By Anthony Gimino
FOXSportsArizona.com
TUCSON -- Mike Stoops' 2006 recruiting class was his highest rated at Arizona, which doesn't always translate to being the best.
In this case, it did.
"They're the cornerstones," Stoops said of the players in his 2006 class.
The fifth-year seniors will be going to their third consecutive bowl game, tied for the longest streak in school history, no matter what happens Thursday night against Arizona State.
Of course, the key fifth-year guys would prefer to go out in style.
Defensive linemen Brooks Reed, Ricky Elmore, Lolomana Mikaele and D'Aundre Reed, as well as offensive linemen Colin Baxter, Jovon Hayes and Conan Amituanai -- all starters -- will have a lot to say about whether the Wildcats will win their third consecutive game in Territorial Cup rivalry.
"Their legacy, I think, will be firmly cemented if we can win this game," Stoops said. "To win three in a row would be significant for these seniors."
Those seniors bought on faith. The past few years have been the payoff.
Back then, the Arizona coaches might have been able to sell immediate playing time, but they weren't exactly bargaining from a position of strength.
Stoops had gone 3-8 in each of his first two seasons. Before that, Arizona had gone 2-10 in 2003 and made headlines only because it had been a royal mess under John Mackovic. When these guys signed in February 2006, Arizona was on a streak of seven years without a winning record.
But that was the pitch. Stoops turned the negative into a positive: Be part of something on the rise. Make a difference. Leave your imprint.
"Mike Stoops harped on it all the time -- that our class was going to have a huge impact," said Brooks Reed, a local kid from Sabino High School. "Mike was always saying that this team was going to get better. We were in the rebuilding process, and I was willing to take a risk. I did, and it turned out to be for the best."
Plenty of others took that chance. Scout.com rated Arizona's 2006 class 19th in the nation and second in the Pac-10, behind only USC.
The headliner was junior college defensive end Louis Holmes, a five-star recruit from Scottsdale Community College who fended off last-minute pitches from USC's Pete Carroll and LSU's Les Miles. A recruiting victory for Arizona could not have been more significant.
Alas, Holmes never turned into a pass-rushing terror, and five-star defensive tackle Gabe Long never made it Tucson because of academics, ending up at Utah. No big deal. The lesser-known players from that class have told the tale.
None of those fifth-year senior linemen mentioned earlier was anything beyond a three-star recruit. Some were two-star prospects.
"I think it is development and attitude that really gives you a chance," Stoops said.
"It was probably our first significant class. You can see that it meant a lot to our progress. I think this class really set us up for success."
Of that 25-player class, eight can be considered washouts due to medical problems, academics, transfers, etc. That happens to any class, at any place. What's significant is that Arizona hit on basically everyone else.
Fourteen became Pac-10-quality starters, and the other few players in the class -- including fifth-year seniors D'Aundre Reed and cornerback Mike Turner -- have been valuable reserves.
Meanwhile, star-level players such as Brooks Reed, Elmore and Baxter led the way.
"We realized -- and I think all the guys on the team realized -- that we had a huge class coming in and that we were going to be the difference-makers," Reed said. "And we were."
Still are ... although the Wildcats have already spent a lot of the value from that 2006 class.
Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell was a third-round pick of the Houston Texans last season. Defensive back Nate Ness is kicking around the NFL. Terrell Turner and Delashaun Dean were productive wide receivers, and Devin Ross was a solid cornerback.
That foundation helped Arizona get to three consecutive bowl games, now the second-longest streak in the Pac-10. The Wildcats have won 23 games in the past three seasons. Only Oregon and USC have won more in the Pac-10.
Stanford, which has completed its regular season, also has won 23 wins in that span. But Arizona still has a game left in the regular season.
So it would be fitting if the fifth-year seniors -- plus sixth-year senior offensive tackle Adam Grant, who was granted an extra year of eligibility because of injuries -- leave Arizona Stadium as winners on Thursday night.
"These guys have been through some adverse circumstances, and they persevered," Stoops said. "That is what I will always remember from these seniors."
