In the last week, it became obvious Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez is implementing a shift to recruiting more of Texas and attracting additional Polynesian players to become Wildcats.
Rodriguez and six of his assistant coaches attended a satellite camp — that he co-hosted — at Texas Southern University. The camp was also attended by Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, Texas coach Tom Herman and Texas Southern coach Michael Haywood.
.@ArizonaFBall Coach Rich Rodriguez (@CoachRodAZ) on taking part in @TXSOTigers camp: "This is an area we haven't recruited much.We are now" pic.twitter.com/Qu545E3mTJ
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) June 8, 2017
This weekend, Rodriguez is hosting the “Rich Rodriguez Polynesian Showcase” at Arizona Stadium. Coaches from Arizona (of course), BYU, Fordham, Illinois and Fresno State are in attendance.
The two-day showcase includes position coaching and skill development, life skills and academics presentation, strength and conditioning presentation and a tour of Arizona’s facilities.
📍Checking in @AIGAFoundation and @GiantSkillz Rich Rodriguez Arizona Camp! #LevelUp pic.twitter.com/qvPPPJ1PXs
— Level Up Elite Camps (@levelupelites) June 9, 2017
Zack Rosenblatt of The Arizona Daily Star interviewed former Arizona quarterback George Malauulu, who is significant in the development of Polynesian players as president of the AIGA Foundation.
Malauulu is attending the Polynesian Showcase this weekend in Tucson. More than 100 players were expected to participate.
“It’s always good to come back home to Arizona, and to bring something like this is a special thing for me,” Malauulu told Rosenblatt. “It’s one of the ways we can bring back some excitement to the campus with some fresh recruits.
“Arizona has always been a special place for me. That’s my own backyard. If I can do something to help out the process of bringing the kids back, it’s a win-win not only for them but for me as well.”
After two subpar seasons, and more Arizona fans believing his seat is becoming moderately hot, it appears Rodriguez is becoming proactive in getting the best possible talent to Tucson from all areas to improve the status of the program.
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon.
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