Editor's note: This story ran in the Star's college football special section.
For all the good he did for Arizona’s football program last season, Jedd Fisch couldn’t guide the Wildcats across the finish line nearly enough.
Arizona won only one game in 2021, Fisch’s first season, posting the program’s worst full-season record since 1957. The Wildcats were able to snap the school’s record losing streak, which had reached 20 games by early November, but that was the lone highlight in an otherwise difficult year filled with quarterback injuries and disappointing fourth-quarter finishes.
Fisch knew Arizona needed an infusion of talent, so he and his staff went about reshaping the roster. The Wildcats added a plethora of promising playmakers to boost one of the nation’s most anemic offenses. They also welcomed yet another defensive coordinator. Johnny Nansen replaced Don Brown, who left Tucson after one season to become the head coach at UMass.
The new faces, combined with a solid core of returning veterans, have infused the program with energy and hope. A taxing schedule — featuring nary a breather in non-conference play and a brutal five-game stretch against Oregon, Washington, USC, Utah and UCLA in the Pac-12 — likely will limit what the 2022 Cats can accomplish. But the arrow unquestionably is pointing up.
What will Fisch’s second squad look like? Here’s an in-depth look at Arizona’s personnel in all three phases:
Quarterbacks Noah Fifita, left, and Jayden de Laura, right, work on drills in the 2022 offseason.
Offense
The Wildcats averaged only 16.4 fewer yards per game than they allowed lsat season. Yet they won only once and scored the fewest points (17.2 per game) of any Pac-12 team.
The two main culprits were red-zone inefficiency and turnovers. Arizona had the lowest red-zone touchdown rate (30.8%) in the country last season by a pretty wide margin. The UA also tied Florida for the most interceptions thrown (18).
After a season of instability and mostly ineffective play at quarterback, Fisch and his staff sought to upgrade the position. They succeeded by signing Jayden de Laura via the NCAA transfer portal. De Laura was named Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2021 after passing for 2,798 yards and 23 touchdowns for Washington State. He became available when WSU changed offensive coordinators and pursued Incarnate Word quarterback Cameron Ward.
Although it took him some time to adjust to Fisch’s system, de Laura displayed mobility and aggressiveness from the outset. His experience and playmaking ability should elevate the entire offense.
Freshman Noah Fifita, who also enrolled in January, appeared to have an edge on veteran Jordan McCloud for the No. 2 quarterback job when training camp ended. Although he’s generously listed at 5 feet 11 inches, Fifita has a powerful arm and an advanced feel for the game. McCloud, another transfer, seized the starting QB job in late September last year before suffering a season-ending injury.
The staff also remade the receiver room, adding sought-after transfer Jacob Cowing and three coveted recruits in Tetairoa McMillan, Kevin Green Jr. and AJ Jones. Cowing succeeds Stanley Berryhill III as Arizona’s top target after a stellar season at UTEP (69 catches, 1,354 yards, seven touchdowns). The Wildcats will try to get the ball to Cowing in a variety of ways.
McMillan, the highest-rated UA recruit in modern history, and underrated returnee Dorian Singer will start alongside Cowing. McMillan brings tremendous size (listed at 6-5, 205) and unlimited upside. Singer caught 18 passes for 301 yards over the final five games of his freshman season and had a strong training camp.
Sophomore Anthony Simpson also excelled during camp and can play all three positions. Green, a one-time USC commit, looks like Cowing’s heir apparent at slot receiver. Veteran Jamarye Joiner is hoping to stay healthy after a pair of foot surgeries; he made plays throughout camp.
Besides McMillan and Jones (6-4), Arizona added more size to its pass-catching corps in four-star freshman tight end Keyan Burnett (6-6). He’ll share time with veteran Alex Lines. Expect more passes to be thrown to the tight ends this season, especially in the red zone.
Fisch repeatedly has emphasized the importance of running the ball better to improve the offense’s red-zone efficiency. The Wildcats added talent and versatility to their backfield in transfer DJ Williams and freshmen Jonah Coleman and Rayshon Luke.
Williams, who began his career at Auburn and played last season at Florida State, is a bruiser at 225 pounds. He’ll complement consistent, reliable returnee Michael Wiley, who averaged only 3.3 yards per carry last season but had a team-high six touchdowns (two rushing, four receiving).
Coleman is a human bowling ball at 5-9, 225. Luke — nicknamed “Speedy” — is a legit track athlete in the mold of former Oregon standout DeAnthony Thomas.
Arizona’s shiny new toys will lose their luster if the offensive line doesn’t improve. The unit, led by talented but inconsistent left tackle Jordan Morgan, has plenty of experience. The staff is hopeful that an additional year in the system and in Tyler Owens’ strength program will yield dividends. The most notable newcomer is Jonah Savaiinaea, a massive (6-5, 335) freshman from Hawaii who has started at right guard since spring ball.
Johnny Nansen, formerly of UCLA, was hired as the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator during the offseason. His big task: Increase the number of Arizona’s takeaways.
Defense
Nansen is the Wildcats’ fourth full-time defensive coordinator in as many seasons. He inherits a defense that improved markedly under Brown — Arizona yielded about 100 fewer yards per game than either of the previous two seasons — but continued to struggle in one critical area: takeaways.
Arizona forced only six turnovers last season, tying Syracuse for fewest in the nation. Upping that total has been one of Nansen’s primary objectives since he was hired in December. The secondary, playing more zone coverage, took the ball away regularly during spring practice. That trend continued to start training camp but slowed as camp progressed.
The defensive backfield is considered the strength of the UA defense. It features three experienced starters in cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace and safeties Christian Young and Jaxen Turner. All have the potential to be pros.
Roland-Wallace had a stellar offseason. If there’s one area where he can improve, it’s securing interceptions. He has only two in 29 career games.
Young is playing more of a traditional strong safety position after serving as a hybrid safety-linebacker last season. He’ll still be in charge of locking up opposing tight ends. Few players on the roster can match Young’s blend of size (6-3, 225) and explosion.
Turner will serve as the defense’s center fielder, primarily playing in the high post. He needs to tackle better after totaling a team-high 14 missed tackles last season, per Pro Football Focus. Likewise Arizona’s nickel backs, Gunner Maldonado and Jaydin Young, who each had 13 missed tackles.
Treydan Stukes was the Wildcats’ best cover corner last season, according to certain metrics, but he missed about half of training camp because of a leg injury. Isaiah Rutherford, who split time with Stukes last year, is a reliable alternative. The staff loves the upside of 6-4 freshman corners Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis.
Depth is a concern at safety and linebacker. The only linebacker with any substantial playing experience is Jerry Roberts, who has made an impressive comeback after suffering a season-ending broken leg last November. The other three players projected to fill out the two-deep — Kolbe Cage, Malik Reed and Ammon Allen — have combined for 13 career appearances and one start.
As camp wound down, Cage emerged as the front-runner to start on the weak side. Both Cage (6-1, 215) and Allen (6-3, 215) are undersized at this point in their development. Reed, who had eight tackles in the 2021 finale, looks the part (6-2, 230) but has battled minor injuries during the offseason.
The defensive front is anchored by 2021 second-team All-Pac-12 selection Kyon Barrs, who had a team-high five sacks despite playing an interior position. Barrs had foot surgery in March and played limited snaps during camp. But he’s on track to play Week 1.
Barrs lined up alongside Paris Shand during the Wildcats’ mock game a week ago. Shand, a former basketball player, offers an intriguing blend of size (6-5, 290) and athleticism and could be poised for a breakout season.
Arizona added depth and a potential starter via UCLA transfer Tiaoalii Savea, although he missed the latter portion of training camp for undisclosed reasons. Veteran Dion Wilson Jr. (6-6, 295) and freshman Jacob Kongaika (6-2, 285) are among other big bodies who will enable Nansen to achieve his goal of rotating players up front.
On the edges, Arizona has a pair of super seniors in longtime Wildcat Jalen Harris and USC transfer Hunter Echols. Harris is coming off his best season (47 tackles, four sacks). Echols has familiarity with Nansen from their days in L.A. but has only 1.5 sacks in 50 career games.
The breakout star of camp was freshman edge rusher Russell Davis II. Davis, listed at 6-3, 210, isn’t big enough yet to play every down. But he has displayed a knack for sacks and has forced the staff to find ways to use him.
From left: Arizona kicker Tyler Loop, punter Kyle Ostendorp and special-teams ace Nazar Bombata.
Special teams
This could be the Wildcats’ biggest strength in 2022.
Punter Kyle Ostendorp and kicker Tyler Loop are both all-conference candidates. Ostendorp earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors last season, when he set a school record with a 49.2-yard gross average. Exactly half of his punts (29 of 58) traveled 50-plus yards.
Loop shared placekicking duties last season and didn’t miss, going 12 for 12 on field goals and 12 for 12 on extra points. He’ll add long-distance field goals to his duties in Year 3 but has plenty of leg to be effective from that range.
Cowing is expected to return punts. That wasn’t one of his responsibilities at UTEP, but he has the skill set to excel at it. The primary kickoff returner will be either Simpson or Luke, two of Arizona’s fastest players.
The Wildcats had four punts blocked last season. Jordan Paopao, now the full-time special-teams coach, has adjusted the protection to avoid a repeat. Special-teams ace Nazar Bombata is back after blocking two punts in 2021.
