Team now has 19 recruits verbally committed

Until then, they just have to hope the 19 recruits who have verbally committed to Arizona will not change their minds.

Scouts have called the 19 potential Wildcats the best recruiting class in school history, led by Parade and Super Prep All-American linebacker Joe Siofele of Honolulu.

Siofele chose Arizona over Nebraska, the team UA beat in the Holiday Bowl Dec. 30, following a distinguished group of Hawaii natives to play for Arizona.

Current Hawaiians on the roster include defensive linemen Keoni Fraser and Ben Alualu, center Steven Grace, offensive lineman Makoa Freitas and tight end Makai Freitas.

Siofele is rated as the best linebacker in the west by the Tacoma News-Tribune, the second best in the country by the Sporting News, and he is ranked No. 7 by the National Recruiting Advisor and No. 10 by Super Prep. He joins former fellow St. Louis High player Alualu on UA's defense.

All told, nine of the recruits are slated for defense, with two more, Lance Reliford of Washington (Houston) High School and Russell Dokken of Kentwood (Wash.) High School, capable of playing both as defensive backs and wide receivers.

Reliford and Dokken, along with cornerback Michael Jolivette of North Shore (Galena Park, Texas) High School, will try to break into a UA defensive backfield which lost senior Chris McAlister, who is himself projected as a top 10 pick in April's NFL Draft.

Joining Siofele in what could be UA's linebacker corps of the future are Lance Briggs of Elk Grove (Sacramento) High School, Shelton Ross, a JC transfer from Hutchinson (Kan.) College and Matt Molina of Chaparral High School in Scottsdale.

Briggs was the Sacramento Bee's player of the year has drawn comparisons to former Wildcat and current New England Patriot Tedy Bruschi. He led his high school team to a 14-0 season and a state sectional championship in 1998.

The defensive line will also receive three additions out of the group, with Cory Kipp of Riverside (Calif.) North High School playing defensive end and Matt Perry of Gilbert (Ariz.) High School and Brandon Phillips of Corona del Sol (Tempe) High School playing in the middle.

The most high-profile in-state recruit to commit to UA so far is running back Bobby Wade of Desert Vista (Phoenix) High School. Wade runs the 40 in 4.4 seconds, which helped him rack up 1,620 yards rushing and 27 touchdowns in 1998.

Other in-state recruits to suit up for UA on offense next year include wide receiver Damion Segovia of Glendale Community College, running back Pablo Henriquez of Catalina (Tucson) High School and wide receiver Andrae Thurman of Westview (Avondale) High School.

Safety Clay Hardt of Marana High School is the only other in-state player among the recruits.

None of the recruits, though, are formally committed to Arizona until Feb. 3. With such high-profile recruits as quarterback Chris Simms, who switched from Tennessee to Texas this week, still showing how undecided some of them are, nothing will be certain until signing day begins.

UA Football Recruits for 1999 The following 19 players have verbally committed to play for the UA in 1999: Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Previous School Hometown Cliff Watkins QB 6-4 190 Breckenridge HS Breckenridge, Texas Pablo Henriquez RB 6-2 215 Catalina HS Tucson Bobby Wade RB 6-0 180 Desert Vista HS Phoenix Marvin Brown WR 5-11 185 Chabot College Hayward, Calif. Damion Segovia WR 6-3 185 Glendale CC Glendale, Ariz. Andrae Thurman WR 6-0 170 Westview HS Avondale, Ariz. Tyrone Brown TE 6-4 240 Morse HS San Diego Justin Levasseur TE 6-5 230 Antioch HS Antioch, Calif. Matt Perry DL 6-4 270 Gilbert HS Gilbert, Ariz. Brandon Phillips DL 6-7 270 Corona del Sol HS Tempe Cory Kipp DE 6-5 245 Riverside North HS Riverside, Calif. Matt Molina LB 6-3 210 Chaparral HS Scottsdale Shelton Ross LB 6-1 215 Hutchinson CC Hutchinson, Kan. Lance Briggs LB 6-1 205 Elk Grove HS Sacramento Joseph Siofele LB 6-2 235 St. Louis HS Honolulu Clay Hardt S 6-1 170 Marana HS Marana, Ariz. Michael Jolivette CB 5-9 176 North Shore HS Galena Park, Texas Lance Reliford ATH 6-2 190 Washington HS Houston Russell Dokken ATH 6-1 170 Kentwood HS Kent, Wash.