Yes, Gerell Robinson plans to come to Arizona in 2008. But not if the Wildcats can’t win eight games next season.
“”The coaching staff knows that. They know where I’m coming from,”” Robinson said yesterday. “”They said they don’t blame me. I just want to see some improvement from last season.””
Robinson, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound dual-threat quarterback from Chandler, verbally committed to Arizona in November. To date, he is the only member of Arizona’s ’08 class.
Robinson was recently named to recruiting Web site Rivals.com’s list of 100 athletes to watch for in the class of 2008. He said he has fielded calls from USC, Nebraska and Oregon of late, while Notre Dame has been in touch, too.
Robinson said he’s told all of them that Arizona remains his No. 1 choice. But anything goes if the Wildcats can’t win at least two more games than in 2006, when they foiled their postseason chances with a season-ending loss to ASU.
Robinson said he doesn’t like to compare himself to other athletes but has heard people associate him with the likes of Vince Young, a former run-pass standout at Texas, and Dwayne Jarrett, a former Trojans wide receiver who is readying for April’s NFL Draft.
Robinson said he could line up at either quarterback or receiver in college, but that he prefers to be behind center. Having been clocked at 4.52 seconds in the 40-yard dash, he plans to switch to receiver if he goes pro.
But where Robinson plays is at least a year or more from being certain. For now, he’s still a Wildcat-to-be.
“”I’m looking forward to competing for a championship and putting (Arizona) on the map nationally,”” he said.
Charlow joins ’07 class
Wide receiver Caleb Charlow became the 17th member of Arizona’s 2007 recruiting class this weekend.
Charlow, of San Marcos, Calif., faxed in a national letter-of-intent to the UA football office. He is the first athlete to sign with the Wildcats since national signing day Feb. 7.
The 5-foot-9, 165-pound Charlow moved to quarterback in his senior year after he caught 43 passes for 670 yards and six touchdowns as a junior.
Charlow’s athleticism gives him an opportunity to play in his first season, either returning kicks or as a slot wide receiver in Sonny Dykes’ new offense, said Josh Gershon of goazcats.com, part of the Rivals network.
He added that Charlow’s situation is similar to that of fellow UA signee William Wright (5-10, 170), another undersized receiver prospect. Their roles will depend on the needs of Dykes’ scheme.
“”They’re going to look at everyone they have and see who can help immediately,”” Gershon said. “”(Charlow) has as good a chance as anyone who’s been with the team for four years.””
With his proximity to Los Angeles, a recruiting hotbed, Charlow was overlooked leading up to signing day, Gershon said.
Former running back coach Kasey Dunn, who left the team in December, initially recruited Charlow, and his replacement, Michael Smith, finished the job.
“”One of the first things I was told about Sonny Dykes is that he’s not going to recruit based on stars or national rankings, any of that stuff,”” Gershon said. “”He’s going to find smart football players who run routes and do what they’re told. Those are the guys he’s going to recruit.””
Charlow did not return a voicemail message left for him yesterday.
