5 takeaways from the first 3 weeks of Arizona Wildcats spring football practice

The back half of Arizona’s spring practice schedule is officially in effect.

As the Wildcats enter their fourth week of spring ball, here are five takeaways with the spring game at Arizona Stadium just under two weeks away:

1. Defense still a mystery

Arizona coach Jedd Fisch said at the start of spring ball that “the competition is real” on the Wildcats’ ever-growing defense, which ranked 11th in the Pac-12 in yards allowed per game (467.7) in 2022.

It was expected for the Wildcats to have an abundance of new faces on defense, but second-year defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen is playing his cards close to his chest when it comes down to lineups and rotations, especially in Arizona’s front-six unit.

“I like to rotate a lot of guys up front,” Nansen said. “That was one of the things that we focused on right after the last game was attacking recruiting, improving the front seven, D-linemen, linebackers and so on, because the games ... start from up front.”

On the defensive line, the most consistent starters have been a mixture between edge rusher Russell Davis II, 3-technique defensive lineman Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, UCLA transfer defensive tackle Tyler Manoa, Georgia transfer defensive tackle Bill Norton, Cal transfer edge rusher Orin Patu and sophomore outside linebacker Sterling Lane II.

The first defensive line for Arizona’s team segment at the start of spring ball featured Davis, Uiagalelei, Norton and Patu. But during Tuesday’s practice, the first group for the team period featured former Utah Ute Jeremy Mercier, Norton, Manoa and Lane. Plus, Jacob Rich Kongaika has progressively improved as an interior defensive tackle, and Tia Savea, who just returned from an injury that sidelined him at the start of camp, is slowly implementing himself into the rotation again. It’s tough to gauge the group, but likely starters for the spring game are Davis and Uiagalelei.

At linebacker, sophomore Jacob Manu is manning the “Will” linebacker position, but Nansen has rotated Oregon transfer Justin Flowe and Washington transfer Daniel Heimuli at “Mike” linebacker. Heimuli started next to Manu for the fourth and fifth spring practices, which came after true freshman and Hawaii native Kamuela Ka’aihue started ahead of Flowe. Recently, Flowe returned to Arizona’s first-team defense alongside Manu.

In the secondary, junior-college transfer Charles Yates Jr. and Isaiah Rutherford have alternated, with sophomore Tacario Davis working mostly with the second unit. Ephesians Prysock, one of the Wildcats’ highest-rated signees for the 2022 recruiting class, is a mainstay in Arizona’s defense.

Treydan Stukes is trending to be the Wildcats’ starter at nickel back, with former UCLA Bruin Martell Irby as his backup.

The Wildcats are also replacing Christian Young and Jaxen Turner at safety. Isaiah Taylor, Dalton Johnson, Gunner Maldonado and DJ Warnell have been mixed and matched. Lately, Maldonado, who intercepted quarterback Jayden de Laura on Thursday, and Taylor, one of the top interceptors this spring, have started alongside each other.

2. Showcase for recruits

Most of Arizona’s spring practices have had at least one recruit on the sidelines, whether they’re signed, committed or a prospect.

The most recognizable recruit — and arguably the most important one the Wildcats are targeting this year — standing on the sidelines for nearly every practice is five-star edge rusher and Salpointe Catholic star Elijah Rushing. The 6-6, 245–pound Rushing is rated by 247Sports.com as the top edge rusher for 2024. His older brother, Cruz Rushing, is a transfer safety from Florida in his first year on the UA roster.

The younger Rushing attending Arizona practices also allows him “to learn from the coaches ... how to be a better defensive player,” he said.

“I think they’re doing a great job. (Arizona edge rushers coach Jason) Kaufusi is a development coach and he has really stepped up, and I can see that the guys are getting to do big things,” Rushing said on ESPN Tucson. “The program is going in the right direction, and I like the coaches who are at the helm of it.”

Rushing, who recently visited Miami, said he’s “at the point where I should be narrowing it down to five (schools)” in May. He’s also considering Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oregon and Florida, among others.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

“I’m looking for a place that just fits who I am,” Rushing said. “The people in there are people I can gravitate towards, I have a relationship with the coaches ... and the just the overall vibe of the campus, like it’s a home environment; somewhere I could see myself.”

3. Jonah Savaiinaea getting reps at RT

Arizona’s starting offensive line might not have a resolution until preseason training camp when left tackle Jordan Morgan returns from his knee rehab and standout high school linemen Raymond Pulido, a 6-6, 345-pound four-star prospect and former Alabama commit, and 6-7, 285-pound tackle Elijha Payne are on campus.

The Day One starting lineup this spring featured left tackle Sam Langi, left guard Wendell Moe, center Josh Baker, right guard Jonah Savaiinaea and right tackle Joseph Borjon. On Thursday, Arizona’s first group for its team period had Savaiinaea at right tackle, Langi at right guard, Baker at center, Moe at left guard and Borjon at left tackle.

Savaiinaea, a 6-3, 335-pound Freshman All-American last season, carries his weight well and was one of the Wildcats’ top offensive linemen as a true freshman. The more spring goes, the more reps Savaiinaea earns at right tackle.

4. JDL displaying mobility with added weight

Last spring ball, de Laura, who would lead the Wildcats to the sixth-best passing offense in college football, was overwhelmed with the Wildcats’ NFL-style offense.

“Probably the first week I couldn’t even remember one play. … Last year, I couldn’t really repeat the plays back to Coach Fisch, and he would say the play like three or four times,” de Laura said.

The offense is “second nature” now for de Laura, who has gained nearly 30 pounds since arriving at Arizona. Last spring, de Laura weighed 182 pounds; now he weighs 211 pounds. Despite the added weight, de Laura has periodically burst into the secondary for runs longer than 15 yards.

“The weight feels amazing,” de Laura said. “I took off on one (run in practice). I felt like I was moving. I feel like it’s going to be kinda scary for DBs now, because I wasn’t really scared of contact, and now I feel like I have something extra behind me coming through. ... I’m running faster at this weight than I was before.”

5. Spring game generating buzz

Arizona legend and future Pro Football Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski went a decade without stepping foot on the UA campus. Now “Gronk” will make his second appearance at the UA since Fisch was hired when he serves as an honorary coach for the Arizona spring game on April 15 at Arizona Stadium. Rob’s brother Chris, a former UA fullback, will be the second honorary coach.

Rob Gronkowski was an honorary coach with Tedy Bruschi in 2021.

The Gronkowski Bros’ honorary defensive coordinators will be Arizona defensive back greats Antoine Cason and Chris McAlister.

Under Fisch, the spring game has evolved into an entertaining event for UA football diehards and recruits, and it’s also served as a reunion for former players and alumni.

Arizona’s spring game, which is open to the public, has already received over 11,000 secured spots; Fisch said the Wildcats are aiming for 15,000 spectators.