Signing day
Central Florida, Alabama, Illinois and Texas A&M.
They came in fast and furious, and Purdy took his recruiting to the distance, waiting for the February signing day reveal. He took all five of his awarded official visits – Boise State, Iowa State, Central Florida, Alabama and Texas A&M in that order.
In 14 games last season, Purdy broke season 6A records for passing yards (4,405) and passing TDs (57).
Zidane Thomas
Wearing an Aztecs shirt and hat, Peoria Centennial running back Zidane Thomas committed to San Diego State University on National Signing Day on Wednesday morning.
He sat in the middle of a long table, flanked by fellow student-athletes on each side, and listened as Coyotes head coach Richard Taylor made the announcement in the Centennial auditorium.
Thomas (5-10, 200) had originally committed to Boise State ahead of his senior season, but decommitted in December after receiving other offers.
He visited San Diego State for a second time this past weekend. His initial offer from the Aztecs had wavered after Thomas did not commit during the early December signing period. For a few weeks, it seemed that his indecisiveness may have hurt his recruiting process, but Thomas seemed at ease with the results.
“It was fun, but I’m kind of happy I made a decision,” Thomas said. “It felt like I have a weight off my back.”
Thomas had been rated by azcentral sports as the No. 1 running back in Arizona ahead of the 2017 high school season, and he helped lead Peoria Centennial to the 5A State Championship.
In his senior campaign, Thomas ran for more than 2,000 yards, and capped the season with a dominant performance in the Coyotes’ 42-21 win over Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep for the 5A title. He finished his varsity career with 4011 total yards and 44 touchdowns.
“He was exciting. There’s a reason they called him ‘Zidane the freight train,’” said Taylor. “When he got the ball, he was electric.”
Draycen Hall
Gilbert Higley running back Draycen Hall pulled off his jacket and revealed in a red shirt his college destination in two years: Southern Utah.
Hall, a two-time azcentral sports AllArizona athlete, said he will first serve a two-year Mormon church mission before realizing his dream of playing Division I college football.
“God Is Number 1 in my life, along with family,” Hall said. “I picked Southern Utah over Princeton, some place far away like that. It was an easy decision for me.
“I visited a ton of places, like ASU and UofA. I felt like Southern Utah was the place for me. This is where I’m supposed to be.”
Hall’s only Pac-12 offer came before his senior season from Arizona, but after Rich Rodriguez was fired and Kevin Sumlin came in as new coach, UA didn’t become an option anymore.
“With the new coaches, there was really no spot left for me,” Hall said of UA. “Since I wasn’t committed already, they kind of just flaked off. And that’s how things ended up.”
Solomon Enis
Phoenix North Canyon senior wide receiver Solomon Enis committed to the University of Utah on signing day Wednesday morning.
Enis is a four-star recruit and was rated by azcentral sports as Arizona’s No. 1 2018 football prospect.
For the standout receiver, the decision came down to a gut feeling.
“Just the fit. I can come in and play right away. I love the coaching staff and how it’s a family environment, so I just felt like it was the best fit for me,” he said.
The 6-foot-4 receiver was deciding between ASU, Penn State, USC and Utah. His father, Curtis Enis, was a star running back for the Nittany Lions in the mid-90s and went on to be a first-round draft pick in the NFL.
While Solomon Enis noted that it nearly came down to a coin-flip between Utah and Penn State, his father was happy with the decision.
“Throughout the entire process, I expressed to him, ‘It’s your decision,’” Curtis Enis said. “To see his dream happen in front of me, it’s greatest feeling in the world.”