National Signing Day: Arizona football recruiting and the 2013 class

National Signing Day 2013

The gist: Rich Rodriguez's offseason of recruiting after his first season has resulted in a class ranking 37th, according to ESPN. Though that number is due to the number of recruits more than the rank, it's the first sign of a return to recruiting promise after Mike Stoops left the cupboard bare, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

In the Pac-12: Arizona ranks sixth in the Pac-12 according to ESPN's rankings. The Wildcats are behind No. 8 USC, No. 11 UCLA, No. 18 Washington, No. 26 Oregon and No. 28 Cal.

The stars: The Wildcats have no 5-star players, five 4-star players, 20 3-star players and two 2-star recruits.

Breakdown: Rodriguez has recruited five athletes, nine defensive players and eight offensive players.

Arizona football recruits

Names to know:

Samajie Grant: A 5-foot-11, 175 athlete, the highest ranked member of Arizona's 2013 class is from Colony High School in Ontario, Calif. ESPN calls him a versatile athlete with speed and great ball skills. He is the only player in the ESPN300 committed to the Wildcats.

Pierre Cormier: The 5-foot-9 running back from San Diego had offers from UCLA, Boise State, Washington, ASU and OSU. ESPN says he has great elusiveness, quick acceleration and less top-end speed as a great back for zone offenses.

Anu Solomon: A 6-foot-1 quarterback from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Solomon was called the best instant-impact quarterback by SI.com. Though undersized, he's a dual-threat quarterback described by ESPN as a pass-first, run-second player. He is calm, plays with swagger, and is decisive with his throws.

Jesse Scroggins: A junior college commit and former USC Trojans quarterback, the El Camino College transfer is a high-talent that has yet to prove he has the "it-factor" to be a successful college quarterback.

Signing Day Links

Ryan Finley's preview for the Arizona Daily Star

Anthony Gimino's preview for the Tucson Citizen