[tps_title]ARIZONA (2012-present)[/tps_title]
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[table “” not found /]Anu Solomon (12) is Rich Rodriguez’s first returning quarterback since Pat White at West Virginia in 2006 and 2007.
— Fortunately for Rich Rodriguez, former Arizona coach Mike Stoops and his staff talked Matt Scott into redshirting as a senior in 2010 because Nick Foles was the decisive starter that season. They did not want the cupboard bare in 2011. Stoops was fired and Rodriguez took over with Scott, a dual-threat quarterback who could master Rodriguez’s spread offense, making the transition smooth.
— B.J. Denker, a senior who was a junior college transfer, emerged from a group of six candidates for the starting quarterback job in 2013. A run-first quarterback who showed flashes of a decent passer, Denker became the starter over junior college transfer Jesse Scroggins (formerly of USC), Louisiana Tech transfer Nick Isham, redshirt freshman Javelle Allen and freshman Anu Solomon. Denker was announced publicly as the starter the day Arizona opened the season against NAU.
— Rodriguez did not wait as long last season to announce that Solomon, coming off a redshirt season, won the starting job against UNLV in the season opener. Rodriguez told the Tucson media four days before kickoff. Solomon beat out Scroggins, LSU transfer Jerrard Randall and Texas transfer Connor Brewer.
— Solomon’s backups heading into his sophomore season include Randall, redshirt freshman Brandon Dawkins and walk-on Zach Werlinger (also a redshirt freshman). Brewer transferred to NAU and then changed his mind to Virginia.
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He has also written articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.[/tps_footer]
