Tuesday's inaugural Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl at Chase Field featured eight of Arizona's top high school talents, but oddly enough, only one of them has committed to an in-state school.
In a way, that paints a picture of the current recruiting landscape in Arizona, as two new head coaches are working to find their legs with little prior connection to the state or region.
University of Arizona commit Zach Hemmila, an offensive lineman from Chandler, took the field for the West team in Tuesday's high school showcase game and afterward reaffirmed his commitment to the Wildcats. Hemmila, a three-star offensive guard according to Scout.com, committed to the Wildcats over the summer and made an official visit in early December -- not long after Rich Rodriguez was hired to take over the program. He also had offers from Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon State, San Diego State and Montana, but he has only visited Tucson so far.
"I'm going on a visit to San Diego State (January) 13th," Hemmila said. "After that, I'll know for sure (about UA)."
Since his official visit, Hemmila has been in contact with Rodriguez but more so with returning offensive line coach Robert Anae -- at least weekly, Hemmila said. That kind of contact with current commitments, if widespread, displays a dedication on Rodriguez's part to retaining a small recruiting class.
Experts from Scout.com, however, say Rodriguez hasn't yet hit the recruiting trail as hard as Todd Graham, his counterpart at Arizona State. Graham arrived at ASU more than three weeks after Rodriguez landed in Tucson but doesn't have the name recognition that might allow Rodriguez to hold off a bit on diving into recruiting without falling behind.
Both coaches are certain to speed things up now that the most recent recruiting "dead period" (no in-person contact allowed) has ended and the Feb. 1 signing day is quickly approaching. Indications are that Graham has already been working the phones hard -- something he brought up to the football staff even before his official introduction -- and getting largely positive reaction despite the criticism he took after a messy exit from Pittsburgh.
"I've heard (Graham) is a very, very good guy," Scottsdale Saguaro running back D.J. Foster said Tuesday. "He's going to bring the discipline that Arizona State needs. I'm just looking forward to meeting him and building a relationship with him."
Foster, a four-star recruit according to Scout, is ASU's most high-profile target and has the Sun Devils in his top three with USC and California. He said he hopes to meet with Graham before his Jan. 13 official visit to USC. Foster said he has received emails from all of Graham's staff members so far.
It appears, though, that Graham isn't just focused on uncommitted targets. Tempe Corona del Sol defensive end Avery Moss committed to Nebraska on Tuesday, the same day he received a call from Graham.
"I told him it was a little late, I was already thinking Nebraska," Moss said after the game. "He said he's still going to try to pursue me. I'm definitely going to have an open ear, but I feel like I'm going to be a Cornhusker next year, no doubt about it."
That kind of aggressive approach isn't exclusive to Graham but is an indicator of his no-fear approach to an unfamiliar recruiting landscape. Graham's staff also met Wednesday with USC commit Darreus Rogers, a four-star receiver from Carson, Calif.
Three-star Chandler receiver Javon Williams said Tuesday he had a home visit with Graham set for Thursday even though ASU is not among his current top four schools.
"I know the offense (Graham) had -- I would fit in real good, but I'm not sure what type of coach he is," Williams said. "Hopefully we can get all that worked out when he comes to talk to me."
Graham has also reached out to three-star Peoria Centennial safety Zach Hoffpauir, a Cal commit who said he plans to visit Stanford and would consider a visit to ASU.
The reaction on the recruiting trail to Rodriguez is a bit harder to gauge. He's missed on a few top recruits so far, such as receiver Gehrig Dieter (South Bend, Ind.), who picked Southern Methodist on Tuesday, but has gotten in on big names such as four-star linebacker David Perkins, who attends the same school as Dieter.
Moss also heard from Rodriguez not long after his hiring and had actually made UA his top choice before Mike Stoops was fired. Moss said, however, he isn't interested in UA because he heard negative reviews of Rodriguez from former players. There's no telling how widespread such opinions are, but it's clear Rodriguez's somewhat-spotty reputation is working against him in certain cases.
Conversely, Hemmila raved about Rodriguez's personality and plan for the Wildcats. He also said the retention of Anae was key in his remaining committed to UA.
"My first impression (of Rodriguez) was amazing," Hemmila said. "He gave me a lot of information about what he was trying to do. ... He's also really down to earth."
If Hemmila's reaction is any indication of how Rodriguez is working with UA's current commitments, the class should remain largely intact. And if his excitement about what Rodriguez is selling is any indication, Rodriguez should be able to lure a few big names to Tucson in the next month.
Rodriguez also appears to be targeting some in-state recruits previously neglected by UA, such as Chandler Hamilton defensive lineman Jaxon Hood, who has a soft verbal commitment to Boston College but received an offer from UA after Tuesday's showcase game.
Many assumed that Rodriguez's high profile would allow him to quickly conquer the Arizona recruiting scene, but Graham may be outworking him so far. The greatest challenge Graham faces now is building relationships with the recruits who had established relationships with Dennis Erickson's staff members, none of whom have been retained.
Ultimately, both coaches are working from behind because they are new to their schools and the region. They are late to the game on many recruits who have already set their minds on their destinations or finalists.
The next few weeks will be big for both, as even though many of the players who land at ASU and UA won't see the field for a couple seasons, the hauls of both Rodriguez and Graham could be key to their eventual success or failure.
