There's a reason to find concern over the Arizona Wildcats' first recruiting class under Rich Rodriguez. Most national recruiting services and media outlets would call the 2012 signing class one of the worst, if not the worst, in the Pac-12 Conference.

Considering Rodriguez had only a few months to hit the recruiting trail for the Wildcats, it's not too far fetched to believe the following classes will have more literal star power. But what's interesting to note about this one is how Rodriguez went about it.

He targeted players with tons of athleticism that would help fill positions of need. With an spread-option attack, the beginning and end to success is getting the pure athletes to present problems for opposing defenses.

While we don't know these guys as people, we can assume some of them are coachable, and Rodriguez and his staff will mold them from athletes into football players. And while highlight clips are meant to sell athletes, there's still optimism from what I see to believe there could be some hidden gems here.

Of course, landing Davonte' Neal next week could totally take RichRod's first class from mediocre to mightily successful, but there's definitely some athletes that could turn into good football players here. Stars aren't everything.

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Recruiting classes are graded in star ratings. But were they judged in miles, Arizona's might be the nation's best. Head coach Rich Rodriguez went to eight different states to put together his first UA signing class: Arizona, California, Florida, Hawai'i, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas all produced at least one new Wildcat.

"Can we recruit nationally at Arizona? I'd like to think so," Rodriguez said in Wednesday's press conference. "But can we beat the programs that traditionally recruit nationlly in their own backayrds? Probably not. Maybe three, four, five years in the future we can say 'We're Arizona,' and [the recruits]'ll say 'Can you visit?'"

For not quite being ready to compete nationally, Rodriguez's staff did an admirable job going to all corners of the nation for talent. Rodriguez said he was "weary" from the travel, but spoke confidently in the haul.

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Last updated 4:43 p.m.

Arizona Wildcats head coach Rich Rodriguez received a commitment from his most prized recruit around 10:30 a.m. today, as Woodbridge High School defensive end Kyle Kelley faxed in his letter of intent. The four-star linebacker from Irvine, Calif., is likely the biggest get for the Wildcats in this class with the lone exception being a potential surprise should in-state receiver Davonte' Neal decide to join Arizona.

Offensive lineman Zach Hemmila from Chandler High is so far the only other four-star prospect that has signed with the Wildcats.

Rodriguez received 10 commitments from recruits by 8 a.m. MST during his first national letter of intent signing day.

It was a solid and early start for RichRod, whose class spans from nearly every corner of the good ol' USA. Rodriguez is tweeting out the commitments as they come in, and the first came by way of Dakota Conwell, a three star linebacker from Pittsburgh, Pa. He was a former Pittsburgh commitment who followed recruiter and new assistant coach Tony Gibson from the Panthers to the Wildcats.

RichRod also has pulled in Scottsdale Chaparral linebacker Cody Ippolito, who is No. 1 Arizona recruit Davonte' Neal's best friend, according to the Arizona Daily Star, and defensive end Dylan Cozens, another Chaparral product.

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Rich Rodriguez was unable to add four star athlete Devin Fuller to the new head coach's first signing class at Arizona. Recruited as a quarterback for UA's spread option, Fuller committed to Pac-12 rival UCLA, where he could play in the secondary.

Fuller's change of direction presents opportunities for either of the quarterbacks who are signed to UA, Javelle Allen and Josh Kern.

Recent history proves Rodriguez won't shy from giving young quarterbacks opportunities. Pat White began his West Virginia career in 2005, the first of four seasons (three of which were under Rodriguez) as the starter. The head coach also used Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson in nearly equal doses through the 2009 campaign -- their true freshmen season.

Senior Matt Scott will need someone to spell him, particularly in a spread option that relies heavily on the quarterback, and results in a lot of tackles. One of these freshmen will likely be the player to do it.

Both are products of the Texas pipeline UA successfully mined for talent. The similarities end there, though.

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The most touching sports-themed novel written, in this blogger's humble opinion, is 1956's Bang the Drum Slowly. It was adapted into a film starring Robert DeNiro nearly two decades later, and a good one at that. But I recommend Mark Harris's book over the film. The narrative's core principle is of the importance of friendship, both on the field of play and in life.

For the last three seasons, Arizona football fans watched the bond between quarterback Nick Foles and wide receiver Juron Criner play out via remarkable moments on the field that will live on program highlight reels for decades. Moments like:

and

The Criner-Foles pairing relates to Bang The Drum Slowly -- a story with a tragic end -- in that the greatest passer-receiver tandem in Wildcat history nearly suffered its own tragic conclusion.

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The Rob Gronkowski train isn't going to stop. It can't stop.

I'm rooting for the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl because of their record-setting tight end. Anyway, if you're already tired of my scary rate of Gronk posts, just know it's because that any media about an Arizona player, former or present, that is this much fun I post. It just so happens that Gronknation is a big sell. People love Gronk and Gronk love people.

Please enjoy a tribute song entitled "The Gronk Song" posted by YouTube user unclepoggy.

Below the jump is an older rap about the Gronkowski family that's less funny and a bit more hard-OG.

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Trey Griffey isn’t Rich Rodriguez’s first recruit signing as Arizona head football coach, but the wide receiver is certainly the most noteworthy.

As the son of one of the most celebrated outfielders in Major League Baseball history, Griffey’s addition turns a spotlight on Wildcat football – something past recruiting classes have sorely lacked. National Signing Day has become a true spectacle in recent years, and UA will have some attention on it come next Wednesday.

ESPNU devotes its entire morning and midday of coverage to it, and standing out on that national platform sends an important message of relevance. Said message resonates with boosters, the fan base, pundits and most significantly, future recruits.

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Every Wildcat fan that has ever belted out a rendition of “Bear Down Arizona” on a Saturday night can take pride in Sunday’s AFC Championship. Rob Gronkowski has an opportunity to play an integral role in the New England Patriots reaching the Super Bowl for a fifth time in a decade, adding to the rapidly growing legacy the tight end has established in just two professional seasons.

But Sunday’s match-up could prove as painful as it is prideful for UA fans. Every one of Gronkowski’s touchdown receptions and ensuing spikes is a reminder of what could have been were it not for an injury that sidelined Gronk throughout the 2009 season.

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