Arizona football: Breaking down each position group ahead of training camp
- Updated
The Arizona Wildcats begin training camp Thursday. To get you ready, we’ve examined each position.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Arizona Wildcats are set to begin training camp Thursday. To get you ready, we’ve examined each position.
QUARTERBACKS
Returning starter: RS JR Anu Solomon
Also returning: RS SO Brandon Dawkins
Newcomer(s): FR Khalil Tate
Burning question: Will Rich Rodriguez really go through with it and change quarterbacks, demoting a successful two-year starter in the process?
This much we know: Rodriguez is serious about at least exploring the possibility of changing quarterbacks.
It would be a bold move – the boldest of Rodriguez’s UA career besides the defensive staff changes made this offseason. It’s definitely not the safe play.
Starting Dawkins instead of Solomon is rife with risk. Why? Because one is a proven commodity and the other isn’t. You could argue that Arizona has a plethora of problems, and Solomon ain’t one of them.
But there has to be a method to Rodriguez’s apparent madness. Maybe he believes that Dawkins can become something Solomon isn’t – a true dual threat. Maybe Rodriguez feels that this season – with the defense in the midst of an overhaul that will take more than one season to complete – is the time to take a chance.
Although Rodriguez has the final say, it isn’t entirely up to him. Dawkins has to clearly show he’s the superior quarterback, and that won’t be easy. As of spring, Solomon had a sizable lead on his challenger in terms of experience and knowledge of the playbook. That matters as much, if not more, than how well you can throw or how fast you can run.
The secondary hope in all this is that the competition will motivate Solomon. Rodriguez insists he’s a fierce competitor. But Solomon, who isn’t an alpha dog by nature, doesn’t always show it, at least not in an overt way. If Solomon’s response is to step up and fight for his job, Arizona stands to benefit.
Circling back to the original question … I wouldn’t be surprised if Rodriguez made the move. I don’t necessarily expect it to happen, but Rodriguez has indicated – several times now – that it’s something he’s earnestly contemplating. It’s up to Solomon and Dawkins to state their cases.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
RUNNING BACKS
Returning starter: JR Nick Wilson
Also returning: SO Orlando Bradford, RS JR Zach Green, RS FR Branden Leon
Newcomer(s): FR J.J. Taylor
Burning question: To what extent will the UA embrace the tailback-by-committee approach this season?
In sort of the same way he views his quarterbacks, Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez believes he has two starting-caliber players at running back: Wilson and Bradford.
Unless RichRod is planning to make frequent use of an unconventional two-RB formation, they both can’t start. But both can play, and both absolutely should.
Whether they do – and whether the workload is divvied up as it should be – remains to be seen. I addressed that topic earlier this offseason, and it’s something I’ll monitor throughout the 2016 campaign.
Wilson, coming off an injury-shortened 2015 season, is determined to prove the injury-prone label he has acquired is a misnomer. But that shouldn’t come at the expense of common sense.
Barring injuries to others, Wilson’s workload shouldn’t be excessive. Even if healthy, it’s possible he won’t lead the Wildcats in carries. Bradford might be that good.
A reasonable rationing might look something like this: 50 percent for Wilson, 40 for Bradford and 10 for Taylor.
The freshman has become something of a forgotten man in the UA’s 2016 class with so much focus on QB Khalil Tate, OL Michael Eletise and the various defenders who could be tapped to play – or even start – as early as Week 1. Taylor shouldn’t be overlooked.
Taylor rushed for 2,149 yards and 41 touchdowns as a senior at Centennial High in Compton, California. At 5-foot-7, Taylor doesn’t look the part of a bell-cow back, although he could develop into one in time. For now, his quickness and pass-catching ability complement what the other two backs provide. It’s easy to envision Taylor carving out a meaningful role this year.
I fully expect the UA staff to deploy multiple running backs this season – out of choice, not necessity. The Wildcats have at least two highly capable backs, maybe three. The coaches will recognize that and take advantage of it. Or at least they should.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
Returning starters: SR Samajie Grant (WR), SR Nate Phillips (WR)
Also returning: RS FR Brion Anduze (TE), SO Shun Brown (WR), JR Cam Denson (WR), RS SO Tony Ellison (WR), RS SR Trey Griffey (WR), RS FR Darick Holmes Jr. (WR), JR Tyrell Johnson (WR), RS SR Josh Kern (TE), RS SR Matt Morin (TE), RS FR Cedric Peterson (WR), RS SO Trevor Wood (TE)
Newcomers: RS JR Zach Benjamin (WR), FR Devaughn Cooper (WR), FR Jamie Nunley (TE), JR Shawn Poindexter (WR)
Burning question: Will Trey Griffey make headlines for football-related reasons this fall?
If you Google “Trey Griffey,” the first item that pops up is his Arizona football bio. Eight of the next nine are about the Seattle Mariners selecting Ken Griffey Jr.’s son in the 24th round of the 2016 MLB draft.
The move was 95 percent publicity stunt/homage to Junior, who wore No. 24 for the Mariners and entered the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer. The Mariners are expected to sign the younger Griffey to a no-compensation contract that won’t affect his football eligibility but will enable them to retain his rights should he decide to give baseball a try. (That’s the other 5 percent.)
The Mariners’ move had the intended effect, becoming a thing on the internet for a few days in June. The hope on the UA campus is that Trey Griffey will change the search results by fulfilling his potential and having a breakout senior season on the gridiron.
Griffey has shown flashes of stardom during his Arizona career, especially at the end of last year. Griffey missed the first half of the season because of a foot injury. In the final two games, he caught four passes for 202 yards, including an extraordinary 95-yard touchdown against Arizona State. Griffey caught the ball at the 15-yard line, weaved through the Sun Devils defense and dove headlong over the left pylon.
With the departures of Cayleb Jones, Johnny Jackson and David Richards, Griffey should play a significantly larger role in Arizona’s offense. As noted previously, Griffey is the only returning “big” receiver on the UA roster.
Grant and Phillips are back to do the dirty work out of the slot, and converted cornerback Denson is among several other intriguing options at what might be the Wildcats’ deepest position. But Griffey is the only receiver with plus size (6-3, 209) who has displayed big-play ability on the Division 1 level.
Griffey also has shown he can track the ball like this dad. Griffey had the highest catch rate (78.6 percent) among UA receivers last season, according to Bill Connelly of SB Nation. Fourteen targets obviously represents a small sample size. But consider this: Griffey averaged 20.3 yards per target – more than double the next-closest Wildcat (Jones, 9.8).
Griffey has the talent – and the opportunity – to become a No. 1 receiver. If he does it, he could get drafted again next spring – by the NFL.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Returning starters: RS JR Jacob Alsadek, JR Layth Friekh, RS SR Freddie Tagaloa
Also returning: RS SO Christian Boettcher, RS FR Cody Creason, RS JR Gerhard de Beer, RS FR Nathan Eldridge, RS SR Zach Hemmila, RS FR Alex Kosinski, RS SO Levi Walton
Newcomers: FR Bryson Cain, FR Michael Eletise, FR Harper Sherman, FR Keenan Walker
Burning question: Will Freddie Tagaloa produce a body of work worthy of his massive, sculpted body?
Every summer, ace college football reporter Bruce Feldman compiles a list of the sport’s biggest athletic “freaks.”
Tagaloa made this year’s ranking. He is one of only two offensive linemen to appear on it. Here’s what Feldman wrote about Tagaloa, who's tied for 20th on the list:
Tagaloa, the huge Cal transfer, has great length at 6-8, 320, but also set records at Arizona for his 475-pound bench and doing 38 reps at 225 pounds. ‘He's a bad man,’ said Arizona great Scooby Wright. ‘He also has that first-one-in/last-one-out mentality.”
That’s all well and good. Except there’s one slight problem: Tagaloa might not even start.
That isn’t necessarily a reflection of Arizona’s depth and talent along the offensive line, although I think the line absolutely will be a position of strength. Rather, it’s about Tagaloa’s inability to stay healthy and translate his physical gifts into productive play.
UA coach Rich Rodriguez said during Pac-12 Media Days that Tagaloa is healthy after missing the end of last season and all of spring drills because of a knee injury. While describing Tagaloa as “the first guy off the bus,” Rodriguez was quick to note that despite his health, experience and reputation, Tagaloa has to earn a starting spot. Nothing will be handed to him aside from that ultimatum.
Coming out of spring, three spots seemed to be set: Friekh at left tackle, Alsadek at right guard and de Beer at right tackle. Hemmila had the lead at center but also has several potential challengers, including freshman Eletise, who will get some looks at that position per Rodriguez.
That leaves Tagaloa, Boettcher and others to battle it out at left guard. That isn’t what anyone had in mind when Tagaloa transferred, with much fanfare, from Cal. But that’s where things stand entering fall camp after Friekh (pronounced “freck”) supplanted the freak at left tackle about halfway through last season.
As I’ve written before, Arizona’s offensive line could go from good to great if Tagaloa stays healthy and figures it all out. However, that’s an aptly gargantuan“if” as of now.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Returning starters: RS JR Luca Bruno, SR Sani Fuimaono
Also returning: RS JR Calvin Allen, RS JR Jack Banda, RS FR Justin Belknap, SO Darrell Cloy Jr., RS FR Finton Connolly, RS SR Aiulua Fanene, RS SO Marcus Griffin, RS JR Parker Zellers
Newcomer(s): FR Justin Holt
Burning question: Does Arizona’s defensive line have enough heft to hold up against the powerful offenses on the Wildcats’ schedule?
Fuimaono looked fantastic, as if he’d used his time in L.A. to go on one of those movie-star crash diets. If featured in an ad for one, he would have been the “after” shot.
The 6-foot-1 senior defensive linemen checked in at Pac-12 Media Days at a fit, trim 267 pounds – nearly 50 less than his playing weight last season. He altered his diet and said he felt as good as he appeared. His joints no longer ached. Fuimaono was ready to make plays.
Which he very well might as part of a reconfigured defensive line – which is part of a rejiggered Arizona defense. We don’t yet know exactly what it will look like. But it won’t be overwhelmingly big.
Among the three projected starters, only Bruno is listed at 300-plus pounds (305, per the latest UA roster). Nose tackle Zellers checks in at 247 – an astonishing figure in 2016.
Only three UA D-linemen tip the scales at 300 or more pounds: Bruno (who’s coming off a foot injury), Fanene and Griffin. The latter two have played sparingly during their UA careers. Griffin is a breakout candidate this year but has much to prove.
It isn’t as if the other defensive linemen are Lilliputians. Connolly is listed at 6-5, 280; Allen at 6-6, 281.
It also isn’t absolutely imperative for D-linemen to be freakishly large. Reggie Gilbert, Arizona’s most productive lineman last season, played at about 262 pounds. Size isn’t everything.
But it is something. It does matter to some degree – especially when you’re facing the big, physical teams that occupy much of Arizona’s early schedule.
Much like Arizona’s defense, we don’t know precisely what opening opponent BYU’s offense will look like under a new coaching staff. We do know that the average weight of their projected starting offensive line is 316.4 pounds. The lightest lineman in that group is 6-8, 295-pound redshirt sophomore Austin Hoyt.
Arizona opens Pac-12 play against Washington, UCLA, Utah, USC and Stanford. Each averaged at least 163.8 rushing yards per game in 2015.
There are ways to overcome a lack of size. Technique. Effort. Heart. New position coach Vince Amey will have to coax all that and more out of Arizona’s undersized, undermanned defensive line to avoid a repeat of last season’s struggles.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
LINEBACKERS
Returning starters: RS SR Paul Magloire Jr., RS JR DeAndre’ Miller
Also returning: RS SO Jamardre Cobb, RS SR Cody Ippolito, RS JR John Kenny, SR Jake Matthews, RS FR Carrington Vaughn, RS SO Marquis Ware
Newcomers: RS SR Michael Barton, FR Jalen Cochran, FR Jacob Colacion, FR Francisco Nelson, FR Kahi Neves
Burning question: Can DeAndre’ Miller provide the pass-rushing threat the Wildcats desperately need?
Somebody has to do it, right?
Miller certainly looked the part in spring, at least during the limited time we were allowed to watch practice. (Don’t get me started on that subject.) He had eight tackles for losses last season – second most on the team – including a pair of sacks.
It appears – again based on that small spring sample size – that the new defensive staff is putting Miller in position to take advantage of his athletic gifts. During the UA’s open spring scrimmage, he regularly attacked the backfield.
Arizona has to get those disruptive plays from somewhere because this defense, as currently constituted, does not seem like the type that will line up and stymie people.
One of the many things Scooby Wright III provided was tackles in the backfield. He had 3.5 stops for losses, including two sacks, in three games last season. During his award-winning sophomore season, he racked up an astounding 29 TFLs, including 14 sacks.
Wright’s frequent absence because of injuries last season was perhaps the primary reason Arizona fell from fifth in the Pac-12 in sacks (38) to tied for 10th (27). In case anyone forgot, he’s no longer around.
No one expects Miller or any one Wildcat to produce Wright-like numbers. But if Miller and one or two of his teammates could combine for 30 TFLs and 15 sacks, that’d make a significant difference.
We learned last week that junior-college signee Josh Allen won’t be eligible for that duty. That leaves a handful of other possibilities. They include a trio of seniors who are expected to play most of the meaningful linebacker snaps alongside Miller: Barton, Ippolito and Magloire.
All have at least flashed the ability to make plays. Barton compiled 15.5 TFLs at Cal in 2013 and ’14. Ippolito had 6.5 TFLs in ’14 before missing last season because of a knee injury. Magloire had four among his 72 tackles last year.
How new defensive coordinator Marcel Yates will deploy them remains to be seen. We also saw safeties near the line of scrimmage in spring. I would expect Yates to try to manufacture pressure any way he can.
No one fits the bill better than Miller, who’s quick enough and long enough (6-3, 236) to get around the edge. Now all he has to do is prove he’s durable enough and tough enough to do it consistently over 12-plus games.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Returning starters: RS SR DaVonte’ Neal (CB), RS SR Tellas Jones (S)
Also returning: RS JR Dane Cruickshank (CB), SO Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (S), SR Devin Holiday (CB), RS FR Anthony Mariscal (S), JR Kwesi Mashack (S), RS JR Jarvis McCall Jr. (S), SO Sammy Morrison (CB), SO Jace Whittaker (CB)
Newcomers: FR Lorenzo Burns (CB), FR Tristan Cooper (S), FR Isaiah Hayes (S), FR Antonio Parks (CB), FR Gavin Robertson (S), FR Jarrius Wallace (S), FR Chacho Ulloa (S)
Burning question: Who will step up to fill the leadership and playmaking voids left by the departure of Will Parks?
This is just as big a challenge as replacing Scooby Wright – maybe even more so because, unlike Wright, Parks played the entire season last year.
He didn’t spend that time idly. Parks led Arizona in tackles (76), pass breakups (seven) and forced fumbles (two). He tied for third in tackles for losses (seven).
Parks’ production, stellar workouts and impressive interviews helped make him the highest-drafted Wildcat; Parks went to the Denver Broncos in the sixth round.
The most logical candidate to fill the playmaking void is Jones, who matched Parks with seven TFLs – including three sacks – in two fewer games. Jones had 55 total tackles, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.
The leadership part is less certain. Jones was suspended for the opener last year because of a violation of team rules. He then sat out all of spring practice after a traffic stop on Super Bowl Sunday.
Jones eventually pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges: speeding and possession of marijuana. UA coach Rich Rodriguez said during Pac-12 Media Days that Jones has been reinstated. The hope is that he has learned his lesson and will stay on the straight and narrow throughout his senior season.
If not, Arizona has several other intriguing options. None, however, has as much experience as Jones.
The promising young players including Flannigan-Fowles and Mariscal, a pair of second-year guys who could end up starting. (I’m operating under the assumption that Arizona will continue to use five defensive backs the majority of the time, regardless of what the rest of the defense looks like.)
Flannigan-Fowles surprised as a freshman, earning playing time on defense and special teams. He finished with 28 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. He has excellent size at 6-2, 199.
After redshirting as a freshman, Mariscal earned praise for his work ethic and dedication during spring. Regardless of whether he starts, Mariscal should have a meaty role.
Arizona moved Mashack and McCall from cornerback to safety during spring and is adding five freshmen at what we presume to be three safety spots. As many as four 2017 commits could play safety as well.
Clearly the position is important in new defensive coordinator Marcel Yates’ scheme. At Boise State, Yates helped develop Darian Thompson, whom the New York Giants selected in the third round of the 2016 draft. Thompson had a monster senior season for Boise, including 65 tackles, 8.5 TFLs and five interceptions.
Yates has quantity at his disposal at Arizona. Whether he has that type of quality remains to be seen.
- Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
SPECIAL TEAMS
Returning starters: N/A
Also returning: RS FR Matt Aragon (P), RS SO Jake Glatting (P), RS SO Josh Pollack (K/P)
Newcomer(s): JR Edgar Gastelum (K/P)
Burning question: Can Josh Pollack handle the kicking and punting duties if necessary?
He certainly can. And he very well might. It’s just a sub-optimal situation if it comes to that.
There’s a reason few FBS teams, if any, use one specialist for the three primary kicking roles: placements, punting and kicking off. Multiple reasons, actually.
The biggest deterrent is wear and tear. Specialists don’t take hits like other players. But to maximize distance and accuracy, you want their legs to be as fresh as possible. Performing triple duty works against that premise.
The second-biggest factor is that each kicking discipline has its own set of mechanics. So having to adjust to all three makes it that much more difficult to master one.
Unfortunately, Pollack was deemed Arizona’s best kicker and punter at the end of spring. That's a positive development for him – but not necessarily what’s best for the team.
It’s possible Aragon or Glatting will claim the punting job in training camp, freeing Pollack to focus on placements and/or kickoffs. The Wildcats also will add junior-college transfer Gastelum to the mix. He was not listed on the roster on the UA’s official athletic website as of this morning, but I'm told he will be reporting for camp today and could, at the very least, handle kickoffs. That would help.
Rich Rodriguez isn’t seeking superstar specialists (although that would be nice). He’s just looking for reliability. He doesn’t want to have to worry about the kicking game, because he has plenty of other stuff to worry about.
(Examples: The quarterback situation … the entire defense … how to deflect my injury questions after practice.)
Drew Riggleman and Casey Skowron afforded Rodriguez that luxury last season. They did their jobs consistently well – so well, in fact, that special teams became one of the Wildcats’ strengths.
That should be the case again this year – if RichRod and special-teams coach Charlie Ragle can figure out the kicking situation. Top returners Nate Phillips and Tyrell Johnson are back. Rodriguez also believes Arizona will have more athletes to cover kicks, if for no other reason than improved team-wide health.
The Arizona Wildcats are set to begin training camp Thursday. To get you ready, we’ve examined each position.
QUARTERBACKS
Returning starter: RS JR Anu Solomon
Also returning: RS SO Brandon Dawkins
Newcomer(s): FR Khalil Tate
Burning question: Will Rich Rodriguez really go through with it and change quarterbacks, demoting a successful two-year starter in the process?
This much we know: Rodriguez is serious about at least exploring the possibility of changing quarterbacks.
It would be a bold move – the boldest of Rodriguez’s UA career besides the defensive staff changes made this offseason. It’s definitely not the safe play.
Starting Dawkins instead of Solomon is rife with risk. Why? Because one is a proven commodity and the other isn’t. You could argue that Arizona has a plethora of problems, and Solomon ain’t one of them.
But there has to be a method to Rodriguez’s apparent madness. Maybe he believes that Dawkins can become something Solomon isn’t – a true dual threat. Maybe Rodriguez feels that this season – with the defense in the midst of an overhaul that will take more than one season to complete – is the time to take a chance.
Although Rodriguez has the final say, it isn’t entirely up to him. Dawkins has to clearly show he’s the superior quarterback, and that won’t be easy. As of spring, Solomon had a sizable lead on his challenger in terms of experience and knowledge of the playbook. That matters as much, if not more, than how well you can throw or how fast you can run.
The secondary hope in all this is that the competition will motivate Solomon. Rodriguez insists he’s a fierce competitor. But Solomon, who isn’t an alpha dog by nature, doesn’t always show it, at least not in an overt way. If Solomon’s response is to step up and fight for his job, Arizona stands to benefit.
Circling back to the original question … I wouldn’t be surprised if Rodriguez made the move. I don’t necessarily expect it to happen, but Rodriguez has indicated – several times now – that it’s something he’s earnestly contemplating. It’s up to Solomon and Dawkins to state their cases.
RUNNING BACKS
Returning starter: JR Nick Wilson
Also returning: SO Orlando Bradford, RS JR Zach Green, RS FR Branden Leon
Newcomer(s): FR J.J. Taylor
Burning question: To what extent will the UA embrace the tailback-by-committee approach this season?
In sort of the same way he views his quarterbacks, Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez believes he has two starting-caliber players at running back: Wilson and Bradford.
Unless RichRod is planning to make frequent use of an unconventional two-RB formation, they both can’t start. But both can play, and both absolutely should.
Whether they do – and whether the workload is divvied up as it should be – remains to be seen. I addressed that topic earlier this offseason, and it’s something I’ll monitor throughout the 2016 campaign.
Wilson, coming off an injury-shortened 2015 season, is determined to prove the injury-prone label he has acquired is a misnomer. But that shouldn’t come at the expense of common sense.
Barring injuries to others, Wilson’s workload shouldn’t be excessive. Even if healthy, it’s possible he won’t lead the Wildcats in carries. Bradford might be that good.
A reasonable rationing might look something like this: 50 percent for Wilson, 40 for Bradford and 10 for Taylor.
The freshman has become something of a forgotten man in the UA’s 2016 class with so much focus on QB Khalil Tate, OL Michael Eletise and the various defenders who could be tapped to play – or even start – as early as Week 1. Taylor shouldn’t be overlooked.
Taylor rushed for 2,149 yards and 41 touchdowns as a senior at Centennial High in Compton, California. At 5-foot-7, Taylor doesn’t look the part of a bell-cow back, although he could develop into one in time. For now, his quickness and pass-catching ability complement what the other two backs provide. It’s easy to envision Taylor carving out a meaningful role this year.
I fully expect the UA staff to deploy multiple running backs this season – out of choice, not necessity. The Wildcats have at least two highly capable backs, maybe three. The coaches will recognize that and take advantage of it. Or at least they should.
RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
Returning starters: SR Samajie Grant (WR), SR Nate Phillips (WR)
Also returning: RS FR Brion Anduze (TE), SO Shun Brown (WR), JR Cam Denson (WR), RS SO Tony Ellison (WR), RS SR Trey Griffey (WR), RS FR Darick Holmes Jr. (WR), JR Tyrell Johnson (WR), RS SR Josh Kern (TE), RS SR Matt Morin (TE), RS FR Cedric Peterson (WR), RS SO Trevor Wood (TE)
Newcomers: RS JR Zach Benjamin (WR), FR Devaughn Cooper (WR), FR Jamie Nunley (TE), JR Shawn Poindexter (WR)
Burning question: Will Trey Griffey make headlines for football-related reasons this fall?
If you Google “Trey Griffey,” the first item that pops up is his Arizona football bio. Eight of the next nine are about the Seattle Mariners selecting Ken Griffey Jr.’s son in the 24th round of the 2016 MLB draft.
The move was 95 percent publicity stunt/homage to Junior, who wore No. 24 for the Mariners and entered the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer. The Mariners are expected to sign the younger Griffey to a no-compensation contract that won’t affect his football eligibility but will enable them to retain his rights should he decide to give baseball a try. (That’s the other 5 percent.)
The Mariners’ move had the intended effect, becoming a thing on the internet for a few days in June. The hope on the UA campus is that Trey Griffey will change the search results by fulfilling his potential and having a breakout senior season on the gridiron.
Griffey has shown flashes of stardom during his Arizona career, especially at the end of last year. Griffey missed the first half of the season because of a foot injury. In the final two games, he caught four passes for 202 yards, including an extraordinary 95-yard touchdown against Arizona State. Griffey caught the ball at the 15-yard line, weaved through the Sun Devils defense and dove headlong over the left pylon.
With the departures of Cayleb Jones, Johnny Jackson and David Richards, Griffey should play a significantly larger role in Arizona’s offense. As noted previously, Griffey is the only returning “big” receiver on the UA roster.
Grant and Phillips are back to do the dirty work out of the slot, and converted cornerback Denson is among several other intriguing options at what might be the Wildcats’ deepest position. But Griffey is the only receiver with plus size (6-3, 209) who has displayed big-play ability on the Division 1 level.
Griffey also has shown he can track the ball like this dad. Griffey had the highest catch rate (78.6 percent) among UA receivers last season, according to Bill Connelly of SB Nation. Fourteen targets obviously represents a small sample size. But consider this: Griffey averaged 20.3 yards per target – more than double the next-closest Wildcat (Jones, 9.8).
Griffey has the talent – and the opportunity – to become a No. 1 receiver. If he does it, he could get drafted again next spring – by the NFL.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Returning starters: RS JR Jacob Alsadek, JR Layth Friekh, RS SR Freddie Tagaloa
Also returning: RS SO Christian Boettcher, RS FR Cody Creason, RS JR Gerhard de Beer, RS FR Nathan Eldridge, RS SR Zach Hemmila, RS FR Alex Kosinski, RS SO Levi Walton
Newcomers: FR Bryson Cain, FR Michael Eletise, FR Harper Sherman, FR Keenan Walker
Burning question: Will Freddie Tagaloa produce a body of work worthy of his massive, sculpted body?
Every summer, ace college football reporter Bruce Feldman compiles a list of the sport’s biggest athletic “freaks.”
Tagaloa made this year’s ranking. He is one of only two offensive linemen to appear on it. Here’s what Feldman wrote about Tagaloa, who's tied for 20th on the list:
Tagaloa, the huge Cal transfer, has great length at 6-8, 320, but also set records at Arizona for his 475-pound bench and doing 38 reps at 225 pounds. ‘He's a bad man,’ said Arizona great Scooby Wright. ‘He also has that first-one-in/last-one-out mentality.”
That’s all well and good. Except there’s one slight problem: Tagaloa might not even start.
That isn’t necessarily a reflection of Arizona’s depth and talent along the offensive line, although I think the line absolutely will be a position of strength. Rather, it’s about Tagaloa’s inability to stay healthy and translate his physical gifts into productive play.
UA coach Rich Rodriguez said during Pac-12 Media Days that Tagaloa is healthy after missing the end of last season and all of spring drills because of a knee injury. While describing Tagaloa as “the first guy off the bus,” Rodriguez was quick to note that despite his health, experience and reputation, Tagaloa has to earn a starting spot. Nothing will be handed to him aside from that ultimatum.
Coming out of spring, three spots seemed to be set: Friekh at left tackle, Alsadek at right guard and de Beer at right tackle. Hemmila had the lead at center but also has several potential challengers, including freshman Eletise, who will get some looks at that position per Rodriguez.
That leaves Tagaloa, Boettcher and others to battle it out at left guard. That isn’t what anyone had in mind when Tagaloa transferred, with much fanfare, from Cal. But that’s where things stand entering fall camp after Friekh (pronounced “freck”) supplanted the freak at left tackle about halfway through last season.
As I’ve written before, Arizona’s offensive line could go from good to great if Tagaloa stays healthy and figures it all out. However, that’s an aptly gargantuan“if” as of now.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Returning starters: RS JR Luca Bruno, SR Sani Fuimaono
Also returning: RS JR Calvin Allen, RS JR Jack Banda, RS FR Justin Belknap, SO Darrell Cloy Jr., RS FR Finton Connolly, RS SR Aiulua Fanene, RS SO Marcus Griffin, RS JR Parker Zellers
Newcomer(s): FR Justin Holt
Burning question: Does Arizona’s defensive line have enough heft to hold up against the powerful offenses on the Wildcats’ schedule?
Fuimaono looked fantastic, as if he’d used his time in L.A. to go on one of those movie-star crash diets. If featured in an ad for one, he would have been the “after” shot.
The 6-foot-1 senior defensive linemen checked in at Pac-12 Media Days at a fit, trim 267 pounds – nearly 50 less than his playing weight last season. He altered his diet and said he felt as good as he appeared. His joints no longer ached. Fuimaono was ready to make plays.
Which he very well might as part of a reconfigured defensive line – which is part of a rejiggered Arizona defense. We don’t yet know exactly what it will look like. But it won’t be overwhelmingly big.
Among the three projected starters, only Bruno is listed at 300-plus pounds (305, per the latest UA roster). Nose tackle Zellers checks in at 247 – an astonishing figure in 2016.
Only three UA D-linemen tip the scales at 300 or more pounds: Bruno (who’s coming off a foot injury), Fanene and Griffin. The latter two have played sparingly during their UA careers. Griffin is a breakout candidate this year but has much to prove.
It isn’t as if the other defensive linemen are Lilliputians. Connolly is listed at 6-5, 280; Allen at 6-6, 281.
It also isn’t absolutely imperative for D-linemen to be freakishly large. Reggie Gilbert, Arizona’s most productive lineman last season, played at about 262 pounds. Size isn’t everything.
But it is something. It does matter to some degree – especially when you’re facing the big, physical teams that occupy much of Arizona’s early schedule.
Much like Arizona’s defense, we don’t know precisely what opening opponent BYU’s offense will look like under a new coaching staff. We do know that the average weight of their projected starting offensive line is 316.4 pounds. The lightest lineman in that group is 6-8, 295-pound redshirt sophomore Austin Hoyt.
Arizona opens Pac-12 play against Washington, UCLA, Utah, USC and Stanford. Each averaged at least 163.8 rushing yards per game in 2015.
There are ways to overcome a lack of size. Technique. Effort. Heart. New position coach Vince Amey will have to coax all that and more out of Arizona’s undersized, undermanned defensive line to avoid a repeat of last season’s struggles.
LINEBACKERS
Returning starters: RS SR Paul Magloire Jr., RS JR DeAndre’ Miller
Also returning: RS SO Jamardre Cobb, RS SR Cody Ippolito, RS JR John Kenny, SR Jake Matthews, RS FR Carrington Vaughn, RS SO Marquis Ware
Newcomers: RS SR Michael Barton, FR Jalen Cochran, FR Jacob Colacion, FR Francisco Nelson, FR Kahi Neves
Burning question: Can DeAndre’ Miller provide the pass-rushing threat the Wildcats desperately need?
Somebody has to do it, right?
Miller certainly looked the part in spring, at least during the limited time we were allowed to watch practice. (Don’t get me started on that subject.) He had eight tackles for losses last season – second most on the team – including a pair of sacks.
It appears – again based on that small spring sample size – that the new defensive staff is putting Miller in position to take advantage of his athletic gifts. During the UA’s open spring scrimmage, he regularly attacked the backfield.
Arizona has to get those disruptive plays from somewhere because this defense, as currently constituted, does not seem like the type that will line up and stymie people.
One of the many things Scooby Wright III provided was tackles in the backfield. He had 3.5 stops for losses, including two sacks, in three games last season. During his award-winning sophomore season, he racked up an astounding 29 TFLs, including 14 sacks.
Wright’s frequent absence because of injuries last season was perhaps the primary reason Arizona fell from fifth in the Pac-12 in sacks (38) to tied for 10th (27). In case anyone forgot, he’s no longer around.
No one expects Miller or any one Wildcat to produce Wright-like numbers. But if Miller and one or two of his teammates could combine for 30 TFLs and 15 sacks, that’d make a significant difference.
We learned last week that junior-college signee Josh Allen won’t be eligible for that duty. That leaves a handful of other possibilities. They include a trio of seniors who are expected to play most of the meaningful linebacker snaps alongside Miller: Barton, Ippolito and Magloire.
All have at least flashed the ability to make plays. Barton compiled 15.5 TFLs at Cal in 2013 and ’14. Ippolito had 6.5 TFLs in ’14 before missing last season because of a knee injury. Magloire had four among his 72 tackles last year.
How new defensive coordinator Marcel Yates will deploy them remains to be seen. We also saw safeties near the line of scrimmage in spring. I would expect Yates to try to manufacture pressure any way he can.
No one fits the bill better than Miller, who’s quick enough and long enough (6-3, 236) to get around the edge. Now all he has to do is prove he’s durable enough and tough enough to do it consistently over 12-plus games.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Returning starters: RS SR DaVonte’ Neal (CB), RS SR Tellas Jones (S)
Also returning: RS JR Dane Cruickshank (CB), SO Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (S), SR Devin Holiday (CB), RS FR Anthony Mariscal (S), JR Kwesi Mashack (S), RS JR Jarvis McCall Jr. (S), SO Sammy Morrison (CB), SO Jace Whittaker (CB)
Newcomers: FR Lorenzo Burns (CB), FR Tristan Cooper (S), FR Isaiah Hayes (S), FR Antonio Parks (CB), FR Gavin Robertson (S), FR Jarrius Wallace (S), FR Chacho Ulloa (S)
Burning question: Who will step up to fill the leadership and playmaking voids left by the departure of Will Parks?
This is just as big a challenge as replacing Scooby Wright – maybe even more so because, unlike Wright, Parks played the entire season last year.
He didn’t spend that time idly. Parks led Arizona in tackles (76), pass breakups (seven) and forced fumbles (two). He tied for third in tackles for losses (seven).
Parks’ production, stellar workouts and impressive interviews helped make him the highest-drafted Wildcat; Parks went to the Denver Broncos in the sixth round.
The most logical candidate to fill the playmaking void is Jones, who matched Parks with seven TFLs – including three sacks – in two fewer games. Jones had 55 total tackles, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.
The leadership part is less certain. Jones was suspended for the opener last year because of a violation of team rules. He then sat out all of spring practice after a traffic stop on Super Bowl Sunday.
Jones eventually pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges: speeding and possession of marijuana. UA coach Rich Rodriguez said during Pac-12 Media Days that Jones has been reinstated. The hope is that he has learned his lesson and will stay on the straight and narrow throughout his senior season.
If not, Arizona has several other intriguing options. None, however, has as much experience as Jones.
The promising young players including Flannigan-Fowles and Mariscal, a pair of second-year guys who could end up starting. (I’m operating under the assumption that Arizona will continue to use five defensive backs the majority of the time, regardless of what the rest of the defense looks like.)
Flannigan-Fowles surprised as a freshman, earning playing time on defense and special teams. He finished with 28 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. He has excellent size at 6-2, 199.
After redshirting as a freshman, Mariscal earned praise for his work ethic and dedication during spring. Regardless of whether he starts, Mariscal should have a meaty role.
Arizona moved Mashack and McCall from cornerback to safety during spring and is adding five freshmen at what we presume to be three safety spots. As many as four 2017 commits could play safety as well.
Clearly the position is important in new defensive coordinator Marcel Yates’ scheme. At Boise State, Yates helped develop Darian Thompson, whom the New York Giants selected in the third round of the 2016 draft. Thompson had a monster senior season for Boise, including 65 tackles, 8.5 TFLs and five interceptions.
Yates has quantity at his disposal at Arizona. Whether he has that type of quality remains to be seen.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Returning starters: N/A
Also returning: RS FR Matt Aragon (P), RS SO Jake Glatting (P), RS SO Josh Pollack (K/P)
Newcomer(s): JR Edgar Gastelum (K/P)
Burning question: Can Josh Pollack handle the kicking and punting duties if necessary?
He certainly can. And he very well might. It’s just a sub-optimal situation if it comes to that.
There’s a reason few FBS teams, if any, use one specialist for the three primary kicking roles: placements, punting and kicking off. Multiple reasons, actually.
The biggest deterrent is wear and tear. Specialists don’t take hits like other players. But to maximize distance and accuracy, you want their legs to be as fresh as possible. Performing triple duty works against that premise.
The second-biggest factor is that each kicking discipline has its own set of mechanics. So having to adjust to all three makes it that much more difficult to master one.
Unfortunately, Pollack was deemed Arizona’s best kicker and punter at the end of spring. That's a positive development for him – but not necessarily what’s best for the team.
It’s possible Aragon or Glatting will claim the punting job in training camp, freeing Pollack to focus on placements and/or kickoffs. The Wildcats also will add junior-college transfer Gastelum to the mix. He was not listed on the roster on the UA’s official athletic website as of this morning, but I'm told he will be reporting for camp today and could, at the very least, handle kickoffs. That would help.
Rich Rodriguez isn’t seeking superstar specialists (although that would be nice). He’s just looking for reliability. He doesn’t want to have to worry about the kicking game, because he has plenty of other stuff to worry about.
(Examples: The quarterback situation … the entire defense … how to deflect my injury questions after practice.)
Drew Riggleman and Casey Skowron afforded Rodriguez that luxury last season. They did their jobs consistently well – so well, in fact, that special teams became one of the Wildcats’ strengths.
That should be the case again this year – if RichRod and special-teams coach Charlie Ragle can figure out the kicking situation. Top returners Nate Phillips and Tyrell Johnson are back. Rodriguez also believes Arizona will have more athletes to cover kicks, if for no other reason than improved team-wide health.
View this profile on Instagram#ThisIsTucson 🌵 (@this_is_tucson) • Instagram photos and videos
Most viewed stories
-
Nearly 40 fun events this Valentine's Day weekend February 13-15! 💖
-
15 Valentine's Day themed events happening in February!
-
Over 60 fun events happening in Tucson in February 💖🐎
-
A new chapter: Crossroads Restaurant is back open after fire
-
A saber tooth tiger fossil, gemstone paintings, and more: Here's the low-down on 4 Tucson gem shows! 💎
-
Tucson Valentine's: Vegas-style weddings, tattoo parlor nuptials
-
Our huge guide to date ideas in Tucson, from romantic to casual
-
This Tucson chef has been named a semifinalist for prestigious James Beard Award 🎉
-
Transplant Pizza, Mosaic Brewing and Marana Serial Grillers close their doors
-
Step back into the 14th century at Arizona Renaissance Fair 🫅