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I'm BEYOND excited to announce that I am committed to The University Of Arizona #BearDown #UofA #Wildcats #Pac12 HERE I COME !
— Antonio Parks (@_Str8King) July 4, 2014
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The recruiting strategy for Arizona Wildcats football coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff for the Class of 2015 is obvious: Load up on defensive back talent with athletes who fit in the 3-3-5 defensive alignment and help the program with their versatility.
Reserve (La.) East Saint John High School safety Antonio Parks became today the sixth defensive back to commit to Rodriguez and the staff. The three-star defensive back, as rated by Scout.com, is one of 16 Class of 2015 recruits who have committed to the Wildcats.
If the six defensive backs sign with Arizona in February — verbal commitments are non-binding — it will be the most at the cornerback and safety positions since at least 2002 (when Scout.com started publishing classes).
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ARIZONA DEFENSIVE BACK RECRUITS
Source: Scout.com. *Committed, not yet signed.
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Our program got better today ! #BearDown #OnToTheNextOne
— Rich Rodriguez (@CoachRodAZ) July 4, 2014
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Rodriguez attracted five defensive backs in his first class of 2012 and four in each of the 2013 and 2014 classes. Mike Stoops signed five in 2006 and 2010.
Parks, who chose Arizona over Clemson, ASU, Duke, Purdue and South Florida, has been listed at both safety and cornerback. He told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he can see himself making an immediate impact with the Wildcats because “they play five defensive backs a lot and I feel like I can come in and make an impact early.”
“I decided that Arizona was the best fit for me,” Park he told the Times-Picayune. “I got the offer from them (Arizona) in the spring. We sat down with Coach (Phil) Banko and watched film. They hung around and watched me practice for a while.
“They called me later that night and offered me. The offer caught my attention because it was my first offer that came immediately after watching me live so that kind of struck me from the beginning.”
CLASS OF 2015 ARIZONA FOOTBALL COMMITMENTS (16)
Stars based on Scout.com’s rating. Rank indicates national ranking.
OFFENSE (9)
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[table “” not found /]ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He also writes articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
