Scooby Wright III, OLB, Arizona.
He’s the main reason Arizona upset high flying Oregon early this season, and he’ll be key if they’re going to do it again tomorrow. Said Fox Sports Joel Klatt:
“the personnel matchup that has led to Arizona’s success is Scooby Wright. He is the best defensive player in America. He leads the defense in the 3-3-5 scheme that adjusts well to the spread and they tackle well in space, which is why they have been able to limit Oregon enough to get the victory.”
If Zona gets a lot of “Scooby snacks,” by that I mean big time Scooby Wright plays: sacks, forced fumbles, scoop-and-scores, tackle-for-losses, interceptions etc. Wright will be a huge player in the 2016 NFL Draft too. He’s projected as a top ten, top 15 pick in that class.
The 6-foot-1, 246-pounder has taken college football by storm this year, and he plays with a huge chip on his shoulder, given how he was so lightly recruited. Scooby Wright was just a two star rated recruited. But he’s been a pass-rushing force for #BearDown with 12 sacks with 126 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss and five forced fumbles. Wright is an instinctive linebacker with a nose for the ball, and he’s been blowing up plays for Rich Rodriguez all season long.
“If Scooby Wright played for USC, Notre Dame, Michigan, Alabama, he’d be right there for the Heisman consideration with Marcus Mariota,” said Klatt.
“You look at his production versus Manti Te’o the year that he went to New York, it’s not even close. Scooby Wright blows it out of the water.”
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2