Personnel questions remain before opener
The Arizona Wildcats are expected to release their Week 1 depth chart Monday, at which point some personnel questions will be answered. But not all of them. The depth chart is sure to be filled with “AND” and “OR” designations, which can be frustrating for fans and media members. But it also reflects the reality at most college football programs: There are very few sure things in this sport at this level.
UA coach Rich Rodriguez doesn’t even like to use the words “depth” and “chart” in the same sentence; he prefers “position chart.”
But unless you’re Jim Harbaugh, for whom the rules don’t seem to apply, every team releases a two-deep during game weeks. We’ll get a pretty good idea of how the Wildcats will line up against Northern Arizona soon enough.
In the meantime, here are three unanswered personnel-related questions entering NAU week:
1. Who will be the No. 3 quarterback?
Although Rodriguez hasn’t officially said who the No. 1 quarterback will be, it’s pretty safe to assume that redshirt junior Brandon Dawkins will start the opener, with sophomore Khalil Tate as his backup. If the NAU game goes as expected, Tate should play at some point.
The situation is less clear behind them. Rhett Rodriguez and Donavan Tate, a pair of freshmen with disparate backgrounds, are vying for that spot. Ideally, neither will have to play this season. But stuff happens in football, especially at Arizona, as the Wildcats learned the hard way last season.
2. Who will complete the offensive line?
Two spots were up for grabs when the Wildcats opened training camp: right tackle and left guard. Based on the lineups used in Arizona’s past two open practices, it appears that senior Gerhard de Beer and redshirt junior Christian Boettcher will open at those positions.
De Beer returning to the first unit would complete a commendable comeback. De Beer started eight of the first nine games last season before suffering a knee injury that knocked him out for the final three. He also missed all of spring practice.
3. Who will provide a pass rush from the edge?
Entering the “Beanie Bowl” this past Friday, the leading candidates to start at defensive end and “Stud” were Justin Belknap and Lee Anderson III. But neither participated in the dress rehearsal, casting some doubt over their availability for Week 1.