The highlight of Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez's offseason came when he dressed up as an old West sheriff for a team promotional video. Everything else Rodriguez has had to deal with ahead of his second season leading the Wildcats has been decidedly less fun, including the dismissal of safety Patrick Onwuasor on Tuesday via a 16-word statement.
Onwuasor was arrested and arraigned Monday on four felony charges, including possession of narcotics and marijuana with intent to sell and a weapons charge, the Arizona Daily Star reported.
A sophomore from Inglewood, Calif., Onwuasor played in 12 games last season and had 36 tackles, one pass breakup and one-half tackle for loss. Onwuasor was expected to challenge for a starting spot this fall.
Onwuasor's dismissal is just the latest off-field headline for Arizona, which went 8-5 in Rodriguez's first year and won a bowl game for the first time since 2008. Star running back Ka'Deem Carey was involved in two embarrassing incidents, while senior linebacker Jake Fischer and kicker Jake Smith joined the lawsuit against the NCAA and Electronic Arts over likeness rights in video games.
With those topics still fresh, expect Rodriguez to be thrilled to answer any football-related question he receives during Pac-12 media day on Friday.
Follow Dan Greenspan on Twitter @DanGreenspan.