Editorโs note: This is the first in a three-part series wrapping up the 2021 Arizona football season.
The 2021 season is over for the Arizona Wildcats. Recruiting and roster reconstruction are in full swing.
With the Dec. 15 early signing date fast approaching and a boatload of changes on the way, weโre taking stock of the UA program.
Weโll examine the teamโs offense, defense and special teams over the next three days โ looking back at performances from this past season and ahead to whatโs next for Jedd Fisch and his squad.
Part 1: Offense.
Personnel breakdown
Four key departures: WR Stanley Berryhill III, C Josh McCauley, WR Tayvian Cunningham, TE Bryce Wolma
Two possible departures: OL Donovan Laie, QB Gunner Cruz
Six key returnees: QB Will Plummer, QB Jordan McCloud, WR Dorian Singer, TE Alex Lines, RB Stevie Rocker Jr., OL Josh Baker
2021 awards
MVP: WR Stanley Berryhill
Berryhill became the sixth Wildcat to catch 80-plus passes in a season and the first since 2012 (Austin Hill); the Tucson product also led Arizona with 865 scrimmage yards.
Most improved: QB Will Plummer
The final numbers (58.1% completion rate, 6-9 TD-INT ratio) donโt reflect it, but Plummer improved markedly over the course of the season and played his best football down the stretch.
Unsung hero: OT Paiton Fears
Fears, who has one more year of eligibility, played a team-high 915 snaps (out of a possible 917), per Pro Football Focus, and had his steadiest season as a Wildcat.
Wildcats wide receiver Dorian Singer reacts to a tackle from Arizona Stateโs Jack Jones after making a catch during last weekโs rivalry game. Singer, a freshman from Phoenix, came on strong in the second half of the Wildcatsโ season.
Top newcomer: WR Dorian Singer
The freshman walk-on finished third on the team with 301 receiving yards despite appearing in only five games; he also led the UA with an average of 16.7 yards per catch.
2021 report card
Quarterbacks: D+
Although Plummer improved, and McCloud and Cruz flashed potential, the UA quarterback collective combined to throw 18 interceptions, tied for most in the nation.
Running backs: B-
The four primary backs โ Michael Wiley, Drake Anderson, Jalen John and Rocker โ combined for 1,090 yards but averaged only 4.0 yards per carry; Wiley led the team with six touchdowns (two rushing, four receiving).
Wide receivers: B-
Berryhill and Singer elevate the groupโs grade; Boobie Curry led the WR corps with three touchdowns on only 21 receptions; veteran BJ Casteel had a disappointing season (team-high seven drops).
Tight ends: C
Arizona just didnโt get the production out of this group that Fisch sought for a variety of reasons, including quarterbacks not looking their way often enough; Lines tied for the second-most penalties (five) among offensive players.
Offensive linemen: C
While this group improved after a rough 2020, especially in pass blocking, the run blocking wasnโt where it needed to be; even after adjusting for sacks, the Wildcats averaged just 4.6 yards per carry.
Coaching: D+
Fisch and his staff never could solve Arizonaโs red-zone issues (last in the nation in TD percentage); despite running the most plays in the Pac-12 entering championship weekend, the Wildcats averaged the fewest points.
The big question
Should Arizona add a starting-caliber quarterback via the NCAA transfer portal or stick with the status quo?
When you lead the country in interceptions and rank last in the Pac-12 in passing efficiency, it seems like an easy answer.
Of course the Wildcats need to add more talent to their QB room.
Itโs not that simple.
First of all, the top quarterbacks available on the market would have to want to come here. If they arenโt guaranteed a starting spot โ a promise that would be antithetical to Fischโs belief that competition breeds success โ it might not be appealing to them. The prospect of playing behind Arizonaโs offensive line might not be either.
Fisch also might feel good enough about what he has.
Although he threw five interceptions at Oregon, McCloud moved the offense. Fisch was impressed enough to name him the starter for the rest of the season. McCloud was playing a clean game the following week against UCLA before suffering a season-ending injury.
After Cruz suffered a season-ending thumb injury, Fisch had to turn back to Plummer. Plummer began the season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Cruz, then started vs. NAU โ a game Arizona lost, in part, because Plummer threw a pair of interceptions.
Plummer began to turn a corner against USC. He averaged 260 yards of total offense and accounted for six touchdowns over the final five games despite a shoulder injury suffered against Cal. He posted a 4-2 TD-INT ratio over the final three games.
Whether McCloud or Plummer showed enough in relatively small sample sizes for Fisch to feel confident in them moving forward is a question only he can answer. The proof will be found on the transaction wire.
One other factor to consider is that Fischโs pro-style offense requires a learning curve. McCloud couldnโt get to Tucson until June, and he was running behind Plummer and Cruz throughout training camp. Even Plummer, the only holdover QB on scholarship from the previous regime, said the offense didnโt truly click for him until that USC game โ the eighth game of the season.
Any quarterback whoโs on the market already likely would be able to enroll before spring practice. (Incoming freshman Noah Fifita will be in the mix as well.) But theyโd still have to make up ground. Theyโd be coming here without any assurances.
Most confident, successful athletes are willing to bet on themselves. McCloud and Plummer already did, and it paid off to varying degrees.
Neither will be handed the job in 2022. But Fisch doesnโt want a repeat of โ21, when the QB situation was muddled coming out of training camp. Would adding a high-profile quarterback make things better โ or just more complicated?
