The Arizona Wildcats wouldnβt be where they are right now β 4-1 overall, 2-0 in the Pac-12 β without critical contributions from a handful of promising freshmen.
Michael Wileyβs emergence has helped offset injuries at running back. The development of cornerbacks Christian Roland-Wallace and Bobby Wolfe, and defensive tackle Kyon Barrs, has added much-needed depth to the defense.
βWeβve done a nice job of rotating guys,β UA coach Kevin Sumlin said Monday, βgiving guys experience all over the field.β
No performance by a freshman is likely to garner more headlines than quarterback Grant Gunnellβs against UCLA two Saturdays ago. In his second game and first start, Gunnell helped the Cats edge the Bruins 20-17. Winning with your backup QB is easier said than done. Just ask Cal, UCLA and USC, among others.
The work done by Gunnellβs classmates isnβt as noticeable in box scores or season-long statistics. But itβs no less significant.
Wiley has only 51 rushing yards, which ranks sixth on the team. But he has caught 11 passes for 129 yards, gives the offense flexibility and plays on most special teams. It didnβt take the Houston product long to convince the coaching staff he could help immediately.
βMichael Wiley was playing from Day 1,β Sumlin said. βHe does a lot for us.β
Wiley played a crucial role in the second half of Arizonaβs 35-30 victory at Colorado this past Saturday. He caught four passes for 34 yards after halftime. Three receptions produced first downs on the go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats at that point were playing without starter J.J. Taylor, whoβs been nursing an injury. Redshirt freshman Bam Smith also got banged up during the game, Sumlin said.
Arizona has remained relatively healthy on defense β and has done some of its best work in the fourth quarter thanks in part to improved depth.
Roland-Wallace has started once and has played regularly. That has allowed Arizona to give occasional rest to veterans Lorenzo Burns and Jace Whittaker β who were overworked when both were healthy in 2017 β and to shift Whittaker into the slot at times.
Roland-Wallace has seven tackles, three pass breakups and an interception. His sticky coverage on Daniel Arias forced Steven Montez to throw to his second option on the Buffaloesβ final offensive play. The pass fell incomplete on fourth down.
Roland-Wallace has played much more consistently after some early rough patches. He surrendered a touchdown in each of Arizonaβs first two games.
βPhysically, heβs ready to go. He has been that way since he walked on campus,β said Sumlin, whose teams hosts Washington this Saturday. βWhere heβs had to grow is mentally. He struggled here at home, let a guy run right by him early in the year and didnβt understand (the situation).
βTo play at a certain level all the time is probably not what some of them are used to. Thatβs part of maturing. Thatβs where he is right now.
βHeβs been great, and then heβs learned the hard way in some head-scratching moments. He has to understand, hey, look, you walk out on the field, particularly as a freshman, I donβt care what you look like β theyβre gonna try you. You better be ready to go all the time. Thatβs been part of the growth process.β
Wolfe hasnβt played as much as Roland-Wallace but has recorded four tackles and one PBU. Barrs has three stops and has become a regular in the defensive-line rotation. Arizona has outscored its past three opponents 29-3 in the fourth quarter.
Wiley, Roland-Wallace and Wolfe have appeared in all five games, meaning they canβt redshirt this season. Barrs has reached the four-game limit but is likely to continue playing.
Offensive tackle Jordan Morgan is on the precipice, having appeared in three contests. Sumlin indicated Monday that Morgan will be put on the shelf for now to preserve his redshirt β but heβll continue to practice with the βtravel squadβ in case heβs needed.
Morgan, who mainly has played on special teams, has sat out the past two games.
βYou havenβt seen him. Thatβs not because he canβt play,β Sumlin said of the Marana High School product. βIf we have an emergency issue to get out of a game, Jordan Morganβs that guy. And if itβs a serious injury, he understands heβs going to play the rest of the year.β
One other freshman to keep an eye on is Gunnellβs high school teammate, Boobie Curry. The receiver made his first career start against Colorado, catching one pass for 19 yards. He has appeared in the past two games after missing time during training camp because of injury.
βItβs been frustrating for him,β Sumlin said. βHeβs wanted to play the whole time. You can see that he can have an immediate impact, just like he did with us in the spring.
βHe was in the building this morning doing treatment, getting himself mentally ready to go, because heβs wanting to play a lot more.β
βWe need himβ
Arizona has won its past three games without a healthy Taylor. The redshirt junior suffered whatβs believed to be an ankle injury in the second quarter against Texas Tech on Sept. 14. He sat out the following game against UCLA and played only one series against Colorado.
Sumlin said Taylor didnβt suffer a setback against the Buffs, but the coaching staff didnβt want to push him βso that thing doesnβt drag on the whole year the way he plays.β
Although the other running backs have performed well, Taylor offers experience and versatility that no one else can match.
βJ.J. is a patient runner,β Sumlin said. βHeβs not just a one-cut runner; he can make people make. He makes our line better. Our backs are doing a nice job. But J.J. is a guy that can clean up a lot of different things when there is a missed block β¦ or a mistake up front because of his stop and start and his change of direction. We do miss him. We need him.β
Taylor rushed for 1,434 yards last season and earned third-team All-America accolades as an all-purpose player. He has 212 yards and two touchdowns this year.
Sumlin said he was eager to see how Taylor looked at practice Monday βbecause weβre gonna need him to be the J.J. of last year from here on out.β
Extra points
- Sumlin was asked how strong-armed Washington QBΒ Jacob Eason can stress a defense. βIt stresses me out,β Sumlin said. βHe is an extremely talented guy. Heβs bigger than you think. Heβs hard to get on the ground. He can throw it a long ways. Heβs a problem for us.β Eason, a transfer from Georgia, had his worst game for the Huskies last week, completing just 16 of 36 passes for 206 yards with one touchdown and one interception in UWβs 23-13 loss at Stanford.
- Arizona QB Khalil Tate, who passed for a career-high 404 yards at Colorado, is set to face Washington for the first time in his career. He didnβt play against the Huskies as a freshman. They werenβt on Arizonaβs schedule the past two seasons. βHe is something else,β UW coachΒ Chris Petersen told reporters. βHe can run like nobody Iβve seen in quite a long time playing quarterback. He creates a lot of issues with his feet and has a really strong arm. He can sit on his back foot and throw it 60 yards down the field, or he can scramble around and flick it across the field.β
- Sumlin on former protΓ©gé Kliff KingsburyΒ getting his first win with the Cardinals: βIt was great. You always root for your friends. Theyβre coming on.β