Arizonaโs season opener against BYU is less than a month away, and UA coach Rich Rodriguez might take all that time to name a starting quarterback.
Rodriguez was asked about a timetable after the Wildcatsโ first practice of training camp Thursday evening.
โWhat time is the game?โ Rodriguez responded.
When told that the kickoff in Glendale is slated for 7:30 p.m., Rodriguez laid out his timeframe.
โIโd say about 7:29,โ he said. โI might tell him at 7:25.โ
Itโs unclear whether Rodriguez was being serious or his usual sarcastic self. Itโs also unclear at this stage which direction heโll go.
Both returning starter Anu Solomon and challenger Brandon Dawkins had their moments Thursday. Both also struggled at times against an aggressive defense that threw a โplethora of blitzesโ at the offense, according to quarterbacks coach Rod Smith.
Smith termed the quarterback play on Day 1 as โOK.โ But Smith feels good about Arizonaโs QB situation overall.
โWe feel comfortable with both of them,โ Smith said. โWeโve got two good quarterbacks. Weโll let them compete it out and see what happens.โ
Solomon has started most of the past two years. That didnโt stop Rodriguez from opening the competition.
How is Solomon handling it? Smith described the redshirt juniorโs attitude heading into camp as โtremendous.โ
โHe has a chip on his shoulder,โ Smith said. โHe has something to prove.โ
Smith said the worst thing Solomon did last season was get hurt. It wasnโt his fault, obviously, but he doesnโt necessarily see it that way.
โI really just need to toughen up,โ Solomon said. โI thought I could have pushed through those two concussions.โ
Solomonโs absence for the regular-season finale against Arizona State created an opportunity for Dawkins. He amassed more than 300 yards of offense but also threw two interceptions.
โBrandon has to continue to make good decisions,โ Smith said. โHeโs got some talent.โ
All three of the Wildcatsโ scholarship quarterbacks, including freshman Khalil Tate, provide mobility, and all three took off and ran at times during Thursdayโs practice.
โI feel like I can stretch the defense a little more with my legs,โ Dawkins said. โI think thatโs whatโs gonna separate me from Anu.โ
Solomon has the edge in experience. Dawkins has the stronger arm. Theyโre close, on and off the field.
โThey donโt like each other โ they love each other,โ Smith said.
So what will it come down to in the end?
โExecution,โ Smith said. โA lot of times the guy who executes best is the guy who will play.โ
Walker absent
Freshman tackle Keenan Walker did not practice and is not currently part of the 105-player training-camp roster.
Rodriguez said Walkerโs absence was part health-related and part disciplinary.
Walker, who enrolled in January and participated in spring practice, is rehabbing an undisclosed injury. He also was arrested last month for assault after getting into an altercation outside a bar in Scottsdale.
Rodriguez wasnโt sure when Walker would return.
Linebacker update
Two other players were absent Thursday: linebackers Kahi Neves and John Kenny.
Neves is finishing up some academic work and should return Saturday or Monday, Rodriguez said. Like Walker, Neves enrolled in January and practiced in spring.
Kenny, a redshirt junior, was attending a funeral. He also is expected back soon.
Keeping their cool
The C.A.T.S. Academic Center that abuts the UA practice field is still under construction. But the adjacent therapeutic cold pools were ready for use Thursday.
Two pools, each about 6 feet by 30 feet, are accessible from the practice field. The players walked through the pools after post-practice stretching.
โThose are BCS-level, big-time cold tubs,โ Rodriguez said. โWeโre a full-service program.โ
Rodriguez noted that the players received flip-flops upon exiting the pools so they wouldnโt have to walk to the locker room in their soggy socks.
Extra points
โข Rodriguez believes receiver Zach Benjamin, a transfer from South Florida, should be immediately eligible because heโs walking on at Arizona. That hasnโt happened as of yet, however, forcing the UA to appeal Benjaminโs case. โItโs ridiculous,โ Rodriguez said.
โข Asked about Arizona scheduling a home-and-home series with Virginia Tech for 2029 and โ30, Rodriguez said: โI wonder if I should start game-planning.โ
โข After practice, the Wildcats ran sprints. Rodriguez addressed them for 5-10 minutes. The team then unveiled the senior wall in the southwest corner of Kindall/Sancet Stadium. Scooby Wright has been added to the mural of All-Americans in what used to be center field at the old baseball stadium.
โข Arizona practices again Friday evening.
