The Arizona Wildcats conducted their sixth practice of training camp Tuesday morning. Here are some notes and takeaways from practice No. 6:
• Freshman receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who’s had a quiet camp, had by far his most productive day. In 11-on-11, McMillan caught a pass over the middle from Jordan McCloud, then pivoted away from defender Ephesians Prysock. In 7-on-7, McMillan made a twisting sideline grab vs. veteran corner Christian Roland-Wallace, who’s been shadowing him for most of camp. (The play was ruled out of bounds, but it was an impressive catch regardless.) McMillan then snared a pass from Jayden de Laura on a comeback route. In a later 11-on-11 session, McMillan grabbed a shallow cross and gained significant yards after the catch.
• McMillan wasn’t the only freshman who popped Tuesday. Tailback Rayshon Luke had a pair of eye-opening runs in 11-on-11. With players donning full pads and tackling for the first time in camp, Luke eluded multiple defenders with a sharp cutback. On the second run, he slipped through a crease up the middle and burst into the secondary. Luke’s speed was evident on both plays.
• Tailback DJ Williams, who transferred to Arizona this summer, is still working his way into ideal shape. But he showed off his power on a tackle-breaking run early in 11-on-11 work.
• Freshman receiver Kevin Green Jr. has had a strong camp. One of his best plays came near the right sideline, where he caught a pass from fellow freshman Noah Fifita, who had to pull the ball down and reload before releasing it.
• De Laura performed more consistently than Monday, throwing more passes with proper rhythm and timing. There were still times he looked hesitant while scanning the defense.
• Freshman cornerback Tacario Davis did a nice job bottling up a bubble screen to Green. Davis nearly had an interception of Fifita in the end zone but couldn’t hang onto the ball.
• Defenders we credited with full or partial sacks included JB Brown, Tiaoalii Savea, Hunter Echols, Russell Davis II and Evan Branch-Haynes.
• The Wildcats spent some time working on kickoff returns. The main returners were Anthony Simpson, Jacob Cowing and Drake Anderson.
• Players who did not participate included tailback Jalen John, defensive tackle Dion Wilson Jr. and cornerbacks Treydan Stukes and Isaiah Mays. Stukes, who got injured Monday, is going to be out “for a little while,” cornerbacks coach DeWayne Walker said. Mays, who’s out for undisclosed reasons, is expected back next week.
• The Wildcats have the day off Wednesday. They will return to practice Thursday morning. They are scheduled to scrimmage Saturday morning.
