Trey Griffey, son of baseball royalty, picks Arizona for football
Rich Rodriguez picked up what could be his most impressive commitment Monday when wide receiver Trey Griffey, son of baseball great Ken Griffey Jr., made a verbal pledge to Arizona.
"My parents said, 'It's up to you, you got to do what you want to do ... what you feel is right,' " Griffey told the Orlando Sentinel. "I'm going to the University of Arizona. It doesn't get any better than that."
Griffey, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound wide receiver from Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla., is more than just a famous name. In the past year his stock as a top high school receiver has risen thanks to a stellar senior season that saw him catch 72 passes for 970 yards, breaking records set by Florida State's Kenny Shaw.
The effort earned him a spot in the Under Armour All-American game, a senior showcase that is open to just 92 players around the country.
Even though Griffey is from Florida, his interest was in the Pac-12. Griffey visited Arizona State earlier this month and also had interest from Washington State. Iowa State and Michigan State also were in the running.
While Griffey doesn't have the most stars on Arizona's current commitment list — offensive lineman Zach Hemmila (Chandler High, Chandler, Ariz.) and defensive end Kyle Kelley (Woodbridge High, Irvine, Calif.) are both four-star recruits — he might be one of the more valuable pick-ups. Arizona lost all four of its starting receivers to graduation and its top three quarterbacks. The Wildcats will be working with a bit of a clean slate as Rodriguez implements his high-octane spread system and Griffey could have a chance to start right away.
Griffey will make his decision official next Wednesday on national signing day.
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Graham Watson is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow her @Yahoo_Graham
