When Montana Lemonious-Craig transferred from Colorado to Arizona in the spring, it was believed the Wildcats found their replacement at the “Z” receiver position.
All-Pac-12 receiver Dorian Singer left the UA football program after the 2022 season and transferred to USC, leaving the door open for his role alongside Tetairoa McMillan and slot receiver Jacob Cowing, who received reps at “Z” receiver in spring while redshirt freshman Kevin Green Jr. started at slot receiver.
Nothing is promised, everything is earned. At least that’s Arizona’s approach in training camp when incorporating Lemonious-Craig into the offense.
“We didn’t bring anyone in with any promises of starting,” said Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch after the Wildcats’ training camp session on Friday. “What we’ve said and believe is that competition is the central theme of our program, and that’s not changing.
“We’ve got a lot of other good receivers that have found ways to help us,” Fisch added. “There’s a lot of great skill out there, and I’m looking forward to watching them all compete.”
Fisch, who called Lemonious-Craig a “great teammate,” said the Colorado transfer “didn’t walk in here and say, ‘I’m Wide Receiver 1.’” True freshman Malachi Riley and redshirt freshman A.J. Jones are among players competing for the starting “Z” spot in Arizona’s offense.
Wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig catches a pass for Colorado against Arizona in Tucson last year. Lemonious-Craig had a monster spring game for the Buffaloes, but then entered the transfer portal and chose UA.
Arizona wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings said, “Montana knows that he’s got to earn it and go out there and compete for it.”
“He’s played a lot of football, so he’s got great awareness and can learn our offense,” Cummings said.
Lemonious-Craig, a 6-2, 190-pound junior from Inglewood, California, recorded 23 catches for 359 yards and three touchdowns last season at Colorado.
In three seasons at CU, Lemonious-Craig had three different offensive coordinators — an experience that may leverage him over candidates.
“What Montana is able to bring to us is somebody that has learned three different systems in three years, so he has experience to be able to quickly pick up an offense, so we didn’t feel like we were worried about ‘This guy is going to take six games to figure out what we’re doing,’” Fisch said.
Lemonious-Craig said, “Being in college for a good amount of time, it’s easier for me to pick up an offense, because I’ve learned so many offenses at Colorado with the coaching changes.
“I’m picking up the offense fairly quickly,” he added. “It is complex being NFL style, but it’s nothing too hard as long as you’re putting in the time to watch the tape.”
Other traits that attracted Arizona to Lemonious-Craig was “he was a guy that could break tackles when he caught quick screens and slants,” Fisch said.
Additionally, “Everyone I’ve spoke to about gave him an A-plus recommendation. They said, ‘Every player on your team is going to look up to him at some point this season,’” Fisch said.
“He fit everything we wanted in a guy that could A: Be a starter from Day 1, and B: Be an unbelievable teammate.”
So, how did a player like Lemonious-Craig enter the transfer portal then?
“I decided to enter the portal on my own,” Lemonious-Craig said. “I felt like it was best for me and my future.”
Lemonious-Craig was one of over 70 players to leave the Buffaloes since the end of the 2022 season — and the hiring of head coach Deion Sanders. Lemonious-Craig conceded that “there wasn’t a nudge” from Colorado’s staff.
“Me and Coach Prime got off on a great foot,” he said. “I just felt like it was time for me to move on and experience something new somewhere else.
“I can only speak for myself. Everyone has their preferred fit.”
Fisch related Lemonious-Craig’s sentiment considering the Wildcats also had a significant turnover in the transfer portal and lost several starters, including Singer and four-year starting cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace.
“We had some guys in the portal that really only went into the portal, because they didn’t want to go through a fourth change at a position coach,” Fisch said. “They want a new change, but ‘I want to go somewhere else for the change this time aroun.”
Lemonious-Craig previewed his potential in Colorado’s spring game with three catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns, before entering the transfer portal.
“You try not to take too much stock into spring games and stuff like that. ... But him going out there and making plays — making big plays — is something we were looking for in our offense,” Cummings said. “I think it’ll be a good addition.”
If all goes according to plan for Lemonious-Craig in Arizona’s offense, he could post similar statistics as Singer from a year ago.
“Traditionally guys who play that position in this offense, whether this offense is being run in L.A. or whether this offense is being run at UCLA elsewhere throughout the years, that Z receiver has about 70 catches and about 1,100 yards,” Fisch said. “I think he felt like, ‘If I get there, there’s great production opportunity.”
Lemonious-Craig described Arizona’s pro-style offense as “complex,” but is relying on McMillan and Cowing to study.
“They have a great feel for it already,” Lemonious-Craig said. “I’m getting acclimated to it, but I will say this: The NFL-style offense is really great to be involved in.”
As for himself?
“I’m a playmaker,” he said. “As a receiver, you catch the ball, get vertical, get the yards that you need to turn out first downs, because first downs turn into touchdowns.”
Extra points:
Left tackle Jordan Morgan, who is probable to start Arizona’s season opener on Sept. 2, was held out of Friday’s practice to continue rehabbing the knee injury he suffered against UCLA in November. The UA’s starting offensive line on Friday included left tackle Joe Borjon, left guard Wendell Moe, center Josh Baker, right guard Leif Magnuson and right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea.
Sophomore Jacob Manu and Washington transfer Daniel Heimuli were the Wildcats’ starting two linebackers during team segments. Redshirt freshman defense end Isaiah Ward, transfer defensive tackles Bill Norton (Georgia) and Tyler Manoa (UCLA) and edge rusher Sterling Lane II made up the defensive line.
Scouts from the Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and New York Jets were in attendance for Friday’s practice.
