Jahmile Addae is in a new role, but he isn’t new to the Arizona football program.
Before being named the Wildcats’ safeties coach, Addae served as an analyst for the program for two seasons. His duties included breaking down defensive film. So he knows the tendencies of Arizona’s personnel as well as anyone.
Addae recently provided the Star with thumbnail sketches of five of the Wildcats’ most intriguing safeties. Here’s what Addae had to say:
(on redshirt freshman Anthony Mariscal)
“He’s been good. He’s sharp. He’s a kid who’s looking for an opportunity. He’s very hungry. He does everything that you’re going to ask him to do – spending time in the weight room, spending extra time in the film room. He’s that weight-room junkie; he’s that fieldhouse junkie. At his position, he’s going to have to be that. And he has been up until this point.”
(on redshirt junior Jarvis McCall Jr.)
“He moved over (from cornerback). Didn’t have a whole bunch of time there. Has done well. He’s learning, so it is a process. But he’s one who’s willing to do that. He’s got all the physical tools. It’s just how to tune him in mentally. (In fewer than 15) spring practices, that’s a little tough to get done fully. But I will say that he’s well on his way. I’ve been more than pleased with how he worked while playing safety.”
(on junior Kwesi Mashak)
“He’s another transfer. He had struggled getting on the field for us as a corner. He’s a stout kid. He’s pretty strong. So we moved him over as well. Close to the end of spring practice, as we wrapped it up, he started to do a really good job of coming around and understanding the full defense. Not just understanding what we want him to do but understanding what others are doing around him. That’s key at his position.”
(on sophomore Demetrius Flanningan-Fowles)
“Demetrius played for us last year as a true freshman and did a good job. He’s playing a little bit of a different role in a different scheme, so things are new. … Although to the layman it may seem he’s an experienced kid, the truth is he does have some inexperience and a gap he needs to close. He has done a great job. I’ve been very, very pleased with Demetrius in terms of his work ethic. We’ve got a summer that’s going to continue to get these guys better. When he comes out of that, he’ll be ready to go in the fall.”
(on freshman Isaiah Hayes)
“He’s a really, really sharp kid. I’m thinking 3.5-, 4.0-GPA type of kid. And it transfers to the football field. He picks up things very fast. He’s fluid in terms of his mental processing. His thing has just been breaking the habits of a normal freshman. Over the 15 practices, he’s done a good job trying to get that done.”
