The Arizona Wildcats held their open “Spring Scrimmage” on Thursday night at Arizona Stadium. Here are my top seven observations:
1. Taylor time
J.J. Taylor knows his body better than anyone else. If he says he’s only 80 percent - as detailed in my recap of the scrimmage – you have to take him at his word. But wow, did he look good. Every time the redshirt-freshman tailback touched the ball, he appeared to be moving at a faster rate that anyone else on the field. Oddly enough, Taylor didn’t score any touchdowns. The defense eventually upended him or steered him out of bounds. Maybe if he were 100 percent, it wouldn’t have happened. I can’t wait for that to be the case.
2. Tilford too
Fellow tailback Nathan Tilford had a couple of impressive runs. The first once came during the “thud” (non-tackling) team period. He sidestepped a defender in the hole and maneuvered his way downfield, displaying the agility running backs coach Calvin Magee mentioned earlier in spring camp. Later, Tilford collided with a defender at about the 1-yard line, spun out of the tackle and extended the ball over the goal line (see photo above). Otherwise, the freshman didn’t have much room to run, generally working behind the second-team offensive line.
3. Dawkins > Tate
I thought Brandon Dawkins looked more comfortable than quarterback competitor Khalil Tate – which is to be expected given their respective experience levels. Dawkins threw the ball well and ran it judiciously. One thing we forget about him is that he rarely turns the ball over. That’s what flashed through my mind when Tate through an interception to Jarvis McCall Jr. during a goal-line drill. There’s a long, long way to go between now and Week 1, and a lot can change during that time. But Dawkins has to be the front-runner at this point.
4. Tight spot
One of Dawkins’ touchdown passes went to tight end Trevor Wood on a seam route – a pattern I don’t recall Wood running all of last season (or maybe he did and never got the ball). Fellow tight end Jamie Nunley showed some nifty run-after-the-catch moves, and freshman Bryce Gilbert made some quality catches in traffic. UA coach Rich Rodriguez praised the tight ends’ size and athleticism and mentioned using them in "some different spots." But seeing is believing when it comes to getting them involved in the passing game when it really counts.
5. Poindexter’s progress
We’ve had two opportunities to observe practice so far, and I’ve come away impressed with receiver Shawn Poindexter each time. He’s a very good athlete with an imposing frame (6-5, 210), and the former volleyball player is starting to figure out what he’s doing. But he and fellow big man Zach Benjamin (6-4, 211) need to learn how best to use their bodies. Both suffered one-sided defeats in the board drill, allowing smaller defenders to get under their pads and gain leverage on them.
6. Big-man battle
The most impressive player in one-on-one pass-rush drills was defensive tackle Sione Taufahema. The junior-college transfer used swim and spin moves to get past Michael Eletise, displaying surprisingly nimble feet for a 6-foot-1, 330-pounder. Rodriguez said Taufahema needs to get in better shape. Assuming he does, I would expect him to be a key member of the defensive line rotation. Rodriguez also mentioned that Eletise’s conditioning isn’t where it needs to be after he missed time because of injury. Eletise worked with the twos at left guard. I would expect him to start there eventually.
7. Personnel matters
A few more random notes … Tony Ellison worked as the No. 1 slot receiver with Shun Brown limited because of an undisclosed injury. … Receiver Devaughn Cooper is dangerous with the ball in his hands but needs to catch it first; he had one particularly egregious drop. … Freshman linebacker Tony Fields II got extensive work and looks the part. … Jacob Colacion rotated with Gavin Robertson at “Will” linebacker alongside Brandon Rutt. … Chacho Ulloa rotated with Tristan Cooper at “Spur” safety. … Freshman Jose Ramirez appeared to be lining up at the “Stud” position during warmups. … Kicker Josh Pollack missed both of his attempts from 40-plus yards (albeit with white-paneled autographed footballs). … Left tackle Layth Friekh did a really nice job of mirroring DeAndre’ Miller during pass-rush drills.
