Palo Verde High School standout Adam Hall and other recruits are expected to enroll next week and participate in a summer prep course.

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The Arizona Wildcats' silent summer ended two weeks ago when incoming freshman Ryan Milus asked to be released from his football letter of intent to pursue track and field.

The UA may end up trading one speedster for another.

Garic Wharton, a two-sport standout from Las Vegas, verbally committed to Wildcats coaches late Wednesday. He is expected to sign a letter of intent in February, and enroll next summer.

The Rivals.com recruiting service lists Wharton, a 5-foot-11-inch, 160-pound senior to be, as a three-star recruit.

Wharton chose Arizona over Nebraska, Utah, UNLV and Utah State in part because the place — and timing — felt right. His aunt, uncle and three cousins live in Tucson.

"The honest truth is that I probably could have waited until the middle of the football season and gotten two or three good offers," Wharton said. "But why wait? Why give another team a chance when I have a program that's here now, that I know I'm the guy for?"

Wharton was one of Valley High School's top offensive threats as a junior, catching 34 passes for 468 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed 12 times for 247 yards and three scores.

However, Wharton's biggest athletic accomplishments came in another sport — track and field. Wharton set the Nevada state record in the 100 meters last month with a time of 10.39 seconds. He also holds the 200 record (21.10).

Milus, a two-sport star at Hamilton High School in Chandler, verbally committed to the UA last fall with hopes of doing the same thing. But Milus tied the Arizona record in the 100 meters (10.33 seconds) and set the record in the 200 meters (21.13) as a senior, and apparently decided he wanted to run full time at another university.

Milus asked out of his national letter of intent late last month.

UA coach Mike Stoops has yet to grant the request. The coach could eventually give Milus a conditional release, limiting the schools he could transfer to, or hold him to his commitment and hope the cornerback changes his mind about playing football.

Bill Baker, the Wildcats' recruiting coordinator, is still hoping Milus will enroll.

"I wouldn't say it's over with," he said.

Wharton, 17, will also run track at the UA, he said, though finding a better fit on the football field was his priority.

"Wherever I go, I think I'm going to be a good player on the track, because it's an individual sport," he said.

Wharton is the third Las Vegas recruit to commit to the UA in the last two years. Tailback Keola Antolin and wide receiver Juron Criner both stood out as true freshmen in 2008, when the Wildcats won the Las Vegas Bowl.

• The bulk of Arizona's 2009 recruiting class, including Palo Verde grad Adam Hall, is expected to enroll next week in time for a summer prep course.

• The Wildcats' three junior college transfers— wide receiver Travis Cobb, linebacker C.J. Parish and defensive tackle Sione Tuihalamaka — are still finishing eligibility requirements and will enroll in mid-July.

• The UA last week hired Tanous Farhat to serve as the assistant director of football operations and recruiting. Farhat is no stranger to football: As a Salpointe Catholic quarterback, he was named to the Star's All-Southern Arizona team in 2002.

• Defensive end Kenny Barnes has quit the team but is expected to remain in school, a UA spokesman said. Barnes redshirted in 2008.

• Stoops appeared on ESPN's "College Football Live 50 States Tour" Thursday to talk about the Cats' upcoming season.

On StarNet: Check Ryan Finley's blog periodically throughout the summer for updates on the Arizona football team's off-season: go.azstarnet.com/finley