Here's who has stood out, stepped up during first half of Arizona Wildcats' football season

The halfway point

Midway through the 2018 season, the Arizona Wildcats are 3-3. Records, however, can be misleading. Though the Wildcats are on pace to make the postseason, their past performance has disappointed those expecting big things, and their future opponents include some of the conference's best teams. 

Here's a look at Star reporter Michael Lev's picks for first-half MVPs, breakout candidates and unsung heroes. The Wildcats will play at Utah Friday night.

Offensive MVP

Running back J.J. Taylor: Taylor leads the team in rushing yards (600) and touchdowns (four). His 284 yards against Oregon State were the fourth most in school history. One of Taylor’s TDs came on a kickoff return – Arizona’s first on a non-onside kick since 2010. 

Defensive MVP

Linebacker Colin Schooler: Schooler always seems to be around the ball. He is tied for third in the nation with 11.5 tackles for losses. His 66 total tackles rank second in the Pac-12. He also has four QB hurries, two pass breakups, an interception, a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a safety.

Most improved player

WR Shawn Poindexter: Poindexter has transformed himself from a project into a productive Pac-12 player. Halfway through the season, the fifth-year senior has established career highs in catches (21), yards (407) and touchdowns (two). The 6-5 former volleyball player also has put himself on the NFL’s radar.

Unsung hero

Safety Jarrius Wallace: Fun fact: Wallace is Arizona’s third-leading tackler. The redshirt sophomore has 36 stops, including 26 solos – just one fewer than linebacker Tony Fields II. (Schooler has 37.) Wallace has started the past four games at “Bandit” after opening the season as the backup free safety.

Breakout candidate

Defensive end/linebacker Jalen Harris: No UA defender has a higher upside than Harris, who has the length and burst to be a pro someday if he continues to develop his game and body. The 6-4, 230-pound redshirt freshman has 1.5 sacks, all coming in Pac-12 play. He has 13 tackles in all.

He said it

“I think we’ve shown that we can play with anybody in small phases, maybe one quarter at a time. What we’ve gotta show is that we can play complete games – come out and play our full game to the best of our ability. That’s something we’ve gotta work on. We’ve gotta all bring that same energy. I think that’ll make a difference.” – UA center Josh McCauley