The four NFL clubs expected to scout the Arizona-UCLA game Saturday will have one more player to keep an eye on. And a close eye, at that: Wildcats linebacker Scooby Wright will return from knee surgery against the Bruins.
"You will see No. 33 on the field tonight," Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said in an interview on ESPN's College GameDay.
Wright, the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2014, hasn't played since the first game of the season due to a meniscus tear. He has practiced this week, but until Saturday morning, he was listed as questionable to play against the Bruins. Scouts from the Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots are credentialed to attend the game.
Wright made 163 tackles last year, with 29 tackles for loss and 14 sacks in winning the Bednarik, Lombardi and Nagurski Awards. He has just one tackle this year for the 3-0 Wildcats. NFL Media analyst Lance Zierlein rated Wright the No. 3 linebacker in college football prior to the season.
As a junior, Wright could apply for early entry into the 2016 NFL Draft.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter *@ChaseGoodbread*.