National Signing Day 2018 HQ
The first ever early signing period has come and gone, but Wednesday marks the return of National Signing Day. GOAZCATS.com will provide you with all the latest as college football continues to embark on this new journey with two signing periods and that could come with unexpected twists.
This page will serve as a central hub recapping the day's events as the rest of the NLI's that didn't come, or weren't announced, in December make their way to Arizona's football offices at Lowell-Stevens Football Facility.
National Signing Day links
Stories
REACTION: Sumlin talks final 20-man list of 2018 signees
COMMITMENT: Doyle pulls the trigger for Arizona
NSD 2018 PRIMER: Arizona gets ready for another big day
COMMIT BREAKDOWN: Dayven Coleman to the Wildcats
COMMITMENT: Coleman talks Arizona pledge
WAR ROOM: The latest on Arizona heading into National Signing Day
EARLY SIGNING PERIOD REPORT CARD: Offense
EARLY SIGNING PERIOD REPORT CARD: Defense
EARLY SIGNING PERIOD AWARDS: 2018 December signing period superlatives
WHAT WE LEARNED: First day of the early signing period
RODRIGUEZ: Arizona likes 'toughness' of early signing group
PHOTO GALLERY: Early signing period signing ceremonies
POST-NSD UPDATE: The latest on those who didn't sign Wednesday
COMMITMENT: Johnson picks the 'Cats
EARLY SIGNING PERIOD PRIMER: 2018
WAR ROOM: Latest with football and football recruiting
RECRUIT Q&A: Johnson set to decide
Commits
SIGNED: YES
BIO: Arizona's highest-rated recruit heading into the early signing period picked the Wildcats twice throughout the process. Plant originally selected the Wildcats over offers from USC and Penn State. He backed off his pledge before re-committing to the Wildcats last month.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Plant is the highest-rated commit for a reason and currently one of its most important recruits. We expect the 6-foot-6 defensive end to play as a freshman, and he has a chance to be an all-conference type of player for the Wildcats when all is said and done.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: The Cienega standout quarterback was the first member of the 2018 class to commit to the Wildcats and he has stayed locked in to his pledge. Arizona State is the other school that has been most involved in his recruitment heading into the early signing period.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Joiner will naturally draw comparisons to Khalil Tate as he makes his way to the next level and his skill set is the perfect fit for Rich Rodriguez's offense. He is setting up to be the future of the quarterback position at UA.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: The high three-star recruit from Texas was previously committed to Iowa State before he backed off that pledge after taking a trip out to Arizona. After that point the Wildcats moved into the driver's seat in his recruitment and eventually completed the flip in mid-November. Arizona State, Houston, Missouri, Oregon State and Purdue were some of his other offers.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Young is one of the prospects we are most high on in Arizona's 2018 class. He will add size to the secondary and we expect him to be an early contributor at safety for the Wildcats.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: The high three-star recruit from Texas was previously committed to UCLA before he backed away from that commitment when he sensed things with the staff there would be a bit unsettled. He would be right and eventually the Wildcats became an option for the three-star prospect. Coleman revealed Tuesday that he has been committed and actually signed with UA back in December but had kept it all under wraps until this week.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Coleman has a chance to be among the upper echelon of this class. A lot of what he is as a recruit reminds us of Tony Fields II in many ways. Fields had the size coming out of high school to be a safety but he wanted to play linebacker, while Coleman has the size to play linebacker be he prefers to be in the secondary. Still, Coleman's uniqueness makes him a perfect fit for Marcel Yates' defense and we see him being an early contributor for the Wildcats.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: The California native is the lone linebacker pledge for Arizona in the 2018 class heading into the early signing period and he has been committed to the Wildcats since May. Johnson picked the Wildcats over offers from Colorado State, Hawaii, New Mexico and San Jose State among others.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Johnson could play a couple different positions when he arrives to Arizona. He has experience as a middle linebacker but we like him most as a potential "stud" linebacker because of his ability to pressure the quarterback. He has the talent to be a key rotation player early in his career.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: Arizona had to wait to get the big defensive back on board as he was previously committed to UCLA earlier in the process. The Wildcats quickly moved up his list after he opened up his recruitment and he eventually committed to UA in late July over offers from Arizona State, Cal, Utah and Washington State among others.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Hill will be one of the more ready-made players in the 2018 class for Arizona. He has the size to play safety with the Wildcats and will come in as a safety, but we like him as a big cornerback and believe that is where he will eventually end up by the time his career is over.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: Arizona has had success with Fresno-based recruits and with Barnes coming from the same high school as Robert Golden there is a precedent for Edison cornerbacks at the school. Barnes picked the Wildcats over offers from Fresno State, Mississippi State, Oregon and Washington State. UCLA offered him Dec. 19.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: After having a chance to see Barnes in person it became clear to us why he has some notable programs on his list. The 6-foot-2 cornerback has length and that is something Arizona is looking for at the position. He is someone we envision working his way into the cornerback rotation quickly with the Wildcats.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: The Philadelphia area native who is playing in Washington, DC was a Michigan commit up until this week. That’s when things took a turn when he backed off that pledge with Jim Harbaugh’s program, but the process of where he would end up next was already underway. The Wildcats had already been involved with the three-star quarterback recruit and he officially announced his offer from Arizona Monday morning. That turned into a commitment Wednesday afternoon with Doyle picking the ‘Cats over another late offer from Colorado State.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: The 6-foot-4 signal caller is what you expect from a Noel Mazzone-led offense. He’s got the size Arizona’s new offensive coordinator tends to like to work with and unlike some of the other quarterbacks on the Wildcats’ roster he is certainly more of a passer than he is a runner. He has the athleticism to make plays outside the pocket, and he can run it a bit, but he has a big arm and ability to get the ball down the field. His accuracy and toughness stand out on film and he is someone who will have a real shot to compete for the starting job after Khalil Tate’s time at UA comes to an end.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: The big receiver from Frisco was once a resident of Arizona with family in Tucson. Both of his parents played sports at Washington State, so he has ties to the Pac-12 Conference. Adams eventually committed to the Wildcats after taking a visit in the fall selecting UA over offers from Boise State, BYU, Illinois, Iowa State and a host of Ivy League schools.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Adams took home the Wide Receiver MVP award at the Rivals 3-Stripe Camp in Dallas earlier in the year and he has the length the Wildcats are looking for on the outside. He still needs time to develop his abilities at the position but we believe he will turn into a solid rotation player for the 'Cats as his career unfolds.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: The Oceanside-based standout offensive lineman took his time with the recruiting process, but he eventually pulled the trigger on a pledge to the Wildcats nearly two months ago. Laie built a strong relationship with the coaching staff at UA and the Wildcats have done well at Oceanside High School in recent years. That connection kept him on board even with the coaching change along the offensive line. Colorado, Colorado State, Hawaii, Oregon State and Utah State were among some of his offers.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Laie has good size and could end up as one of the more important recruits in the class when all is said and done. He is everything the Wildcats could want in an incoming freshman lineman and we see him growing into a key offensive tackle and likely starter in his career with UA. We anticipate him getting a chance to see the field in the first half of his career.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: Arizona has continued to build more ties into Georgia in recent years and Williams is one of the recruits making his way across the country to play for the Wildcats. The three-star prospect had a quiet recruitment, but eventually he chose to attend Arizona a few days before Halloween. He chose the 'Cats over offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Purdue and UNLV in addition to some Ivy League schools.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Williams could be one of the bigger steals for the Wildcats in the 2018 class. He has the size to play wide receiver, but right now the plan is to use him as a tight end and utilize his skill set in that way. He will eventually put on some more weight and we expect him to be one of the key members of Arizona's tight end group over the course of his career.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: The Calabasas standout defensive end missed most of his senior season after transferring schools prior to the start of the year. Because of that his recruitment didn't start to pick up until the fall and Arizona made its move in November bringing him out on a visit while he was still committed to Colorado State. Eventually, he backed off that pledge to the Rams and gave the Wildcats his commitment.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Sulunga is one of the more important recruits in Arizona's class. The coaching staff wants to improve its pass rush and he has the ability to get after the quarterback. His size could allow him to move inside to the interior of the defensive line and we believe he will see action early in his career.
SIGNED: NO
BIO: It was an interesting ride for the three-star receiver from Las Vegas. Mitchell picked up an early offer from the Wildcats and he didn't wait long to pull the trigger on a commitment giving the program his pledge in April over offers from Hawaii and UNLV. Mitchell injured his knee early in his senior season and at this point he is not expected to officially enroll at UA until January 2019.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Mitchell has the look of many successful receivers in Rich Rodriguez's system with a similar build to Nate Phillips. When he does arrive to Tucson we don't expect it to take long for him to contribute, but health will be key as he recovers from the serious knee injury.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: The versatile running back from Pearland was the first prospect to get Arizona in the door in Texas in the 2018 class. Rich Rodriguez has made it more of a priority to open a pipeline into the Lone Star State and Smith's late-June commitment helped get things going in the area. Alabama A&M, Howard and Texas Southern were the other schools to offer Smith in the process.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Smith is someone who has the skill set Arizona is looking for on the offensive side of the ball. He has enough experience that he will add some depth to the running back position, but he could also line up in the slot and catch passes as well. Because of Arizona's depth at running back already it could be some time before he gets on the field.
SIGNED: YES (enrolled)
BIO: Because of his size the three-star defensive tackle earned plenty of interest in the early going of his high school career from programs such as Washington, USC and others. Eventually only UCLA and Arizona decided to take the plunge and offer him, but it was the Wildcats that were able to nab the big defensive lineman back in August. Irving is expected to enroll at the midyear point and participate in spring ball with the Wildcats in the coming months.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: One of Arizona's top priorities was adding some bulk up front in this class, but just because Irving is big doesn't mean he will automatically get on the field. There are still some things he needs to iron out in his game, but his size is going to be hard to keep off the field. He will need to continue to trim down some, but the potential to be a major contributor in time is there.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: The tight end from Orange County was all but destined to play at Arizona. Both of his parents are alums of the school with his dad being a former football player with the Wildcats. Peters had an Achilles injury that caused many programs to look in other directions, but the tight end recruit was on track to be one of the top recruits at one point. Eventually, Arizona trusted that he would bounce back and decided to offer and things moved quickly from there. In addition to an early Washington offer, Peters picked the Wildcats over offers from Hawaii, Montana State and Northern Arizona.
FGOAZCATS.com forecast: Peters figures to be a big part of the tight end group as his career unfolds. He has the talent, but it will be about getting fully recovered and back to his pre-injury abilities as he makes the transition to college. It could take some time before he is a regular contributor, but Peters has all the tools to be an impactful player at UA.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: Things came together quickly for the Glendale Community College offensive lineman. He went from interest, to offer to committed within the span of about a week as the calendar flipped from November to December. He was a priority for former offensive line coach Jim Michalczik, but with Arizona being his only offer the plans to stick things through with new offensive line coach Garin Justice.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Bailey is someone we feel will have a chance to contribute early in his career with the Wildcats. Arizona will need some more help on the interior of the offensive line and Bailey could slide into either guard spot or potentially even play some center.
SIGNED: YES (enrolled)
BIO: The local Tucson-based offensive lineman didn't take much time to think about his decision. It was one that was already made beforehand. The legacy prospect, who had both of his parents play sports at UA, decided to stay home and play for the Wildcats making his decision early in the process back in April. Watson is on pace to graduate at the midyear point and the expectation is that he will enroll early and be ready to go for spring ball.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Watson has the athleticism and size that the coaching staff can build around. There is not a ton of flair to his game, but he projects as an impactful offensive tackle at the next level. He is certainly a bit underrated and he has a chance to surprise and get on the field early in his career if he can put it all together.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: Things came together pretty quickly with the big receiver from San Diego. Marcus didn't have very much buzz in his recruitment until the season started going. The 6-foot-4 recruit was primarily thought of as a basketball player having played on the summer travel circuit with the Oakland Soldiers. However, Arizona and Utah State both emerged with offers and in mid-October the two-star prospect decided to go with the Pac-12 program.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Marcus is ultra athletic and that will be the key for him as he makes the transition to focusing solely on football. He has good size to play outside receiver and he is capable of posting some impressive stats. Arizona will need him to add some more weight, but he has a chance to be a rotation player as his career unfolds.
SIGNED: YES
BIO: Duquesne, San Jose State and Utah State were all schools that offered the speedster from San Diego, but eventually it was Arizona that landed Bailey. His commitment is just over a month old now and things came together quickly after he visited Tucson and picked up an offer.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Bailey is the lowest-rated recruit in the Wildcats' class, but he could end up being one of the better steals for Arizona when all is said and done. His speed will give him a chance to get on the field with the Wildcats along with his ability to produce. Give it a couple years and he could be a solid rotation player for Arizona.
SIGNED: YES (enrolled)
BIO: Arizona made a late move for the Sacramento State bounce-back recruit. Johnson started his career with his hometown school, but after a coaching change and health scare he decided to try his luck at the junior college level enrolling at City College of San Francisco. UA defensive line coach Vince Amey only recently reached out to Johnson, but that interest turned into a quick offer and visit. The 6-foot-5 defensive tackle picked the Wildcats Wednesday morning.
GOAZCATS.com forecast: Johnson had a tumor in his leg that set him back earlier in his career, so he is still not where he needs to be physically. However, he has the size Arizona needs up front. He is an aggressive defensive tackle and should help the Wildcats in running situations. Getting in at the midyear point is going to be crucial to his development, but we would be surprised if he doesn't see the field in 2018.