With just over a week until its season opener, Arizona has found the next offensive player to don the No. 1 jersey — and it’s primarily because of his efforts as a special-teams player.
Anthony Simpson, a sophomore from Pawling, New York, earned the No. 1 jersey and will succeed Tucson native Stanley Berryhill III, who’s now in training camp with the Atlanta Falcons, as the offensive No. 1 at the UA. Defensive end Jalen Harris is wearing No. 1 for the second straight season.
Since joining the program last year, Simpson has worn No. 25 and No. 17. He wore No. 1 for the first time during practice Tuesday.
“We made a decision that Anthony Simpson has done an incredible job on special teams, and he’s committed to being a four-core guy,” Fisch said, referring to the kickoff, kickoff-return, punt and punt-return units.
“You look at what ‘Simp’ has done: He won the offseason program, finished No. 1 in every category in the offseason. Anytime we had a receiver down, he took it. He took the ‘F’ rep, the ‘Z’ rep, the ‘X’ rep, and did a great job at it. He gave unbelievable effort.”
The Wildcats’ starting receiver group is expected to consist of star freshman Tetairoa McMillan, UTEP transfer Jacob Cowing and returnee Dorian Singer. But Simpson has proved to be a consistent and reliable pass catcher in preseason practices.
Fisch said after Arizona’s scrimmage this past Saturday that Simpson runs roughly 6,000 yards every practice on offense and special teams. Fisch also implied that the No. 1 jersey for those units might go unworn this season.
Simpson clearly changed the coaching staff’s stance on that. His offseason improvements also included newfound confidence in his hands.
“He’s the first guy in at any position at wide receiver,” Fisch said. “In addition, he’s going to be a great special-teams player. So we thought he was the right guy for it this year.”
Simpson was a two-way standout at Bloomfield High School in Connecticut. Along with safety Isaiah Taylor, Simpson was one of two players Fisch and his staff added to the 2021 signing class after their arrival. Simpson appeared in seven games as a freshman, including two starts, and caught four passes for 46 yards.
— Justin Spears and Michael Lev
Former USC QB Slovis named Pitt’s starter
PITTSBURGH — Kedon Slovis didn’t transfer from USC to Pitt planning to sit on the bench.
He won’t.
Head coach Pat Narduzzi named Slovis the starting quarterback on Wednesday, ending a months-long competition with Nick Patti for the right to replace Kenny Pickett, who is working next door with the Pittsburgh Steelers after a remarkable final season with the Panthers last fall.
Narduzzi praised the way both Patti and Slovis approached their extended job interviews but called Slovis’ accuracy the separator.
“He’s a really, really good passer,” Narduzzi said. “We think he can lead us.”
Slovis, who threw for 58 touchdowns against 24 interceptions in three seasons with the Trojans before leaving last winter, won’t get a chance to ease into the gig. The 17th-ranked Panthers, who won the program’s first ACC title in 2021, open at home against West Virginia in the renewal of the “Backyard Brawl” on Sept. 1.
It will hardly be Slovis’ first go-round in the crucible of a rivalry. The Scottsdale native and Desert Mountain High School product went 2-0 against UCLA and played well in losses to Notre Dame in 2019 and 2020.
“I love playing in big games,” he said. “I think every player loves playing in big games. You know, from your high school rival to college, I think everyone’s favorite games are rivalry games. So yeah, you know, obviously you feel prepared, but more so I just feel excited.”
Extra point
Four Wildcats players — wide receiver Jacob Cowing, defensive end Jalen Harris, cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace and safety Christian Young — have been named to the watch list for the Senior Bowl. The annual showcase game takes place Feb. 4 in Mobile, Alabama.
Contact sports producer Justin Spears at 573-4312 or jspears@tucson.com. On Twitter: @JustinESports
