lot of new info here, but this is a good article outlining the oddly smooth transition from Mike Stoops to Arizona's new head man, Rich Rodriguez.  While you wouldn't expect them to be at eachothers' throats, you probably wouldn't expect them to be having dinners together, sharing cigars, and even living in eachothers' house.

"Seven Cats earn preseason nods."

Arizona football signee could contribute to Wildcats baseball.

Recruited as a defensive end, Dylan Cozens may also add a big bat to the Wildcats baseball team.  Cozens finished his high school baseball season with 19 home runs, breaking the school record previously held by current White Sox 1B Paul Konerko (13).
As far as his football skills, coach Rodriguez seems excited.  "One of the best defensive ends we saw this year in high school, period."
More info and quotes here.

Tedy Bruschi shafted again.

For the third year in a row, Arizona Wildcat and New England Patriot great Tedy Bruschi was passed over for a spot in the NCAA hall of fame.

ESPN Video

ESPN got Rich Rod and the rest of the Pac-12's new coaches together for a round table on several issues.  Definitely worth watching.

• Pac-12 New Coaches: New Perspective?
• Pac-12 New Coaches: Win within 3 years?
• Pac-12 New Coaches: The 7v7 crisis
• Pac-12 New Coaches: Still enjoy the job?
• Pac-12 New Coaches: Playoffs coming

The Tampa Bay Times posted this interesting pic.  Rich Rod sent a 'wanted' poster to Ryan Green, the #9 ranked RB in the 2013 recruiting class.  Time will tell if it works, but I love the National Championship talk...
Ryan Green's profile here.

Wildcat Links 05-06-12

• Check out this pic of Bill Murray supporting the Wildcats at the 76ers/ Bulls game.
• Former Arizona Wildcat and current Arizona Cardinal Paul Vassallo is honored.
• Another article about Arizona's lack of QB depth.  Nothing new here, but worth a read.
• Arizona DB Jourdon Grandon  and OT Fabbians Ebbele set to formally rejoin the team as their legal issues have cleared up.