Arizona Wildcats quarterback Brandon Dawkins didn’t make any spectacular plays during the team’s scrimmage Saturday, but that’s OK.
Dawkins generally took what the defense gave him, completing basic throws for first downs in a performance that probably solidified his standing as the team’s starter for the Sept. 2 opener against Northern Arizona.
“The quarterback’s gotta be like a point guard that can shoot the three,” UA coach Rich Rodriguez said. “Well, he can shoot the three. Sometimes it’s the fast-break stuff, the 2-on-1, the 3-on-2 stuff that we’re still working on.”
Dawkins took the majority of the first-team reps in the scrimmage, which marked the end of Arizona’s training camp. His main competitor, Khalil Tate, did not participate because of a minor injury to his right thumb.
Dawkins threw a touchdown pass to Tyrell Johnson but also threw two interceptions. It appeared that receiver Cedric Peterson would catch the first one, but cornerback Antonio Parks ripped the ball out of Peterson’s hands. The second came on a ball that Troy Young deflected to fellow safety Jarrius Wallace.
“We’ll continue to push him,” Rodriguez said of Dawkins, who started nine games as a redshirt sophomore last year. “I don’t want him to just be good. I want him to be one of the best ones in the league.”
With Tate out, freshmen Donavan Tate and Rhett Rodriguez rotated in with the first unit.
Wildcats add ex-Spartan
Arizona has added a player at one of its biggest long-term positions of need.
Former Michigan State offensive lineman Thiyo Lukusa was in Tucson on Saturday and is set to join the team.
Lukusa, a former three-star recruit, played eight games for the Spartans as a true freshman last year before quitting the team in February.
He said at the time that he hadn’t been “in love with football” since high school, but apparently has had a change of heart.
“Plans changed, I’ve changed, schools changed, but change isn’t a bad thing,” Lukusa tweeted.
In the tweet, he linked to an Instagram picture of himself in a Wildcats uniform at Arizona Stadium.
Lukusa, listed at 6-5, 333 in his Michigan State bio, was projected to be the Spartans’ starting right tackle.
Having played last season at MSU, Lukusa won’t be eligible to play this year. But Arizona basically is set at tackle for 2017 and has been seeking to restock the position for future years after landing only one scholarship tackle (Edgar Burrola) in this year’s recruiting class.
Extra points
- Senior pass rusher DeAndre’ Miller (foot) remains in a boot. He is expected to return sometime in September.
- Safety Isaiah Hayes and tight end Jamie Nunley were out because of undisclosed injuries.
- Tailbacks J.J. Taylor and Nick Wilson were among several veterans who played only a handful of snaps.
- Senior defensive tackle Marcus Griffin, fighting for a spot in the rotation, played a lot and recorded a sack.
