QB1 is still TBD.
In a surprising development Tuesday, Arizona coach Jedd Fisch announced that two quarterbacks, Gunner Cruz and Will Plummer, will play in the Wildcats’ opener against BYU a week from Saturday.
After guiding the pair through almost 30 practices between spring ball and training camp, Fisch determined that there wasn’t enough separation between them to slot one over the other. So he took a big-picture approach with two young quarterbacks who are still technically freshmen in a program that’s being rebuilt from the ground up.
“College football isn’t pro football. It just isn’t,“ Fisch said. “You have a situation where you’re developing kids and you’re developing a team. And when you’re doing that, you have to find a way to get these guys to be the best they possibly can be. Right now, I do believe this is the best way.“
Cruz, a transfer from Washington State, will start against the Cougars at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Plummer, the only returning scholarship quarterback from last season, will play at some point in the first half. Whether the rotation continues in the second half remains to be seen.
“I’m gonna let the game dictate it ... and see how they’re doing,“ Fisch said. “It’ll either continue on or not.“
Fisch stressed that the quarterback platoon likely won’t be a season-long arrangement.
“I don’t believe we’ll be in a two-quarterback system for the year,“ he said. “I would be surprised.“
When it becomes clear that one quarterback is outperforming the other, Fisch will change the structure and go with a more traditional starter-backup approach. That hasn’t happened yet.
Cruz and Plummer had similar completion percentages and touchdown totals in training camp, Fisch said. Both got better as camp progressed. Both played their best with the first-team offense.
Fisch came to the realization that he couldn’t justify placing Cruz over Plummer or Plummer over Cruz — even though two-quarterback systems generally are frowned upon in modern-day football.
“I tried to avoid the thought process regarding the pros and the cons. I wanted to put the people first,“ Fisch said. “In my mind, to stand there and look at Will and say, ‘I’ve gone with Gunner,’ and when Will says ‘Why?’ and I say, ‘Because I’ve gone with Gunner’ ... (that) wasn’t a good answer.“
The conversation would have gone the same way with Cruz had Fisch picked Plummer. Instead, Fisch informed them at the same time. He wouldn’t reveal their reaction to the news but said they were both “very mature“ about it.
Cruz is entering his third year in college. He redshirted at Washington State in 2019 and appeared in one game last season, completing 5 of 7 passes for 34 yards and one touchdown. Because last year didn’t count toward anyone’s eligibility clock, Cruz is classified as a redshirt freshman and has four years of eligibility remaining.
Plummer appeared in three games as a true freshman last season, completing 43 of 80 passes for 388 yards with three interceptions. He also rushed for 95 yards. Technically, he still has five years to play four.
Jedd Fisch says the Wildcats will play two quarterbacks “until further notice.”
How the rotation will work is still being determined, but Fisch said the quarterbacks should be used to it because it’s what they’ve been doing during practice. Both have worked extensively with the first-team offensive line, running backs and receivers.
Fisch said during camp that he didn’t want to create a scenario where the quarterbacks are constantly “looking over their shoulders,“ describing that dynamic as “the worst feeling in the world.“ Platooning them seemingly would enhance that effect, but Fisch doesn’t see it that way.
“I actually felt the other way,“ he said. “I felt like if they both know they’re playing, then they both can play freely.“
Fisch wants the two to feel as though they’re “doing this together,“ at least for now, and that shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. Cruz and Plummer were friends before becoming teammates. Cruz attended Casteel High School in Queen Creek. Plummer went to Gilbert. They live in the same house.
Former UA coach Dick Tomey made a two-quarterback system work during the Wildcats’ greatest season. Ortege Jenkins and Keith Smith helped Arizona post a 12-1 record in 1998. But that might have been a unique set of circumstances.
More recently, in 2019, Kevin Sumlin tried the two-QB approach with Grant Gunnell and Khalil Tate. It never really clicked. The Wildcats ended that season with a seven-game losing streak.
“We’ll make it work,“ Fisch said. “And if it doesn’t work, we’ll then go to plan B, which will be figure out who played the best and play them.“
Why not McCloud?
Jordan McCloud, who transferred to Arizona from South Florida, is the odd quarterback out for the time being. McCloud finished his degree at USF in spring and didn’t arrive in Tucson until June.
“He had the same opinion as we did: That if he was here in the spring, there might have been a little different situation,“ Fisch said. “The fact that he missed all of the spring and some of the summer, (it) was really just a challenge to get fully caught up to speed.“
Fisch didn’t rule out the possibility of McCloud becoming a “viable option if need be“ at some point this season. He has three years of eligibility left and the most experience in the QB room, having made 17 career starts.
Extra points
Defensive linemen Kyon Barrs and JB Brown should return to practice this week. Barrs missed all of training camp because of a lower-leg injury. Brown missed the final week-plus. Fisch said he expects “100% attendance“ by Monday, assuming no players suffer setbacks.
Fisch said the No. 3 receiver position remains up for grabs among Tayvian Cunningham, Boobie Curry and Jalen Johnson. All three are expected to play along with locked-in starters Stanley Berryhill III and BJ Casteel.
The staff is down to three finalists to wear the No. 1 jersey, Fisch said. It’s expected to be awarded during a team meeting Friday. The criteria include academics, community service, workout attendance and on-field production.
Tight end Carson Cota is no longer on the roster. Cota, a freshman from Medford, Oregon, joined the team the weekend of Aug. 14-15. He remains enrolled at the UA but had some “personal things“ to deal with this fall, Fisch said.
Fisch’s weekly radio show will debut at 5:30 p.m. Monday. Hosted by Brian Jeffries, the show will take place throughout the season at Union Public House, 4340 N. Campbell Ave, Suite 100.
