Arizona football mailbag: Could the Wildcats actually start the 2023 season 4-0?

With barely two weeks until Arizona’s season opener on Sept. 2 against Northern Arizona, there are plenty of questions surrounding the UA football program.

Some of our followers on “X” (the social media app formerly known as Twitter) submitted some questions — and we tried to answered as many as we could. A few of them will be on hold for the next mailbag.

Here’s our first UA football mailbag of the 2023 season:

Q: If Arizona gets past Mississippi State, will they be 4-0 heading into the Washington game?

A: It’s a tall task, but it’s conceivable Arizona gets through its nonconference schedule unscathed.

The Wildcats are expected to be heavy favorites in the season opener — and (cough) revenge game — against Northern Arizona, but then they turn around for the program’s first road trip to SEC country since 2006, when LSU thumped Arizona 45-3.

When the UA faces Mississippi State in Starkville on Sept. 9, it could easily be the most daunting conditions Arizona endures on the road this season. It’ll be muggy and MSU fans packed at Davis Wade Stadium will certainly wave and rattle their cowbells every chance possible.

When MSU outlasted Arizona 39-17 in Tucson a season, UA quarterback Jayden de Laura, in his first home start as a Wildcat, threw three interceptions and avoided tucking the ball on rollouts and while running for potential first downs. The following week, de Laura rushed for a then-career-high 50 yards against North Dakota State.

Arizona’s defense against MSU was also carved up by quarterback Will Rogers, who threw for 313 yards and four touchdowns; he returns under center for the Bulldogs this year. The only player returning this from Arizona’s starting defensive lineup against Mississippi State in 2022 is safety Gunner Maldonado. Arizona spent the second half of last season inserting the younger players it brought in from the previous recruiting class into its lineup, and spent this offseason welcoming numerous impact prospects via the transfer portal.

An Arizona offense, which ranked sixth in passing yards a year ago, quarterbacked by a seasoned veteran in de Laura, coupled with an improving defense, should bode well for the Wildcats on the road against MSU.

If they get past the Bulldogs, a home win against UTEP and a conference-opening victory at Stanford — the Wildcats haven’t won on the Farm since 2006 — will be considered lay-ups for the Cats.

Q: Who are the backup cornerbacks?

A: As of now, likely starters at cornerback will be Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis; both are 6-4 and built like small forwards.

One cornerback that’s risen in training camp is redshirt freshman Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine, a 5-9, 180-pound Miami native and former Miami Palmetto High School star. Celestine, nicknamed “G7,” is standing out as a kickoff coverage player and kick returner.

In coverage, Celestine is fearless. Celestine has had successful battles defending slot receiver Jacob Cowing and Tetairoa McMillan, who is 6-5 and 210 pounds.

“G is my boy, and he can definitely hold his ground,” McMillan said. “A lot of people sleep on him, but I think he’s prepared to play in the game and make plays.”

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Cal Poly transfer Dylan Wyatt, a redshirt senior, had interceptions in back-to-back practices Tuesday and Wednesday, and junior-college transfer Charles Yates Jr., who stood out in the spring, is also in the mix at cornerback. True freshman and Bay Area product Emmanuel Karnley has shined in moments during training camp, but will likely become a mainstay in the defense in the future.

Q: It’s obvious everyone feels a major upgrade to the Wildcats since last season. That said, how good will the defensive line really be this year?

A: That remains to be seen, but an encouraging sign for Arizona is the defensive line additions from the transfer portal have impacted stopping the run. The 300-plus-pounders as interior defensive linemen are clogging up lanes and racking up tackles for loss or setting up linebackers to make plays and limit yards. Arizona was the eighth-worst rushing defense in FBS last season — 10th-worst in the Pac-12. Those big bodies, along with the experience off the edge in Michigan transfer Taylor Upshaw and Cal transfer Orin Patu, should bolster a unit that struggled to stop the run.

During Arizona’s scrimmage on Saturday, the Wildcats rotated defensive linemen every handful of plays.

“We’re subbing,” Arizona defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen said. “Like I told the guys: If we’re playing more than four snaps, then we’re not doing our jobs as coaches, especially up front.

“The back end of it, I understand they have to stay because it’s a rhythm thing back there. But up front we got to rotate,” he added. “It’s a long game, especially now in college football, you average anywhere from 85-90 plays and you have to keep those guys fresh.”

Q: Should we be expecting to see three underclassmen starting on the offensive line?

A: Yes. Right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea, right guard Raymond Pulido and left guard Wendell Moe.

Between the former Freshman All-American in Savaiinaea, a four-star recruit and former Alabama commit in Pulido, a rising guard in Moe, along with the experience from center Josh Baker and left tackle Jordan Morgan, who enters his final year as one of the top tackles nationally, Arizona’s offensive line “is a strength for our team,” according to Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch.

“I don’t know how many times that’s been said in Tucson over the years,” Fisch said. “All eight guys are giving you power and are able to move guys around and give you multiple position value.”

“So Coach (Brennan) Carroll has done an incredible job of not only recruiting the right players but developing them.”

Q: Linebacker Jacob Manu has star potential; does he have some Scooby Wright in him?

A: Besides McMillan, Manu was the most impactful of the Anaheim Servite quartet that came to Arizona. He’s undersized, or as former UA defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads would say, he’s “sawed-off,” but Manu has a nose for the ball, which was evident in him making what were essentially the game-winning plays against Arizona State in the Territorial Cup. Those included Manu hitting ASU quarterback Trenton Bourguet’s arm and safety Isaiah Taylor pulling down the interception for the win.

Is he the next Scooby Wright? Wright had arguably the most prolific defensive season in program history in 2014 and cleaned house on national awards. He was also the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. However, come 2024 and beyond, Manu could achieve something Wright never did: be named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.