For weeks last fall, Arizona football was more synonymous with mutiny, drama and disgrace than yards, touchdowns and victories.

Yesterday, 18 high school football players decided to further their careers by wearing the Arizona "A" on their helmets. This might not seem like such a big deal, but given the events of last fall, one might wonder why Tucson was the place to come.

"It was a perfect fit, the academics are good and I liked the environment," offensive lineman Peter Graniello said. "I think I will have a good four or five years there."

Graniello, who plans on majoring in electrical engineering, said the fiasco involving head coach John Mackovic, his players and the famous disgrace quote had little effect on Graniello's decision.

"I like him a lot," he said of Mackovic. "I don't think he is a bad guy. I followed the team, and I know they didn't do too good, but that happens to every team. I didn't think bad of (the Mackovic situation). That wasn't a factor."

Graniello said the biggest recruiters to the program were recruiting coordinator Rob Ianello, and offensive line coach Charlie Dickey.

It was Dickey and Ianello who made Arizona look appealing and current players that made being a Wildcat hard to pass up.

"I talked to a bunch of players about what happened," Graniello said of the group of players visiting university President Pete Likins following Mackovic's alleged poor treatment of players. "They said it got blown out of proportion. Yeah, there is going to be discipline. I expect that; I want that."

Richard Kovalcheck, father to a son of the same name, said that with football, discipline is expected.

"Being a parent, you have to deal with discipline yourself," Kovalcheck said. "I think (Mackovic) was doing the right thing with whatever discipline he had to do. As for Mackovic's tenure, I don't think Richard was concerned about that."

Kovalcheck, a quarterback, is probably the highest profile recruit of the 2003 class and was also being looked at by Tennessee, a perennial powerhouse in the South Eastern Conference.

"He wanted to play in the Pac-10," Kovalcheck's father said. "He didn't want to get that far away. San Diego is a great comfort zone. A lot of (not going to Tennessee) was the distance."

Another thing that made being a Wildcat appealing was the opportunity to step in and play immediately.

"He will have a chance to play real soon," Kovalcheck said. "I am happy for him. He will be playing Division 1 football."

Ruby Heavner, mother of quarterback Kris Heavner, said her son turned down a full ride to Oklahoma State and New Mexico, among other schools, to play at Arizona Stadium.

"My son felt really comfortable there," Heavner said of her son's visit to Tucson. "He wanted to go somewhere he had a chance to play. Other schools you have to wait."

And as for her thoughts on last season?

"I followed it every day at work," she said. "I read about it. I feel comfortable about my son going there."

Oklahoma State also lost Heavner, a three-star quarterback according to Rivals.com, because Arizona was a better fit.

"Coach Mackovic coached here in Texas, and (my son) likes coach Mackovic, so he decided to go," Ruby Heavner said.

It may have seemed hard for many to believe why any high school player would want to play under Mackovic, but the coach and his staff have sold the school, and 18 new freshmen will suit up next year believing there was no place better to be than Tucson.

Mackovic, who seemingly got a fresh start after a win over California and is receiving all the faith Athletics Director Jim Livengood can instill, has a fresh group of faces, removing him more from the events of the fall.