HOLLYWOOD, Calif. β Arizona Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez spent about 45 minutes speaking with reporters at the tail end of the lunch hour at Pac-12 Media Days here. Here are some quick-hit highlights from that conversation and from Rodriguezβs news conference earlier Wednesday:
* Rodriguez said DE-LB DeAndreβ Miller has "a stress thing" in his foot (read: stress fracture) and had surgery last week. The hope is that he'll be back by Week 1.
* Rodriguez said new quarterback Donavan Tate, the former first-round MLB draft pick, should have a smoother transition to college football than most freshmen because heβs already physically and mentally mature. It remains to be seen whether Tate can play effectively after nine years away from football.
* Rodriguez said Tate and Rhett Rodriguez, the coachβs son, have brought a new level of maturity to the quarterback room. Rich described Rhett as β19-going-on-39.β
* Rhett is rooming with freshman tight end Bryce Wolma. The two were close friends in Michigan. Rich Rodriguez said Rhett has lost about eight pounds over the summer.
* Rodriguez isnβt in any hurry to name a starting quarterback, but he did say he would whittle it down to two or three guys about a week and a half before the first game. Arizona has four scholarship quarterbacks, plus Tate, whoβs technically a walk-on.
* Rodriguez said freshman QB KβHari Lane is βout of shapeβ at about 250 pounds. Rodriguez would like him to get down to the 225 range eventually.
* Rodriguez mentioned the need for a program-wide sense of urgency. He detected a drop-off after Arizonaβs 10-4 season in 2014, when the Wildcats won the South Division and played in the Fiesta Bowl.
* Regarding his status on the proverbial βhot seat,β Rodriguez said cooling it down is simple: βAll you gotta do is win.β
* Rodriguez described the incoming recruiting class as the best heβs had since coming to Arizona, and he expects as many as 25 newcomers to play.
* Rodriguez acknowledged that not recruiting the state of Texas before this offseason βwas a mistake.β The Wildcats currently have two verbal commitments from Texas for 2018.
* Rodriguez plans to fill Matt Dudekβs responsibilities internally and will use the money available from his departure to hire one or two new personnel analysts. Dudek was Arizonaβs general manager and director of player personnel. Chris Singletary and Billy Kirelawich are expected to split those duties.
* Rodriguez said freshman Tony Fields II is βthe most athletic linebacker weβve got.β He is expected to play this season and conceivably could start.
* Worries about the health of his grandmother led defensive end Jalen Cochran to leave Arizona, Rodriguez said. But apparently Cochranβs grandma wanted him to stick to his UA commitment, and he is expected to be with the Wildcats when training camp opens next week.
* Rodriguez on defensive tackle Sione Taufahema, a JC transfer who enrolled in January and was expected to play this season: βHe had a little injury issue, he gained a little bit of weight, so he's got to drop some weight and get in shape before he can contribute. But if he gets in shape in the next month, he can help us.β
