TUCSON, Ariz. -- Former star receiver Keyshawn Johnson was on the Arizona campus Monday with his 7-on-7 youth team, making it a day full of unofficial recruiting visits.
And one commitment.
Running back Sean Riley, a three-star prospect from Narbonne High School in Harbor City, Calif., received a scholarship offer from Arizona on Monday morning and decided to accept it before the sun set.
Riley plays for Johnson's Team 19, which includes Keyshawn Johnson Jr., one of the hot receiver prospects for the Class of 2017. Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez offered him a scholarship Monday, too.
Two future Arizona quarterbacks were on campus, as well, as part of Team 19. Khalil Tate, a three-star prospect from Gardena (Calif.) Serra High School, committed to Arizona last week. Braxton Burmeister, a four-star recruit from La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day School, committed to UA last November for the 2017 class.
"Our biggest challenge is just getting guys on campus," Rodriguez said after Monday's practice, which came after the team had about 10 days off because of spring break.
Thank you to everyone involved in my recruiting process,I've just COMMITTED to the University Of Arizona #BearDown?? pic.twitter.com/zufqVpzDem
— Sean Riley (@seankriley) March 24, 2015
"If we can get guys on campus, our success rate is extremely high. ... That's why we're so appreciative of guys like Keyshawn Johnson. He takes them to a lot of places, not just ours. You've got 25, 30 kids here that he puts on a bus -- and a couple of them have been here two years in a row now -- and they get a chance to go back and say, 'Golly, I didn't expect that.'
"I don't know what they expected, but it's always a lot nicer that they expect, so it's a good thing."
Rodriguez and Johnson spent time after practice talking and joking, with Johnson -- the former USC and NFL star -- mocking Rodriguez to the local media, saying, "He can't coach." Rodriguez fired back with the old, "Just thrown him the damn ball!" and the two exchanged a series of smiles and hand slaps before going on their way.
Arizona junior receiver Cayleb Jones -- the team's top pass-catcher last season -- also liked seeing Johnson at practice.
"It's admirable for him to be out here, bringing all these young guys out here. Keyshawn has been one of the best wide receivers in the game, and I have so much respect for him, and that's where I want to be."
Rodriguez noted the recruiting emphasis has shifted to this part of the calendar as unofficial visits -- meaning unpaid by the school -- have become more important. A paid official visit can't occur until the prospect has started his senior year. In today's sped-up recruiting world, many teams -- such as Arizona in the past two years -- already have the bulk of their recruiting classes filled by that time.
Johnson taking his team on a tour of schools exposes his players to possibilities they might otherwise not have considered. Tate, for example, was one of the players who visited Arizona at this time last year, a trip that helped lead to his commitment last week.
Jones said unofficial visits were "very important" after his transfer from Texas.
"It's not so much that the program puts on a show for a guy. You get to see the real thing," Jones said of unofficial visits.
"They heard coaches yelling today, and they saw drill-for-drill what we do, how we get tired and that practice is no joke. Unofficials are a great experience for younger guys."
Riley is 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds and noted for his speed. He had offers from Utah and San Diego State, among others. He is the fourth commitment in Arizona's 2016 class, joining Tate (who other schools wanted as a wide receiver), three-star defensive tackle Justin Holt from Tucson Salpointe Catholic, and three-star running back Trevor Speights, who has recently taken unofficial visits to Texas A&M and Tennessee.
Another key recruit on the UA campus Monday was 2017 five-star receiver/cornerback Darnay Holmes from Newbury Park (Calif.) High. His brother, Darick, signed with Arizona in February as an all-purpose slot receiver. The Wildcats were the first in what is now an impressive, long list of schools to offer him a scholarship.
Unofficial visit to my future home Arizona #BearDown ??? pic.twitter.com/oxFi3r4lOh
— #KhalilTate (@KhalilDTN) March 24, 2015
Although not yet officially announced by either school, Arizona and Texas Tech have set a home-and-home series for 2019 and 2020, according to ESPN's Brett McMurphy. The 2019 game would be played in Tucson.
Texas Tech will join Mississippi State (2022, 2023) as the only Big 5 conference teams on Arizona's future schedules. UA does have a three-game series with independent BYU that starts in 2016.
"I think we have a pretty good plan," Rodriguez said of scheduling. "If you see us playing Alabama and LSU and Florida State back to back to back, that will be in years when I'm planning on retiring."
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