Shortly after the spring game ended, Arizona Wildcats coach Kevin Sumlin addressed his players. He described the challenges they would face in the coming months — the next critical phase in this new era of UA football.
This was Sumlin’s message, as relayed by sophomore linebacker Colin Schooler:
“Congrats, guys. We made it through spring ball. But the season hasn’t even started yet. It’s not over. We’ve still got a lot of work to put in. We’ve still got a lot of room to grow.”
What was Schooler’s biggest takeaway from that talk?
“He expects us, from now to fall camp, to get even better, bigger, faster and stronger,” Schooler said. “I think that’s what we’re going to do. We’re a very competitive group.”
With spring football in the rearview mirror, Sumlin and his staff are conducting the equivalent of “exit interviews” with players this week. They will discuss “strengths and weaknesses” and “do some goal setting for them for this offseason,” Sumlin said.
The overarching theme is growth. Sumlin is seeking not only physical development but mental maturation. He’s looking for leaders.
“The leadership-development piece is big right now,” Sumlin said. “Obviously, you always want your best players to be your leaders. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn’t. Some guys just want to play football. Some guys just aren’t rah-rah guys. That’s where we’ve gotta spend some time.”
Asked what he has learned about his new team over the past month — besides the players’ names, which Sumlin now knows — the first-year coach cited his squad’s youth. Arizona had only nine scholarship seniors or redshirt seniors on the roster distributed to media before the spring game. The majority consists of underclassmen.
Coaches have praised senior defensive backs Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and Jace Whittaker. Sumlin singled out the linebacking corps, which features mostly second-year players. Its leaders are sophomores Schooler and Tony Fields II.
“He’s told us we’re the quarterback of the defense,” Schooler said. “I’m super pleased with our group. We’re always here, watching extra film. We always run into each other in the weight room, getting extra workouts.”
Schooler embodies the physical growth Sumlin is seeking. The 6-foot Schooler said he has added 15-20 pounds, putting him in the 235-240 range after he played at about 220 last season.
Schooler should be more comfortable in a signal-calling role this year. Similarly, junior quarterback Khalil Tate listed being “more vocal” and “more demanding” among the areas where he has progressed the most.
This is a significant offseason for Tate. He became the Wildcats’ starting quarterback about a month into his sophomore season. For the first time, he will be in charge of organizing and running the players-only 7-on-7 sessions that are essential for personal development.
Sumlin has noted repeatedly that Tate remains a relatively inexperienced player. He has nine career starts, including eight last season. His offseason to-do list is longer than most.
“Continue to grow,” Sumlin said. “Continue to get command of the offense. Continue to understand his progressions. Continue to understand the conflict players and RPO game. Understanding those things and understanding defenses even more.”
Sumlin said Tate was “counting people and pointing” at times during the spring game — an accounting exercise that Sumlin hopes will become second nature to Tate with more time in a new offense.
“That’s OK,” Sumlin said. “We’re trying to get to the point that he can just see it and do that. That takes reps. That’s what summertime is about. Film study and just understanding things a little bit more.”
Although there are many similarities between the Sumlin/Noel Mazzone offense and the one run by Rich Rodriguez, they operate differently. Tate and his fellow quarterbacks have had to adjust to a silent snap count after using a clap last season. Also, to promote tempo, Sumlin and Mazzone have implemented a one-word play-calling system, which requires a different type of memorization.
“That’s the other piece of it,” Sumlin said. “When you go fast, you can’t go ‘200 Jet Spider 2 Y Banana.’ We don’t have time for that. You’ve gotta have one-word plays. That puts a little bit more pressure on the quarterback to know exactly where everybody is going.”
Despite those challenges, Tate appears to be advancing as a pocket passer. Unofficially, he completed 18 of 28 passes for 239 yards with one touchdown and one interception during the spring game. The interception came on a pass that was tipped near the line of scrimmage.
“He’s fitting the ball in some windows I never thought he could fit the ball into,” Flannigan-Fowles said. “Sometimes you feel like you’re in great coverage, and he just fits the ball in there. You’re just like, ‘Whoa.’ I feel like his passing has been way more efficient this spring.”
An example of one of those tight-window throws came in the second quarter, when Tate zipped a short pass to Shawn Poindexter. The ball barely eluded cornerback Tony Wallace. Poindexter hauled it in, turned upfield and gained 41 yards.
Tate and Poindexter seemed to be on the same page of the playbook all evening. Poindexter unofficially totaled six receptions for a team-high 133 yards and a touchdown. Their chemistry is a product of putting in extra time.
“Me and Khalil Tate have really just been working on timing together,” Poindexter said. “We stay a couple minutes after practice every now and then. With this man right here, you’ve just gotta be available.”
It’s an example Sumlin would like others to follow, in the offseason and beyond.
