LINEBACKERS
Returning starters: RS SR Paul Magloire Jr., RS JR DeAndre’ Miller
Also returning: RS SO Jamardre Cobb, RS SR Cody Ippolito, RS JR John Kenny, SR Jake Matthews, RS FR Carrington Vaughn, RS SO Marquis Ware
Newcomers: RS SR Michael Barton, FR Jalen Cochran, FR Jacob Colacion, FR Francisco Nelson, FR Kahi Neves
Burning question: Can DeAndre’ Miller provide the pass-rushing threat the Wildcats desperately need?
Somebody has to do it, right?
Miller certainly looked the part in spring, at least during the limited time we were allowed to watch practice. (Don’t get me started on that subject.) He had eight tackles for losses last season – second most on the team – including a pair of sacks.
It appears – again based on that small spring sample size – that the new defensive staff is putting Miller in position to take advantage of his athletic gifts. During the UA’s open spring scrimmage, he regularly attacked the backfield.
Arizona has to get those disruptive plays from somewhere because this defense, as currently constituted, does not seem like the type that will line up and stymie people.
One of the many things Scooby Wright III provided was tackles in the backfield. He had 3.5 stops for losses, including two sacks, in three games last season. During his award-winning sophomore season, he racked up an astounding 29 TFLs, including 14 sacks.
Wright’s frequent absence because of injuries last season was perhaps the primary reason Arizona fell from fifth in the Pac-12 in sacks (38) to tied for 10th (27). In case anyone forgot, he’s no longer around.
No one expects Miller or any one Wildcat to produce Wright-like numbers. But if Miller and one or two of his teammates could combine for 30 TFLs and 15 sacks, that’d make a significant difference.
We learned last week that junior-college signee Josh Allen won’t be eligible for that duty. That leaves a handful of other possibilities. They include a trio of seniors who are expected to play most of the meaningful linebacker snaps alongside Miller: Barton, Ippolito and Magloire.
All have at least flashed the ability to make plays. Barton compiled 15.5 TFLs at Cal in 2013 and ’14. Ippolito had 6.5 TFLs in ’14 before missing last season because of a knee injury. Magloire had four among his 72 tackles last year.
How new defensive coordinator Marcel Yates will deploy them remains to be seen. We also saw safeties near the line of scrimmage in spring. I would expect Yates to try to manufacture pressure any way he can.
No one fits the bill better than Miller, who’s quick enough and long enough (6-3, 236) to get around the edge. Now all he has to do is prove he’s durable enough and tough enough to do it consistently over 12-plus games.
