Arizona held its first scrimmage of training camp on Saturday at Arizona Stadium.Β
Here are pertinent notes and observations from the Wildcats' 135-play scrimmage on Saturday:Β
* Quarterback Jayden de Laura completed 13 of 17 passes (76%). Last season, de Laura had a 62.5% completion rate.Β
* Arizonaβs first defensive unit in Saturdayβs scrimmage had Michigan transfer defensive endΒ TaylorΒ Upshaw, Georgia transfer defensive tackleΒ BillΒ Norton, UCLA transfer defensive tackleΒ TylerΒ Manoa, Cal transfer edge rusherΒ OrinΒ Patu, linebackersΒ JacobΒ ManuΒ and Oregon transferΒ JustinΒ FloweΒ and cornerbackΒ EphesiansΒ Prysock, nickel backΒ TreydanΒ Stukes, strong safetyΒ GunnerΒ Maldonado, free safetyΒ IsaiahΒ TaylorΒ and cornerbackΒ TacarioΒ Davis.
* On a deep ball, Stukes had an acrobatic pass breakup against wide receiver Jacob Cowing.Β
* UA defensive coordinatorΒ JohnnyΒ NansenΒ said the Wildcats are expected to rotate more defensive linemen this season. On Saturday, the Wildcats cycled between the aforementioned defensive line, along with defensive endΒ Isaiah Ward,Β junior-college transfer defensive tackleΒ Keanu Mailoto,Β sophomore defensive tackle Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei, defensive tackleΒ Jacob Kongaika,Β defensive tackleΒ Tiaoalii SaveaΒ and edge rushersΒ RussellΒ DavisΒ II, SterlingΒ LaneΒ IIΒ andΒ JeremyΒ Mercier.
* Patu and Mercier combined for a sack. Norton and Stukes also combined for a TFL. Ward also had a TFL in the second half. Upshaw recorded a sack in the first half of the scrimmage.Β
* Saturday was a productive day scrimmage for Arizonaβs running backs. SophomoreΒ JonahΒ ColemanΒ had 46 yards and a touchdown in one possession, and redshirt freshmanΒ Rayshon βSpeedyβ LukeΒ had a 69-yard run along with a 19-yard dump-off touchdown from quarterback Noah Fifita.Β Senior Michael WileyΒ also had a 37-yard touchdown run.Β
* Left tackleΒ Jordan MorganΒ participated in the first half of Arizonaβs scrimmage, but continued his knee recovery on the sideline during the second half.
* Sophomore tight endΒ Keyan BurnettΒ caught two touchdown passes, including a 47-yarder from de Laura between the hashmarks.
* Freshman wide receiver Jackson Holman bulldozed three defenders in two different plays.Β
* Redshirt freshman cornerbackΒ Jai-AyviauynnΒ Celestine, who is among the top ascending defensive backs in camp, intercepted Fifita.Β
* Celestine, Wiley and junior-college transfer cornerback Charles Yates Jr.Β were among the players returning kickoffs.Β
* Kicker Tyler LoopΒ made a 42-yard field goal. Former BYU kicker Cash Peterman made a 47-yarder and 22-yarder on Saturday.Β
* Former Arizona safety Adam Hall, who is now an assistant football coach at Tucson High, was in attendance for Saturday's scrimmage.
