โHe can embarrass you.โ
โHe can make you look bad.โ
โHeโs a freak.โ
Those were some of the sentiments expressed by Arizona Wildcats coaches about Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver this week. They were not the usual platitudes one teamโs representatives politely present about the otherโs.
Entering his sophomore season, Oliver might be the best player in college football. So suggested NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter in his preseason ranking of the top 150 players in the sport. The three immediately behind him: star quarterbacks Lamar Jackson, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield.
โOliver was the most impressive freshman defender in recent college football history,โ Reuter wrote. โHeโll be a constant thorn in the side of offenses for the foreseeable future.โ
For Arizonaโs offense, that window opens at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Oliver and the Cougars will make their 2017 debut at Arizona Stadium after their opener was postponed because of Hurricane Harvey. If the Wildcats canโt keep Oliver out of the backfield, they likely will suffer their first loss.
Just ask Mayfield and Jackson. Oklahoma and Louisville each were ranked third in the AP Top 25 when Houston and Oliver upset them last season. Oliver had seven tackles, including two sacks, in his college debut against the Sooners. He had six tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble against the Cardinals.
For the season, Oliver amassed 66 tackles, 23 stops for losses and nine pass breakups. Arizonaโs entire defensive line โ including LB/DE DeAndreโ Miller โ recorded 21.5 tackles for loss and seven passes broken up. The Wildcats are using three defensive tackles to simulate Oliver in practice.
โHeโs a first-rounder,โ UA coach Rich Rodriguez said. โTremendous player. He plays with great leverage. Heโs strong. Heโs active. He runs to the ball. Everything anybody would want in an interior defensive lineman, he has it.
โEverybody knew that coming out of high school. He could have gone anywhere in the country. Heโs been every bit as advertised and then some.โ
A consensus five-star recruit whom ESPN ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the country, Oliver elected to play for his hometown Cougars. UHโs roster already featured his older brother, Marcus, who plays on the offensive line.
Ed Oliver exceeded the hype, earning first-team recognition on seven All-America teams. Former Houston coach Tom Herman, speaking to USA Today, likened Oliver to โa rolling ball with butcher knives. He just never stops.โ
So how exactly do you slow down a guy like that?
UA offensive line coach Jim Michalczik said pad level and technique will be critical for interior blockers Jacob Alsadek, Nathan Eldridge and Christian Boettcher. Oliver is listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 290 pounds and relies more on leverage, first-step quickness and hustle than brute strength.
Arizonaโs linemen have to โbe right,โ Michalczik said. โTake the right steps. Get your pad level down. Put your body in the right position. Then just go play.
โHe can take you out of your game. Thatโs the big worry. Youโve got to trust in your technique. Youโve got to trust in your fundamentals. And youโve got to be aggressive when you do it. As soon as you start playing hesitant, heโs going to make you look really bad.โ
Alsadek praised Oliverโs second effort and said scout-team defensive tackle Matt Thomas has been executing countermoves after the initial block to help Arizonaโs offensive linemen prepare for it.
Reserve quarterback Rhett Rodriguez noticed Oliverโs determination on film.
โHeโll be on the complete other side of the field,โ Rodriguez said. โTheyโll throw a screen away from him, and heโll still run and at least get a hand on the guy.โ
Watch Oliverโs highlights on YouTube, and youโll see him tracking down ball-carriers from sideline to sideline โ highly unusual for an interior defensive lineman.
But the biggest threat he poses to Arizona is between the tackles. Oliver considers himself a run stopper first and foremost, and he helped Houston rank fourth in the country in run defense last season.
The Cougars allowed 100.2 yards per game on the ground. The Wildcats led the Pac-12 in rushing last season (235 yards per game) and have topped 500 yards in each of their past two contests.
โAlmost all offenses, if you have a nose tackle thatโs coming in and getting in your face, thatโs really hard,โ Rhett Rodriguez said. โI think weโre going to have some different strategies to make sure he canโt singlehandedly change the game.โ
Tight spot
Rich Rodriguez said tight end Jamie Nunley will return this week, and thatโs good news for a UA team whose depth at the position is suddenly suspect.
Starter Trevor Wood exited the opener in the third quarter and had a boot on his left foot Tuesday. Wood also had pads on as he emerged from the weight room. His status for Saturday is to be determined.
Nunley, a redshirt freshman, missed Week 1 because of a back injury. After sitting out his freshman year, Nunley established himself as the No. 2 tight end entering this season. Freshman Bryce Wolma subbed for Wood in the opener. Fullback Jamardre Harris-Cobb also served as a blocker from the wing in the second half.
Extra points
- Rodriguez on Houstonโs talent level: โI see Power Five talent. Sometimes they get labeled. I donโt know why. Theyโve got some of the best players in the country.โ Houston plays in the AAC, one of the so-called โGroup of Fiveโ conferences.
- Quarterback Brandon Dawkins said the missed pass that stood out the most against Northern Arizona was his overthrow of Shawn Poindexter. Dawkins joked that he might be lifting too much. He added: โI gotta make sure I capitalize.โ
- No. 2 quarterback Khalil Tate had a green jersey on as he left the practice field, indicating partial participation. Tate hurt his throwing shoulder in the second half against the Lumberjacks.
- Linebacker/defensive end DeAndreโ Miller still has a boot on his left foot after undergoing surgery in July. Rodriguez declined to update Millerโs status.
