“Can you name all the defensive coordinators and position coaches you’ve had here?”
“I’ll try,” Jalen Harris replied.
Arizona’s veteran defensive end then proceeded to list them. He almost got them all.
Harris, entering his sixth and final season as a Wildcat, has worked with at least 10 coaches. Forgive him for forgetting Chuck Cecil, who served as Arizona’s interim defensive coordinator for the final three games of the 2019 season.
No player should have to endure so much turnover and turmoil. Through it all, Harris has steadily improved. He notched career highs with 47 tackles and four passes defensed last season. He also matched his career best with four sacks.
Harris has refused to let Arizona’s near-constant staff changes get him down.
Jason Kaufusi, who coaches the Wildcats’ edge rushers, says Jalen Harris’ attitude has been exemplary.
“I just focus on things I can control,” Harris said after Friday’s practice. “I’m happy Coach Nansen’s here. I’ve learned a lot, and I’m going to continue to learn.”
Counting Cecil, Johnny Nansen is the fifth defensive coordinator Arizona has employed in the past four years. Jedd Fisch’s initial DC hire was Don Brown, who left after one season to become the head coach at UMass.
Nansen brought along Jason Kaufusi to coach the edge rushers, a group that includes Harris and fellow sixth-year senior Hunter Echols.
Kaufusi said Harris’ attitude has been exemplary. The previous offseason he earned the No. 1 jersey, awarded to one player on each side of the ball for academic achievement, community service, workout attendance and on-field performance.
“I don’t look at where he’s come from ... who he’s been coached by, who he’s been taught by,” Kaufusi said. “It’s more of hey, let’s live in right now. Let’s live in the present, stay in the moment. What are the things that I can identify to help you?”
The way Harris sees it, Nansen and Kaufusi are just the latest instructors who can teach him something new about his craft. Although continuity is usually preferable, there’s something to be said for new voices bringing fresh ideas.
“Everyone has different philosophies,” Harris said. “I’ve been able to adapt and be versatile.”
Arizona is counting on Harris and Echols to provide a consistent pass rush from the outside, where experience is lacking behind them. Paris Shand, who’s alternating between end and tackle, is the only other edge player who’s played meaningful snaps in college.
Like Harris, Echols has experienced a lot of change during his college career. He spent his first five seasons at USC, where he played for multiple head coaches, coordinators and position coaches. One of them is coaching him now; Nansen was one of the Trojans’ defensive assistants from 2016-19.
Like another former Trojan – baseball star Mark McGwire – Echols wasn’t interested in talking about the past when he followed Harris to the microphone Friday.
“I’m proud of my journey and my success, whatever you want to call it,” said Echols, who had 50 tackles in 37 games at USC. “I’m just focused on being here with Arizona, being present, in the moment. I’m not worried about what I did at any other place. I’m just worried about what’s going on right here.
“I love what I’ve done in college football. I love the coaches that I’ve been around. I just want to continue to get better. My career is different than anybody else’s, but it’s mine.
“I’m just proud to be an Arizona Wildcat for my last year, and I’m just excited to see what we’re gonna do as a team.”
Weighty matters
Harris’ body has changed dramatically during his time at Arizona.
As a freshman, Harris was listed at 6 feet 4 inches and 212 pounds. The UA now lists him at 6-6, 275.
Harris carries the weight well, and it doesn’t appear to have made him any slower or less agile. He worked throughout the offseason to improve his conditioning.
“I noticed last year ... I wasn’t quite in the best shape that I needed to be in,” Harris said.
Harris played 83.2% of the Wildcats’ defensive snaps last season, and he’s likely to have a similarly substantial workload this year. He took it upon himself to do extra running and short-burst sprints on a stationary bike.
“Just being on the field and running, it’s not enough,” Harris said.
Adding good weight has been a career-long challenge for Harris. He knows what freshman edge rushers Russell Davis II and Sterling Lane II are up against. Both players are listed at 6-foot-3. Davis is 210 pounds, Lane 220.
“When I came in, I was only 200 pounds,” Harris said. “I had to focus on eating. I told them, ‘You need to be consistent. That’s the only way it’s gonna work. You’re not gonna be hungry all the time, but you still gotta eat and make sure you maintain that weight.’ “
Kaufusi said he’d like his edge rushers to be in the 240- to 245-pound range. But if “you can get the job done, I’m OK with (less),” he added. “Bottom line is production.”
Extra points
After a string of uneven performances, the first-team offense broke out in a big way Friday. Quarterback Jayden de Laura threw four touchdown passes across two series of 7-on-7, including a pair to freshman receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
During 11-on-11, de Laura connected with Jacob Cowing on a post route for a touchdown of about 70 yards. Cowing was able to get past linebacker Jerry Roberts and safety Jaxen Turner down the field. On the next series featuring the ones, de Laura threw a quick out to Cowing, who outraced the defense down the left sideline for another long TD. Finally, in the last sequence open for media viewing, freshman tailback Jonah Coleman made a couple of cutback moves and outran the secondary for a score of about 50 yards.
The only blemish on de Laura’s record during the open periods was an interception snared by Roberts near the goal line during a two-minute drill. The offense was given another down immediately afterward, suggesting the possibility of a penalty on the defense.
The defense – which rested some veterans along the front – did make some plays. Cornerback Isaiah Rutherford and defensive lineman JB Brown recorded sacks. Gunner Maldonado and Turner shared one. Defensive end Jason Harris had a pair of quarterback pressures.
Freshman QB Noah Fifita had another solid day. His best play might have been when he scooped up a wide shotgun snap in the end zone and shoveled the ball to Stevie Rocker Jr., turning a potentially disastrous play into a short gain.
Cornerback Isaiah Mays, who’s been out all week, ran sprints along the sideline. Other players who remained out included tailback Jalen John and cornerback Treydan Stukes.
Linebacker Malik Reed appeared to be limited to individual work. Kolbe Cage worked with the first unit at weak-side linebacker.
Defensive tackle Dion Wilson Jr. returned after missing a handful of practices.
Offensive coordinator/O-line coach Brennan Carroll (illness) attended practice with a mask on and observed most drills from a distance.
The team is slated to hold its first scrimmage at Arizona Stadium at 10 a.m. Saturday. It will mark the debut of the new turf inside the stadium.
