Rich Rodriguez first floated the idea of a full-blown youth movement at last monthβs Pac-12 Media Days. He was especially high on his class of newcomers, saying that βthereβs probably 20 of them that will play this year.β
Even though the Wildcats dealt with a wave of decommitments leading up to national signing day, Rodriguez still labeled this 2017 class as, potentially, the best since he was hired at Arizona five years ago.
Whether that part of it comes to fruition wonβt be decided for a while, and probably not even this season.
That part about the 20 players playing right away? Rodriguez might not have been too far off, if the early days of training camp are any indication. Most of those 20 newcomers are true freshmen; others include transfers like junior college defensive lineman Dereck Boles.
Rodriguez says his team includes 50 newcomers. That he thinks 20 could play is notable.
Consider: Just 25 freshmen have recorded statistics in Rodriguezβs first five years as Arizonaβs coach. The Wildcats flopped a year ago, going 3-9, and still only played six freshmen.
The youth movement should push Arizonaβs returners, if nothing else.
βNo question,β Rodriguez said. βYou can talk about competition all you want, but the guys really know it. They can look around and say, βOh, if I donβt step up my game, I may not be playing much.β What we try to do is create true competition at every position. Weβre getting closer to that.β
Rodriguez is never one to laud specific players, particularly early in fall camp. His tone is different this year, however: He has consistently praised the newcomers.
Freshman Tony Fields II has been the talk of camp so far. The athletic, still-growing Las Vegas Desert Pines High School product is already considered the favorite to start at the βWillβ linebacker position previously occupied by Paul Magloire Jr.
Arizonaβs linebacker corps needed an infusion of young talent, and Fields β coupled with freshman middle linebacker Colin Schooler, who is also fighting for a starting job β has helped ease some of the concern at the position.
Fields enrolled at Arizona in January and participated in spring drills and summer workouts. As a result, heβs added more than 30 pounds of muscle.
βNow that I know what to expect every day, I know I need to know what gaps to fill, I know all the plays, I have the upper hand on everybody in my class,β Fields said on Thursday.
He hasnβt played a down of college football yet, but with a full spring under his belt, Fields already considers himself a veteran of the linebackers group. And heβs not entirely wrong.
The only returning linebackers with significant playing experience are Brandon Rutt, a former walk-on, and DeAndreβ Miller, who has missed all of camp with an injury.
βIβm more of an upperclassman now that we have a lot guys at the βWillβ, β Fields said. βIβm actually a lot of help to all of them. Thatβs what (linebackers coach Scott) Boone looks at me as β he asks me to help them out whenever I need to and stuff like that, so thatβs what I do.β
Coaches have also praised freshman receiver Brian Casteel and running back Nathan Tilford. Like Fields, Tilford β Arizonaβs highest-rated 2017 recruit β enrolled in January.
Rodriguez has also said he wants three quarterbacks ready to play. After redshirt junior Brandon Dawkins and sophomore Khalil Tate, the Wildcats have three true freshmen β KβHari Lane, Rhett Rodriguez and 26-year old Donavan Tate.
The greatest bulk of freshman contributors, though, will likely come on defense.
Fields and Schooler will be in the playing rotation right away, and Long Beach Poly product linebacker Joshua Brown could compete for reps at middle linebacker, too.
At the hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker position, UA assistant Brian Knorr lauded Jalen Harris and Kylan Wilborn as early standouts.
Tony Wallace could see some time at cornerback. Scottie Young, Troy Young, Rhedi Short and Xavier Bell could factor in as safeties.
Parker Zellers, a senior defensive lineman, said he couldnβt believe how technically sound defensive tackle Kurtis Brown already is as a freshman, and thatβs a recurring theme β many of these freshmen havenβt been overwhelmed by college football concepts.
Safeties coach Jahmile Addae said heβs been especially impressed by Troy Young and Scottie Young.
βReally what youβre looking for is retention,β Addae said. βCan I give him information and have him give it back to me? That takes no time (to figure out).
βTheyβre young and athletic kids, and theyβre aggressive. Theyβre also βheadsyβ enough to where theyβre able to make the checks and adjustments. At that age, thatβs tough, especially in this defense.β
Fields has heard all those raves about this class, many of them about himself, but, he said, that doesnβt matter until the season actually begins Sept. 3 against Northern Arizona.
βItβs great, itβs fascinating, but I feel like Iβm not done yet,β Fields said. βI have a lot more to do and I havenβt really made the impact I want to make yet because we havenβt played in a game yet.β
Extra points
- Arizona practiced in full pads on Friday morning, and Rodriquez said he βwasnβt pleasedβ with the intensity, but understood because of how hot and humid it was outside.
- Receiver Tyrell Johnson is still considered Arizonaβs fastest player, but Rodriguez also mentioned freshman receiver D.J. Hinton, a Tucson High product and son of former Wildcat David Hinton.
- Rodriguez said that tackle Cody Creason has had a βsolidβ camp. Gerhard de Beer may trail Creason in the battle to start at right tackle, in part because heβs been dealing with a knee issue that kept him out of Arizonaβs last three games in 2016, all of spring drills and some of summer workouts.
