TEMPE — Sometime over the next three weeks, Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez will have a decision to make at football’s most important position. He said Thursday that one of the biggest factors in that process is, well, decision-making.
One of the Wildcats’ quarterback candidates, incumbent Anu Solomon, realized that he didn’t make a very smart choice recently.
Solomon said last week that he thought he “could’ve pushed through” the two concussions he suffered last season. Upon further reflection, the redshirt junior knows that statement sends the wrong message. He clarified his comments Thursday after the UA’s morning practice at the Arizona Cardinals’ facility.
“That’s on me,” Solomon said. “I shouldn’t have said it the way I said it. I kind of made it look bad (for) our medical staff. They’re a great medical staff. They know what’s right. They know what’s wrong. They did a great job of letting me stay out and keeping my brain healthy.”
So why did Solomon say what he said?
“It’s just the competitive nature in me that wants to drive through everything,” he said.
Solomon clearly feels pressure to stay healthy. Getting hurt last year created an opportunity for teammate Brandon Dawkins, who showed the coaching staff he was capable of producing on a big stage in the regular-season finale at Arizona State.
Despite the concussions last season, Solomon doesn’t necessarily plan to play it safe. He’ll base those decisions — whether to slide, lower his shoulder, run out of bounds or throw the ball away — on instinct.
“It’s just how I’m feeling,” Solomon said. “Whatever happens, happens.”
Rodriguez said Wednesday that Solomon is ahead of Dawkins in terms of understanding the offensive scheme. But Dawkins is gaining ground in that area.
He received a ton of first-team reps in spring — when Solomon missed time because of a hamstring injury — and is splitting them during training camp. Dawkins is focusing a considerable amount of his time on the mental side of the position.
“Be smart, know where to go with the ball, know what to do with it,” Dawkins said. “Don’t let careless errors happen. Don’t take a bad snap or a missed read and make the play worse from there.
“The big thing is always having our minds right and eyes right, where they need to be, who we need to be reading, what they need to be looking at … getting more attuned to RichRod. Seeing what he sees, so I know what he expects.”
What Rodriguez looks for from his quarterbacks on the practice field is shockingly simple.
“More than anything, it’s who plays the best,” Rodriguez said. “It’s not really as hard as you think.”
Cards’ house
The Wildcats concluded their two-day trip to Tempe on Thursday afternoon. The players enjoyed practicing at an NFL facility.
“Everybody’s amped up,” Dawkins said. “Everybody gets to feel like a professional for about 48 hours.”
“It’s really cool,” Solomon said. “Being in the locker room and you see the Honey Badger’s locker (Tyrann Mathieu) and Patrick Peterson, all the other greats that play on this team, it’s truly an honor.”
Rodriguez and UA athletic director Greg Byrne talked to Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill before and during the morning practice. They thanked him for helping facilitate the Wildcats’ excursion to Tempe by presenting him with a framed UA jersey featuring his last name and the No. 1 on the back.
The Cardinals didn’t just let the Wildcats use their facility. The team went so far as to repaint the hash marks to meet college regulations.
“They don’t have to do that,” Rodriguez said. “That just shows you they took the extra step to make us feel welcome.”
Taylor time?
Arizona is set at tailback with veterans Nick Wilson and Orlando Bradford. Rodriguez would like a third tailback to emerge, and it just might be freshman J.J. Taylor.
Taylor, who is listed at 5 feet 6 inches and 155 pounds, has impressed the coaching staff with his quick feet, short-area burst and shiftiness.
“He’s got great open-field awareness and quickness,” Rodriguez said. “He’s probably one of the best open-field guys on the team as far as making people miss. He’s a competitive guy. I doubt — I haven’t made a decision yet — but I doubt that he’s redshirting. I have a feeling he’s going to help us win this year.”
Extra points
• Freshman quarterback Khalil Tate joined the growing group of players forced to work on the side because of undisclosed injuries. The others: offensive lineman Christian Boettcher, receiver Tony Ellison, freshman safety Gavin Robertson and freshman defensive end Francisco Nelson. It’s not unusual for injuries to start accumulating at this point in camp.
Rodriguez acknowledged that Tate is “a little banged up” right now and that his head is still “spinning” as he learns the offense.
• Many more parents and family members attended the morning practice compared to Wednesday’s. They included three members of tight end Trevor Wood’s family: dad Dave, mom Jan and brother Carter. Dave, a former Wildcat who’s recovering from a severe form of cancer, is doing well, he said. Carter played center for the UA.
• Another former UA center, Steven Gurrola, attended practice and hung out with some of his ex-teammates.
• Rodriguez also spent time chatting with Shaun Aguano, who coached UA center Zach Hemmila at Chandler High. Hemmila passed away earlier this week.
• Nathan Eldridge and Levi Walton got the most reps at center during the open period of practice. Eldridge is a redshirt freshman, Walton a redshirt sophomore.
