Arizona football coach Jedd Fisch spent the weekend in Las Vegas, where he watched the Wildcats menβs basketball team win the Pac-12 Tournament.
Fisch didnβt have nearly as fruitful a first season as Tommy Lloyd. Fischβs team won one game. Lloydβs is a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
But as soon as the offseason began, Fisch began piling up victories. He and his staff signed a top-25 recruiting class. They also landed transfer quarterback Jayden de Laura, the 2021 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.
Spring football, which resumes Tuesday after a 12-day break, offers the next opportunity to build on those successes.
The Wildcats will return to the field a little after 3 p.m. for their second official practice of spring. Theyβll have 13 team workouts before the April 9 spring game.
Here are four things weβll be monitoring over the next four weeks:
Line dance
It took all of one practice to notice Arizona was lacking bodies on both lines. Fortunately, the Wildcatsβ lack of depth in the trenches should be temporary.
On the offensive side, Arizona will be without Josh Baker for the duration of spring. Baker, projected to start at center or guard, suffered a pectoral injury before camp and watched the first practice on March 2 with his right arm in a sling.
Davis DiVall, expected to be part of the mix at guard or tackle, did not participate in the first practice because of what Fisch termed βpersonal issues.β There is hope DiVall will be able to return soon. As long as heβs out, young players such as JT Hand and Leif Magnuson will get plenty of reps. They were the starters at center and left guard, respectively, when spring practice started.
On the defensive side, Arizona began spring ball without its two projected starters at defensive tackle, Kyon Barrs and Tiaoalii Savea. Barrsβ absence was expected; Fisch announced the previous day that the All-Pac-12 performer would be out for spring after undergoing foot surgery. Savea, a transfer from UCLA, sat out because of an illness. Heβs expected to participate when practice resumes.
Defensive tackle Dion Wilson Jr. also was a non-participant in the first practice for undisclosed reasons, although he did suit up. That left Paris Shand and Nahe Sulunga as the first-stringers. Ideally, by August, theyβll be part of a much more robust rotation.
Skill-position reps
When Arizona conducted its first 11-on-11 work, Will Plummer served as the quarterback. Jordan McCloud was the next man up. It made sense: Theyβre both returnees, and they had seniority.
Itβll be interesting to see how the rep rotation evolves over the coming weeks at that position and the other βskillβ spots. Will de Laura move to the front of the line sometime this spring? Will freshman Noah Fifita work his way into a prime spot?
At receiver, the initial first unit consisted of Dorian Singer, Anthony Simpson and Maβjon Wright. But it would be an upset if freshman Tetairoa McMillan and transfer Jacob Cowing werenβt starting by Week 1. The talent at wideout is formidable, and the competition will be fierce.
The same can be said of running back, where Arizona returns its top four rushers, has added impressive-looking freshman Jonah Coleman and is still awaiting the arrival of four-star signee Rayshon Luke. It wouldnβt be surprising if one of the veterans ends up transferring sometime after spring ball; itβs impossible to find enough touches to keep six tailbacks happy.
Arizonaβs Jonah Coleman runs through a drill earlier this month. The talented freshman will be competing for playing time at the running back position.
Linebacker lineup
With Jerry Roberts still working his way back from injury, it was something of a mystery whoβd open spring camp at middle linebacker. Fisch announced the previous day that third-year sophomore Malik Reed would occupy that position. But Reed spent the first practice working on the side with trainers. He had a mild hamstring strain that isnβt expected to linger.
Reed is an interesting choice in that he played weak-side linebacker last season, including a start in the finale vs. Arizona State. Fisch praised his physique, noting that the 6-1, 225-pound transfer from Wisconsin falls in the weight range the coach considers ideal for linebacker (220-235 pounds).
Ammon Allen, who got the nod with the ones, is listed at 207. But at 6-3, the converted safety has ample room for growth. The Mesa product, who came to Arizona as a preferred walk-on, is among the most intriguing prospects on the roster.
Transfer Anthony Solomon opened on the weak side, and heβs one to watch as well. Solomon was a consensus four-star prospect out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who had 39 scholarship offers. He ended up at Michigan, where most of his contributions came on special teams. Arizona needs someone at that spot who can run and cover, and Solomon fits the profile.
Nuances of Nansen
Last spring, you could sense defensive coordinator Don Brownβs presence immediately. He was the loudest coach on the field, and he brought pressure at every turn.
Brownβs successor, Johnny Nansen, isnβt quite as vocal, and it remains to be seen exactly how his unit will attack; this is the first time he has run a defense at the college level.
The base formation is a 4-2-5. Gunner Maldonado, who played safety last year, opened as the nickel. Transfer DJ Warnell Jr. also will compete for that spot.
We might not get a great feel for Nansenβs style until Saturdayβs 11:30 a.m. scrimmage. One thing was clear from the first practice: Nansen has natural chemistry with Jason Kaufusi, with whom he also worked at UCLA. Kaufusi is coaching Arizonaβs edge rushers, a group that includes veteran Jalen Harris; his younger brother, Jason; and transfer Hunter Echols, another former four-star recruit.
Extra points
Arizona will conduct its annual pro day for NFL scouts Tuesday at Arizona Stadium. Scheduled participants include receiver Stanley Berryhill III, defensive lineman Trevon Mason, linebacker Anthony Pandy and kicker Lucas Havrisik. Pro day workouts are closed to the public.
