SALIDA -- Nathan Sudfeld wants to be an Arizona Wildcat next fall, but the uncertainty surrounding the football program has Modesto Christian's quarterback talking to other colleges, as well.
"I took my visit to Arizona last week and I had a great time," the 6-foot-5, 215-pound senior said. "My plan was to enroll in January at Arizona, so I could get an early start, and that still could happen."
Sudfeld received a scholarship offer from then-Arizona coach Mike Stoops and accepted it, before Stoops was fired this fall. Arizona hired Rich Rodriguez on Nov. 22, and he sat down with Sudfeld at Modesto Christian this week.
With Arizona quarterback coach Rod Smith and MC's Steve Gleason, they watched Sudfeld's films from this fall and discussed the no-huddle, run-oriented spread attack that Rodriguez will be using.
"The offense can be tailored to the quarterback," said Rodriguez, whose offense is most effective when it has an athletic quarterback with a quality arm. "The offense we ran for Shaun King at Tulane was different than the one we ran at West Virginia for Pat White."
King led Tulane to a perfect season and set a then-NCAA record for passing efficiency. He hit 67 percent of his passes (244 of 364) for 3,495 yards, 38 TD and six picks — with 156 runs for 633 yards and 11 TDs.
Rodriguez was Tulane's offensive coordinator, and he's shifted focus to the run aspect of the offense since taking over at West Virginia in 2001.
Matt Scott, a strong runner with an erratic arm, is an early favorite to be Arizona's quarterback next year. Facing that reality, Daax Garman and Tom Savage will be transferring to other schools.
Savage was a drop-back passer at Rutgers before transferring to Arizona, with a style similar to Sudfeld, but Rodriguez had said Savage could also be successful in the new offense.
Scott's the lone scholarship quarterback on the Arizona roster. Sudfeld is one of two prep quarterbacks with a verbal commitment to Arizona — nothing binds either side until a letter of intent is signed — and Rodriguez has said he'll honor both deals if the quarterbacks come to Arizona.
Sudfeld can be successful in a spread, Rodriguez believes, even though he lacks the explosive running ability of his predecessors at the position. A dropback thrower, Sudfeld completed 54 percent for 2,390 yards, 29 TDs and nine picks.
MC called only a handful of runs for Sudfeld: Most of his 31 carries were scrambles or sacks, but a 38-yard TD run in the playoffs was noteworthy.
Sudfeld's senior year was a turnaround from a year earlier, when he struggled with injuries. He impressed recruiters during the summer workout season, and that led to the Arizona's scholarship offer.
"One of the things I'm happy about is that I have a good senior year of film," said Sudfeld, who threw five picks in losses to Escalon and Central Catholic the last two weeks. "I can show people I'm not just a workout guy. It's important I show I can do it in a game."
Rodriguez spent part of his visit watching Sudfeld throw in a 58-50 loss to Downey: He was 21 of 28 for 340 yards and six TDs, with a pick. He went for 356 yards and four TDs and a pick in a loss to Ripon. Those films drew Arkansas and USC recruiters in the days before Rodriguez's visit, then Harvard and Iowa were on campus later in the week.
Sudfeld said one of the best pieces of advice he has heard on the recruiting trail is this: "Find out how you're going to fit in," Sudfeld said. "How you fit into the scheme as the quarterback, how you fit as a player with the coaching staff and how you fit in a school."
If Sudfeld doesn't enroll early — he's eligible to graduate at the end of this fall semester — he said he'll likely wait for letter of intent day in February to make a college choice.
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