Plenty of questions regarding position battles still surround the Arizona Wildcats entering their season opener Saturday against Northern Arizona.
The Wildcats return most of their offensive starters from last season, so most of the open positions are on defense.
“There’s a lot of good battles out there right now,” UA head coach Jedd Fisch said.
“We have depth we haven’t had here in a while,” he added. “That has made it a lot of fun to be out at practice every day, because there’s a lot of competition.”
Here are four of Arizona’s most notable position battles heading into Saturday:
Linebacker Justin Flowe, left, gets the formation straight as the defense lines up to face the offense in a drill before the Arizona Wildcats’ preseason scrimmage at Arizona Stadium on Aug. 12, 2023.
Middle linebacker
Sophomore linebacker and Territorial Cup game unsung hero Jacob Manu, who was recently named a team captain, will start at “Will” linebacker, but his “Mike” linebacker counterpart will either be Oregon transfer Justin Flowe or Washington transfer Daniel Heimuli.
When Arizona landed Flowe, a former five-star linebacker and high school All-American, out of the transfer portal before the spring, he appeared to not only be an instant starter but arguably the Wildcats’ top defensive player, which could still turn out true, considering Fisch said Flowe is “probably the most explosive player that we’ve had here.”
“He’s in an elite category in regards to his ability to run and hit, his ability to make plays on the ball, his ability to see a ball carrier, close the distance and explode through a guy,” Fisch said.
Flowe, the 6-2, 225-pounder from Chino, California, has all of the physical gifts of an NFL linebacker, but committing to his responsibilities in Arizona’s zone-heavy 4-2-5 defense is “an everyday battle,” said UA defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen.
“What Justin is learning is the system, and he’s learning how to play within the system,” Fisch said. “He’s had three different defensive systems in three years, and he’s continuing to now get another system thrown at him. As a linebacker, you’re responsible for being the play-caller, so to speak. You’re the one who has to make formation adjustments and decisions on the sets and what goes on around you. He’s working through that, but as a player, there’s no question about his explosiveness and the energy that he brings.”
On the other side, Heimuli “has been very smooth every day” and “poised as a linebacker.”
Daniel Heimuli, a and former four-star recruit, transferred to the UA in January after four seasons at Washington and is fighting for a starting spot with the Wildcats.
“He kind of walks in the building, he knows what he has to do. He’s been very aware of his responsibilities of knowing the defense, making good calls as the guy who’s setting the front, as the guy making the decision regarding the force, he’s been excellent at that. ... He’s really helped both the young secondary behind him and the D-line in front of them getting the right defensive calls. So, Daniel, Jacob and Justin all will have roles this game and beyond.”
In the latter part of Arizona’s preseason training camp, Heimuli was consistently in tandem with Manu. During the coordinators-and-players media availability on Tuesday, Nansen said, “Right now, (it’s) Daniel and Manu and you’re going to see Justin in there,” but conceded that “everybody is going to play.”
Receiver AJ Jones watches the ball into his hands, running route drills with the quarterbacks during spring practice.
‘Z’ wide receiver
Fisch said the “Z” wide receiver position battle is “still going on.” The “Z” receiver spot was previously manned by All-Pac-12 selection Dorian Singer, who transferred to USC and caught the Trojans’ first touchdown pass of the season on Saturday against San Jose State.
Colorado transfer Montana Lemonious-Craig (a mainstay with the starters in training camp), freshman Malachi Riley, redshirt freshmen Kevin Green Jr. and AJ Jones, who was among the top performers in training camp, are a part of Arizona’s rotation at receiver beyond stars Jacob Cowing and Tetairoa McMillan.
“Those guys are battling every snap. I thought Montana had a really good last week of camp,” Fisch said.
Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura said, “Montana is a vet. He’s got starts under his belt, he’s a strong runner, strong catcher and he’s actually pretty fast.”
Added de Laura: “He should be pretty fun to watch.”
Newcomer Orin Patu, right, wrestles running back Jonah Coleman down during Arizona football’s spring game April 15 at Arizona Stadium.
Defensive line
Seven to nine defensive linemen are expected to be “rotating through on a consistent basis” on Saturday.
After installing several newcomers from the transfer portal in the spring, Arizona’s expected to start Bill Norton, a 6-6, 325-pound Georgia, and Tyler Manoa, a 6-5, 315-pound UCLA transfer, on the interior, with Indiana transfer Sio Nafoagatoto’a, sophomore Jacob Kongaika, junior Tiaoalii Savea and junior-college transfer Keanu Mailoto as reserves. Former Michigan defensive end Taylor Upshaw, who’s 6-5, 270 pounds, is expected to start on the edge opposite of underweighted — yet lengthy and athletic — Isaiah Ward, with Cal transfer Orin Patu, second-year linemen Tai’ta’i Uiagalelei, Russell Davis II and Sterling Lane II rotating in.
“We didn’t have that body mass last year to get us an opportunity to play the run better, so that’s what you’re going to see,” Nansen said.
Norton said Arizona “formed a monstrous front” this offseason.
“We’ve got thousands of pounds on the front four and I think that’s going to show a lot this season,” he said. “Something they may not have necessarily had in previous (seasons). ... I’m excited to see where this takes us.”
Then a freshman, safety Genesis Smith runs a drill under the eye of UA assistant coach Chuck Cecil before the Arizona Wildcats’ preseason scrimmage on Aug. 12, 2023.
Safeties
Between both strong safety and free safety positions, the Wildcats will start two players between co-captain Gunner Maldonado, freshman Genesis Smith, redshirt sophomore Dalton Johnson, redshirt sophomore Isaiah Taylor and junior DJ Warnell; Maldonado and Johnson were the first set of safeties in Arizona’s “First Look” scrimmage to end training camp.
For Saturday, Nansen said Arizona’s safeties will rotate “a little bit, but not much, especially back there.”
“The communication part of it, they have to mesh,” added Nansen.
Nansen said earlier this month that collegiate experience doesn’t deter him from playing someone like Smith, who has the body frame (6-2, 200 pounds) to start at either safety position.
“Like I told the guys, if the freshman is the best player, we’re going to play him,” Nansen said. “Simple as that.”
Starters for Saturday will boil down “their ability to execute,” Nansen said.
“Who’s going to make plays? Our best guys are going to play, and I like the guys we have back there,” Nansen said.
Extra points
Arizona offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll confirmed on Tuesday that left tackle Jordan Morgan, who will start his first game since tearing his ACL at UCLA in November, “will be ready to play the whole game.” Carroll said Morgan’s backup is 6-8, 325-pound redshirt sophomore Joseph Borjon, “who’s done a fantastic job from the spring to the fall.”
Former Wildcat and “Desert Swarm” era defensive tackle Rob Waldrop will be an honorary captain for Saturday’s game. Under Arizona’s late coaching icon Dick Tomey, Waldrop became a Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and helped the Wildcats to a 1993 Fiesta Bowl. Waldrop was a two-time All-American and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
