When he shifted to safety during the season opener at Hawaii, lifelong cornerback Jace Whittaker had minimal experience at the position. Yet it wasn’t completely foreign to him either.
This will take a little explaining. Let’s start with the Arizona Wildcats’ walk-through practice before the Hawaii game. That’s when Whittaker took reps at the “Spur” safety spot. It was the first time he had ever done it. It was mostly a contingency plan — an if-necessary kind of deal.
It became necessary when Rainbow Warriors slot receiver Cedric Byrd II lit up the UA secondary for 10 catches, 128 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Whittaker moved inside, mainly to cover Byrd. Byrd still produced in the second half — four catches, 96 yards, one TD — but didn’t do nearly as much damage as in the first. On what turned out to be the winning score, Whittaker passed him off in zone coverage.
Whittaker returned to his usual position for the home opener against NAU. Then came Week 3 against Texas Tech. Whittaker played Spur for the entire game. Arizona put together its best defensive performance of 2019. It probably wasn’t a coincidence.
Multiple UA coaches have described Whittaker, a wily fifth-year veteran, as one of them. “Coach on the field” practically has become a part of Whittaker’s name.
By playing more in the middle of the field and having all the action in front of him, Whittaker is in a better position to use his experience and intelligence.
“I can see what’s going on a lot better,” Whittaker said Tuesday amid preparations for Saturday’s Pac-12 opener against UCLA. “The feel is a lot different as well. I tend to play football with the feel of how the game is going. That helps me a lot. The communication is a lot better.”
Moving a top player from corner to Spur — which could be matchup-dependent in Whittaker’s case — is not unprecedented for UA defensive coordinator Marcel Yates. He did the same thing with Dane Cruikshank in 2017. Cruikshank had an excellent season and joined the Tennessee Titans as a fifth-round draft pick.
Cruikshank had a lot to learn in a short period of time. He didn’t go it alone.
“We were in the film room every single day, for as long as we could be in there,” Whittaker said. “I wanted to know his position.
“Our job that year was to know everything the defense was doing. And that’s what we did. I soaked up everything that he was learning.”
Whittaker played cornerback in 2017, recording three interceptions. He missed most of last season because of injuries. This year, he already has matched his ’17 total with three picks through three games.
The mental reps he took with Cruikshank clearly benefited Whittaker, who, unlike his former teammate, didn’t practice at the position during training camp. Still, it seems like a difficult thing to do.
“For Jace, it’s not that hard,” UA senior safety Chacho Ulloa said. “Jace is a smart player. I had no doubts that he was going to be successful.”
Has Ulloa tried to coach Whittaker up?
“That’s not necessary,” Ulloa said. “He’s very passionate about the game. He’s very detail-oriented.”
Whittaker spends a lot of time talking football with Yates, who also coaches the safeties, and cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin. They wouldn’t have trusted Whittaker to make the move from corner to Spur if they didn’t think he could handle it.
At 5 feet 11 inches and 185 pounds, Whittaker has neither the length nor bulk that Cruikshank offered. (The Titans list him at 6-1, 209). But shifting Whittaker inside is more about the intangibles he brings to the defense. Even players on the other side of the ball notice.
“He’s a great leader — one of the best leaders that I’ve been around,” junior tailback Gary Brightwell said. “When things are going rough ... he takes all the blame. He picks his guys up. He never points the finger.”
Watching the comeback
Every Wildcat who spoke to the media Tuesday experienced UCLA’s monster comeback over Washington State in a different way.
Whittaker cut it off after the first half. The Cougars led 35-17 at the time. The lead grew to 49-17. Whittaker didn’t find out until the next day that UCLA had rallied for a 67-63 victory. Teammate Samari Springs broke the news.
“I didn’t believe it,” Whittaker said. “But … they’re a good team. And (coach) Chip Kelly knows what he’s doing.”
Tight end Bryce Wolma had the opposite experience. He was hanging out with some friends Saturday night, and they turned the game on at halftime. They didn’t pay much attention when WSU’s lead grew to 32 points. Then UCLA started scoring.
“We keep looking back, and we’re like, ‘What’s going on?’” Wolma said. “By the end of the game, we were all watching.”
Ulloa went home for the weekend to Corona, California. When he and his family left their house to go out to dinner, the game was tied 7-7. By the time they were being seated at a local Benihana restaurant, the blowout was underway. Ulloa thought the game was “out of reach.”
“Forty-five minutes, an hour later, I go to the bathroom,” Ulloa said. “What the heck just happened? I was gone for a little bit, because I was watching it.”
Brightwell was unaware of the Bruins’ historic rally. With the UA on a bye, he put his phone on “do not disturb” mode.
What was Brightwell doing during the game?
“I was actually doing homework,” he said.
Extra points
• Arizona recently added two walk-ons to its online roster: quarterback Cameron Fietz, a transfer from the University of British Columbia, and receiver Vince Ellison, the younger brother of former Wildcats wideout Tony Ellison. More walk-ons are expected to be added this week.
• UCLA returned a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown last week — believed to be the first time the Bruins have done both in the same game.
