Jace Whittaker found out what life was like without football last season. Oh, he was around, coaching up his Arizona Wildcats teammates. But a pair of injuries prevented him from playing, aside from one series.
The smart, gritty cornerback is back for a fifth year. Heβs two practices into his final training camp. Despite last yearβs rotten injury luck, Whittaker isnβt holding anything back.
βDonβt take this for granted,β the senior said. βYou never know whatβs gonna happen the next second. So just go as hard as you can go every chance you get.β
Whittaker is taking a seize-the-day approach to his final season. Heβs embracing everything about it β including the ramped-up competition at his position.
While the offensive and defensive lines have been a focal point for Kevin Sumlin and his staff, they also have worked to beef up the perimeter positions. Wide receiver and cornerback have undergone considerable turnover since last season, but both spots are teeming with young, impressive-looking athletes.
Sophomore cornerback McKenzie Barnes was one of the stars of the spring game. Freshman corner Christian Roland-Wallace was one of the most buzzed-about players in spring practice. Fellow freshman corner Bobby Wolfeβs athleticism and bravado impressed Khalil Tate this summer.
Whittaker and veteran Lorenzo Burns likely will start. But theyβll be pushed in a way they havenβt been previously. Whittaker welcomes it.
βIf your seat doesnβt feel hot, you donβt feel antsy, you (donβt) feel like you want to earn a spot,β Whittaker said, βthen youβre really in the wrong building.β
Whittaker obviously wants to hold onto his starting job, but he understands the potential benefits of a deeper rotation. When they were both healthy in 2017, Whittaker and Burns each played more than 950 snaps. No other corner played as many as 100. Whittaker and Burns appeared to wear down late in the season.
βThe coaches are the experts,β Whittaker said. βIf they think so, Iβll buy in. Weβre all fully bought in. So whatever they say, weβre going with it.β
Whittaker said the buy-in, teamwide, is greater this year than last. The sense of uncertainty inherent in any coaching transition has dissipated.
βThat first year, you donβt really know whatβs going on,β Whittaker said. βYou donβt have a feel for the coaches. You donβt understand. Do they really want you? Everybodyβs bought in this year.β
Whatβs the biggest difference Whittaker sees?
βItβs the little things,β he said. βDo you wake up with a good attitude? Do you wake up like you have to come in today? Or do you wake up like you get to come in today?
βItβs a big difference just walking around and how your mentality is. We changed the mentality, thatβs for sure.β
More byes, no complaints
Arizona is one of four FBS teams opening the season in βWeek Zero.β Sumlin prefers the way this yearβs schedule lays out compared to last yearβs slate.
The UA has a bye after visiting Hawaii on Aug. 24 β one of three off weeks during the season. Because of the way this yearβs calendar breaks, every school gets two byes. The Wildcats chose to take a third rather than schedule a 13th game, which schools are allowed to do if they play in Honolulu.
βItβs a little bit different,β Sumlin said. βIβm not complaining. Iβd rather do that than go 10 straight like we did last year.β
The 2018 Wildcats didnβt have their bye until November. Banged-up players such as Tate and tackle Layth Friekh never got a chance to rest and recuperate from nagging sprained ankles.
Tate tried to play through his injury until Sumlin mercifully pulled him in the first quarter of the Oct. 12 game at Utah. Tate sat out the following week at UCLA and played some of his best ball of the season upon his return. He compared the situation to being sick but still going to work every day.
βYouβre gonna get a little better,β Tate said. βBut youβre (still) going to be sick.β
The β19 Wildcats will have plenty of opportunities to recover from injuries. The first bye also coincides with the start of classes, so it should be easier for players to make that adjustment.
Thereβs one more benefit to starting the season a week early: The UA-Hawaii game will air unopposed on CBS Sports Network. The entire college football world will be watching.
βThatβs an opportunity for exposure for our program and for our university,β Sumlin said.
Sumlin on Tomey
Sumlinβs only regret about the Hawaii game is that Dick Tomey wonβt be there to see it.
Tomey, who passed away in May, guided the Rainbow Warriors for 10 seasons before coaching the Wildcats for 14. The iconic coach developed an enduring bond with the islands and their inhabitants.
βIt would have been something to get him to this Hawaii game,β Sumlin said. βItβs unfortunate.β
Sumlin and his players will acknowledge Tomey every day, however. The school announced Thursday that it would be naming its football practice fields in Tomeyβs honor.
βThere couldnβt be a better situation for the work that these guys put in and the discipline and the things he preached every day,β Sumlin said.
βDonβt think that weβre not reminding our players of that as they step on this practice field.β
Extra points
- LB Tony Fields II returned to practice after missing the first day to attend to a personal matter. Fieldsβ grandmother recently passed away.
- Quarterback Kevin Doyle (shoulder) dressed but didnβt do any throwing during the period open to the media.
- Redshirt sophomore Edgar Burrola worked with the first-team offensive line at right tackle. Burrola started the spring game there but got hurt early and had to come out. He appears to have fully recovered.
- Offensive lineman Jon Jacobs and defensive end Kwabena Watson did not participate in practice. Cornerback Malcolm Holland left early.
- Visitors included three-star cornerback Robert Regan of Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School and former UA defensive line coach Vince Amey, whoβs now with the XFLβs Los Angeles team.
- Sumlin on Jamarye Joinerβs transition from QB to receiver: βHe knew where to line up because he was putting people together at quarterback, which makes him ahead of some of the freshmen that just got here. Heβs got some natural hand-eye. Obviously, heβs a really good athlete, and it looks like heβs having fun.β
- Whittaker on last yearβs season-ending loss to Arizona State: βItβs a scar that was left on us. Scars donβt hurt. But you know itβs there, and it annoys you.β
- Whittaker on how Wolfe got the nickname βHollywoodβ: βHe took off his shirt one day. His back said βHollywood.β So thatβs his name. We didnβt choose it. His tattoo artist did.β