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Samuel Morrison
Former Arizona Wildcats safety and Desert Swarm member Darryl Morrison commented to me today that although he hopes his son chooses to play for his alma mater, he will not influence the decision. Samuel Morrison, a cornerback at Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga High School, was offered a scholarship by Rich Rodriguez and his staff last Thursday during an unofficial visit. Among the 14 schools that have offered a scholarship are Army, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Rutgers, Temple, Duke, Hawaii, Washington State and Virginia. . . .
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“First of all I’m truly excited for my son and the tremendous opportunities he’s been given by some exceptional athletic and academic institutions” the elder Morrison stated to me in a message. “I’m bias when it comes to his decision so I’ve tried to remove myself from influencing him on his final decision. He’s a smart young man and has a strong sense of what type of person he is and the things needed to continue growing as a student and athlete. I’m not sure where he will ultimately decide but I’m happy he’s narrowed his schools down and U of A remains in the running.” . . . The elder Morrison also messaged that the family will take “a few days to pray concerning what’s best for him academically, socially, spiritually, and athletically. After that, his decision will come swiftly. . . . No matter what he decides, he will have 100 percent support from me, his mother and his 4 siblings. We’ll be rolling deep and screaming for Morrison!” . . .
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Rodriguez is known for loading a position. Arizona has six quarterbacks to choose from and a bevvy of receivers heading into the 2014 season. The Wildcats will have the same situation at running back in 2015 with a significant group vying for carries. The number increased to seven Monday with the commitment of Oroville (Calif.) Butte Community College running back Kendall Williams. . . . Williams is the second junior college running back of the 2015 class. Dami Ayoola, an Arizona Western running back who began his career at Illinois, committed to Arizona last month. Williams rushed for 1,156 yards and nine touchdowns last season for Butte. He originally attended Division II Arkansas Tech out of North Little Rock High School in Arkansas but left after one semester before heading to California. . . .
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The other running backs for the 2015 season could include Jared Baker, Pierre Cormier, Zach Green, Jonathan Haden and Nick Wilson. . . . For Rodriguez to attract such a large group of players at each position shows the players are believers in his system instead of doubters. With the fast pace of Rodriguez’s offense, reliable backups are necessary at the skill positions. Rodriguez and his staff have sold these guys on playing time. Six receivers had at least 15 receptions last year and one who did not — Trey Griffey — finished with 14 and was a standout in the AdvoCare V100 Bowl victory over Boston College. It’s easy to overlook the fact that B.J. Denker set an Arizona record for a quarterback rushing for 949 yards. Ka’Deem Carey had an usual amount of 1,885 yards. That’s 2,834 yards rushing for two players. It’s conceivable that Arizona can split that pie at least four to five ways. Players may transfer because they will not get a piece of the pie. Rodriguez’s approach should be lauded because he is doing what he should — create depth — and fuel the competitive fire in these players to get the most out of his depth chart.
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.
