Robert Golden is only a freshman but does not lack aggressiveness or confidence. He has a tattoo that says, "ONLY GOD CAN STOP ME."

GREG BRYAN / arizona daily star

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Freshman cornerback Robert Golden wanted to wear jersey No. 21 at Arizona because that is what he wore in high school and, well, because that is the number prominently tattooed on his right bicep.

Alas, UA safety Corey Hall has worn No. 21 for three seasons, and you know what that means: A freshman takes what is left.

Thus decked by seniority and put into place, Golden quietly accepted jersey No. 1. He did not make any noise until he stepped on the field.

After three days of drills at Tucson High School, Golden's performance has spoken in three economical words: HE CAN PLAY.

Intimidated?

"Oh, no, not at all," he said.

During Wednesday's (ahem) no-contact workout, Golden four times made wrap-up tackles. One of them, after stopping sophomore tailback Nic Grigsby, ignited a mini-skirmish that concluded when receiver David Roberts plowed into Golden from the blind side.

It was amazing. The Wildcats were ganging up on the third-day freshman, and it did not stop him.

The not-yet-old-enough-to-vote cornerback from Fresno, Calif., kept coming. Each time he successfully stopped a pass to a veteran receiver — yielding no ground, being physical and barking back when older receivers got in his face — Golden made an impression.

"I'm going to be real physical out there all the time," he said. "I knew I was going to come in and work hard and that it was just a matter of time until the coaches saw what I could do."

That matter of time has become a matter of fact.

More than 80 Wildcats were in uniform Wednesday morning. No. 1 was the man who made the impact plays — including an interception on a Willie Tuitama pass — and drew most of the attention.

It took me back to August 1991 when freshman lineman Tedy Bruschi went through his first contact practice at Camp Cochise.

"He was as good as anybody we had on the field today," former UA coach Dick Tomey said then. "On film last year, he played harder than anybody we saw. You just wondered if he could do that when he got to this level — and he can."

This is not to suggest that Robert Golden, who will not turn 18 until mid-September, is destined to have a Bruschi-esque career or will even prevail in a battle for a starting job against senior Marquis Hundley.

But UA coach Mike Stoops did not back away from a suggestion that Golden compares favorably to 2004 UA freshman cornerback Antoine Cason, who became a consensus All-American and winner of the Jim Thorpe Award.

"Robert may be further along," Stoops said. "I don't know what his top end is as a player, but Robert is probably physically stronger and bigger. They have a lot of similar characteristics."

Now we know why Golden created such a tempest and so much worry during the recruiting process. His confidence and his aggressive nature — one of his tattoos says ONLY GOD CAN STOP ME — prompted a chaotic recruiting chase in which he committed and decommitted to Arizona, visited ASU, Oregon, Fresno State and Oregon State and in fact told Oregon State coaches that he would play for the Beavers.

Ultimately, he revisited his decision to play for Stoops and you can see why: He likes the idea of replacing Cason and is not daunted by the challenge. He is an in-your-face player.

Continuing his comparison, Golden vs. Cason, Stoops said they have a similar "willingness to compete, to prepare, to learn virtually every time they step on the field. They're very focused on technique and are very coachable players

"And that's another sign of great players: being able to coach them and the player being able to comprehend what you're telling him."

Golden arrived in Tucson on June 11. He began daily workouts, passing drills and strength training, with those who had been on campus, playing Pac-10 football, for years. He absorbed the energy and added to it. He might not be old enough to vote, but he thinks he is good enough to force his way into the starting lineup by Aug. 30 against Idaho.

This is a plus situation for the defense-challenged Wildcats.

Stoops believes Golden is a lot like those difference-making players recruited to USC; if you are good, it does not matter where you are from or how old you are. You play. Day One. Day Two. Every day.

Golden has the look of an everyday player.

"I have a real big heart," he said. And, after a mere three days, a reputation to match.