This time it’s personnel
Sophomore Khalil Tate looks the like the No. 2 guy by a decent margin. Tate didn’t perform as consistently as Dawkins on Saturday but had some flashes. It’d be interesting to see what Tate could do if given an extended look with the first-team offense, and there’s still time for him to make up ground. I don’t see him falling behind any of the freshmen. Donavan Tate threw the ball erratically, including some errant passes that seemed to frustrate him a bit. He might’ve been fatigued at the end of a long, hard week. He’s also shaking off the rust from a lengthy absence from football. K’Hari Lane might have the most pure arm talent of any of the QBs. The ball just flies when he throws it. But in 11-on-11 drills, he seemed to have some trouble recognizing where to go with the ball – not surprising for someone who basically just got here. Finally, Rhett Rodriguez had some nice runs and throws but needs to get bigger and stronger to compete at the Division I level.
Defensive depth
Maybe the most striking thing about watching Arizona practice is how many viable defenders the Wildcats have at most positons. I’m not saying all these guys are good now, but a lot of them look like they could be in the near future. Dereck Boles is going to be part of the defensive-line rotation, maybe a big part. Tony Fields II and Gavin Robertson Jr. are athletic “Will” linebackers who undoubtedly will make mistakes but should make plenty of plays too. Freshman Colin Schooler already is challenging Brandon Rutt and Jacob Colacion at “Mike” ’backer. Fellow freshman Scottie Young Jr., who had two pass breakups during team drills, will push for immediate playing time at safety, where all of the newcomers look like keepers. There’s no
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: Arizona will get its tight ends more involved in the offense. You’re probably laughing right now. Or shaking your head. Or both. Call me naïve, but I think it’s going to happen. In the spring scrimmages that were open to the media, and again last night, Trevor Wood got a ton of targets. As Rodriguez said afterward, Wood is playing the best ball of his career. He’s fully healthy and has NFL-plus size at 6-6, 265. With the receiver position in a state of transition, it’d be foolish for the Wildcats to ignore a weapon as potentially potent as Wood. He presents a big target over the middle and is extremely difficult for smaller defensive backs to tackle. Given Rodriguez’s track record, you have every right to be skeptical. But as he noted Saturday, Arizona is playing more “11 personnel” (one back, one tight end, three receivers) than ever – and the quarterbacks are looking Wood’s way.
A few notes on other players. … Both of Arizona’s freshman tailbacks, Nathan Tilford and Gary Brightwell, can catch the ball out of the backfield and look natural doing it. The Wildcats are in great shape at that position. … Freshman Brian Casteel, who has an Anquan Boldin-type frame, looks like a natural receiver as well. … I’m not sure if redshirt freshman Michael Eletise will start at left guard, but I’m pretty confident he’ll be among the top eight offensive linemen. When center Nathan Eldridge got a breather, Christian Boettcher slid over to that spot and Eletise ran with the ones. … Sophomore Lee Anderson III lined up with the first team at defensive end (or maybe “Stud” … it’s hard to tell the difference), and cornerback Lorenzo Burns played with the first unit with Tristan Cooper out. … Freshman Lucas Havrisik has a stronger leg than incumbent kicker Josh Pollack, but Havrisik currently lacks consistency.