TUCSON, Ariz. -- It became clear this spring that senior Jesse Scroggins, a transfer from USC, is going to be Arizona's starting quarterback this fall.

Check that. Scroggins is still too inconsistent, see a bad interception in the spring game on Saturday. True Wildcats insiders know that coach Rich Rodriguez wants a guy who's smart and takes care of the football. That's clearly Texas transfer Connor Brewer, who makes up for a lack of arm strength with passing accuracy and good instincts.

Yawn. We've been talking to people who know people. It's impossible to ignore Jerrard Randall's upside. The LSU transfer has the biggest arm, despite a quirky throwing motion, and the quickness to run the spread-option.

OK, folks. We weren't going to say anything but we hate when misinformation gets out there on some message board. The real scuttlebutt concerns not merely an evaluation of the Wildcats' 15 spring practices but also a savvy projecting forward. The light has started to flicker for redshirt freshman Anu Solomon, and when it goes completely on, he's the guy who will be under center on Aug. 29 against UNLV.

It might feel like we are being flip with this, but this is fairly close to the reality in Tucson right now. Everybody has an opinion on Arizona's difficult-to-read four-man quarterback competition, and even folks who have watched many of the closed practices have different takes. One told the Pac-12 blog he likes Brewer. Another said Scroggins had pushed slightly ahead. Another suggested the best bet was a combination of Scroggins and Randall.

While it's a good bet that Rodriguez and his QB coach/co-offensive coordinator Rod Smith have developed some idea of a pecking order this spring, you also get the feeling that even their takes have some fluidity.

“I’m not being coy," Rodriguez said after the spring game, seeming just a bit coy. "But I wanna see what they do in August and throughout the whole summer.”

What makes this competition so intriguing is whoever ends up winning the job is probably going to end up putting up A-list numbers, perhaps even breaking into the All-Pac-12 conversation with established stars such as Oregon's Marcus Mariota, UCLA's Brett Hundley, Arizona State's Taylor Kelly and Oregon State's Sean Mannion.

Ridiculous? Not when you consider what Rodriguez and Smith have done with their past two first-year starters in Matt Scott and B.J. Denker, both of whom put up notable dual-threat numbers. And not when you consider the offensive supporting cast, particularly what might be the deepest crew of receivers in the country.

How deep? The Wildcats go at least eight-deep at the position, with their second four being comparable to many teams' starting four. How deep? One observer wondered whether Nate Phillips would fall into the top four. Phillips was only a freshman All-American last season, leading the team in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. How deep? It's likely a number of the receivers will see time at running back and even get looks in the secondary, an area where the Wildcats are far less capable.

"We have a good problem to have a wideout right now," Smith said. "We'd like to roll four out there, run them, run them, run them. And then roll four more out there and not miss a beat. That's kind of where they are at right now."

Not only are six of the top seven receivers back from last season, but the Wildcats also welcome the return of Austin Hill, who put up huge numbers and earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2012 before missing last season with a knee injury. Further, two transfers, DaVonte' Neal (Notre Dame) and Cayleb Jones (Texas) are big-time talents -- the Nos. 8- and 147-rated players in the nation in the 2012 recruiting class, according to ESPN.com -- who are likely to earn starting spots. Both scored impressive touchdowns in the spring game.

While the Wildcats are replacing All-American running back Ka'Deem Carey, and that competition also continues to be wide open, there doesn't seem to be nearly as much intrigue there. Arizona's veteran offensive line is almost certain to make at least one of the backs a 1,000-yard rusher, though it appears there will be a far more committee approach than with Carey.

In terms of analyzing the general tenor of spring practices, there are some hints at what the coaches are thinking at QB. Scroggins, Solomon and Brewer -- coming out in that order in the spring game -- each worked with the first-team offense, while Randall saw action with the 2s.

Scroggins, as a senior, had the most to lose this spring. Therefore, his generally encouraging performance -- far more focused and efficient than he was last year while not putting up much of a challenge to Denker -- means he probably made up the most ground.

"He's gotten better," Rodriguez said. "We were really concerned whether Jesse could execute what we want from a mental and physical standpoint. That's the bottom line for all the guys. We had doubts coming into the spring. He erased some of them. Not all of them. But because he's gotten more comfortable with our plays and what it requires to execute them he's put himself in the mix."

Both Smith and Rodriguez also said it won't count against Scroggins that he's the only senior, though his winning the job would mean a fourth consecutive season with a first-year starter in 2015.

Brewer, a redshirt sophomore, almost seems comparable to Denker, though he's not as capable a runner. He had the best numbers in the spring game, completing 8 of 12 passes for 71 yards and two TDs.

"Connor is a smart guy," Rodriguez said. "He's got a little bit of experience. He understands football. He's a competitive guy. But he's going to have -- I don't want to say be perfect -- but he has to execute because he's not going to be able to outrun or out-throw someone. But he does have some skills. He's helped himself this spring."

With Solomon, a redshirt freshman, there are undeniable flashes, but it's also clear Rodriguez and Smith are challenging his intensity, focus and dedication. They believe he coasted during his redshirt season, and both talk about him needing to reach "another level."

"Sometimes he fools us," Rodriguez said. "He knows more than we think he knows with the system, but he hasn't taken the next step."

Randall is the wild card. The other three QBs were in Tucson last fall. He's the only complete newbie to the offense. He's also pretty raw. But when he does something like, oh, casually flick the ball 70-plus yards, it's difficult to not raise an eyebrow.

"He's got an unbelievable arm, sometimes too strong," Rodriguez said. "He's got great quickness and can run. He's really done a good job. We've kind of forced-fed him. His head has probably been spinning in every practice. But the development he's made in 15 practices has been really good. Even though he's behind the other guys mentally, I think physically he makes up for it. He's going to be in the mix."

None of the quarterbacks were made available to the media after the spring game, and it's pretty clear the coaches and Arizona's sports information staff have done a thorough job of schooling players on not revealing a personal preference or hinting at a perceived pecking order. The furthest any would go was Hill admitting that he wished he knew the pecking order so he could prioritize whom he threw with over the summer.

So no clarity behind center. The Wildcats' deep and talented crew of receivers heads into the offseason, not unlike an orchestra awaiting a conductor.