Who will be the most valuable Arizona Wildcats football players of 2017?
Thatβs what weβre aiming to find out over the next few weeks.
Itβs a completely subjective exercise, of course, and itβs important to note that everyone on the roster β from the starting quarterback to the scout-team walk-ons β has value. But itβs informative to project who the most valuable players will be, and thatβs what weβll attempt to do in this series.
Before we continue, some disclaimers:
βMost valuableβ does not necessarily mean βbest.β Rather, weβre defining it as the contributions and traits that most influence winning football. They include talent, leadership and projected role and production.
Newcomers were not eligible for the list. Although many might become major contributors this year, especially on defense, their roles are just too difficult to predict in June.
NO. 16: CB DANE CRUIKSHANK
Ht/Wt/Yr: 6-1, 204, redshirt senior
Comment: From a purely physical standpoint, Cruikshank has everything youβd want in a top college cornerback. He has excellent size and very good speed for his size.
The question is whether Cruikshank can convert those attributes into consistent production.
Cruikshank accumulated promising raw numbers last season, his first as a member of Arizonaβs active roster. (Cruikshank transferred from Citrus College in 2015 and redshirted that season.) Starting all 12 games, Cruikshank had 60 tackles (including 53 solos), seven passes breakups (second on the team) and two interceptions (tied for first).
What those stats donβt reveal is how often Cruikshank was in perfect position to defend a pass β¦ but had trouble locating the ball. It happened repeatedly, and it has to be the aspect of his game that Cruikshank works on the most this offseason.
Which leads to more questions β¦
Is that something that can be fixed? Can Cruikshank be taught techniques that will enable him to get his head around, locate the ball and knock it away at the last instant? Or is that an instinctive skill that Cruikshank simply doesnβt possess?
Youβd like to think itβs the former β that new cornerbacks coach Marcel Yates can train Cruikshank through countless practice reps to improve his play and ball recognition. If Yates β Arizonaβs defensive coordinator, who this offseason shifted from coaching linebackers to defensive backs, his longtime forte β can work his magic, Cruikshank can become one of Arizonaβs most valuable contributors in 2017.
Youβd also like to think Cruickshank will be more comfortable being a Wildcat this season. Although he was a redshirt junior in β16, it was his only his second year in the program and the first in which he played a meaningful role. Thereβs an adjustment period associated with that. Cruikshank should be well past that stage when training camp starts in late July. He should be ready to become a leader.
As mentioned, Cruikshank has all the measurables, which enable him to be physical near the line and to run with just about anyone down the field. He has the potential to be Arizonaβs No. 1 cornerback. But as of now, that's all it is - potential.
THE 17 MOST VALUABLE WILDCATS OF 2017
No. 17: TE Trevor Wood