Here are some highlights from the Arizona Wildcats’ media availability after their fifth practice of training camp Friday night:
* Arizona didn’t just practice in pads – the Wildcats went “live,” meaning full tackling. They’ll be in pads again for Saturday’s practice, which is open to the media. It’ll be interesting to see if they tackle again. They did it in the final spring scrimmage as well.
* What does it mean that Brandon Dawkins was the only quarterback given a red, no-contact jersey? Does it indicate that he’s a step ahead of the other guys in the coaches’ minds? Or are they simply trying to protect an ultra-competitive runner?
* Dawkins, who suffered rib and head injuries last season, vows to be a smarter runner in 2017. He knows he’s going to get hit at times, but he’s trying to get a better feel for “when I need to take hits and I don’t need to take hits.”
* Unless he was playing tackle football on the side for kicks, new QB Donavan Tate got hit for the first time in about nine years Friday. How did that go? “He’s an athletic, tough guy,” UA coach Rich Rodriguez said. “He stuck his face in there. I don’t know if he ever ran into a catcher or broke up a double play (playing minor-league baseball), but he had six or seven of those today.”
* So, about that new early signing period … “The signing date is now in December,” Rodriguez said. “They say December is the early signing period. It is the signing period.” He added that Arizona (and other schools) will need to be “more aggressive than normal” in fall to compensate.
* Rodriguez praised the aptitude of the freshman quarterbacks and was similarly complimentary of the first-year safeties.
* It sounds like freshman receiver Drew Dixon has a long way to go to fully up to speed. Rodriguez also indicated that Dixon is dealing with an issue with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Although big, strong and athletic, Dixon seems headed for a redshirt at this point.
* Rodriguez said he’s still concerned about the depth of the offensive line. Position coach Jim Michalczik feels good about it, saying he has 9-10 guys who are competing for playing time. They saw the situation differently in spring as well. Arizona shouldn’t have trouble getting to Rodriguez’s magic number of eight.
* Left tackle Layth Friekh added about 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason after playing at around 280 last year. At 6-5 (or maybe 6-6), he looks the part of a pro. With a good season, he should get some looks.
* Friekh, right guard Jacob Alsadek and center Nathan Eldridge are ensconced as starters, although Eldridge is a little banged up and is being brought along slowly at the start of camp. The competitions up front are at left guard (Christian Boettcher vs. Michael Eletise) and right tackle (Cody Creason vs. Gerhard de Beer).
