Arizona RB Quincy Craig 'brings a lot of versatility' to revamped UA offense

Every game varies, but in Arizona’s uptempo offense under new play-caller Seth Doege, UA running backs coach Alonzo Carter forecasted the Wildcats averaging around 85 offensive snaps per game.

In the Wildcats’ revamped offense, “no one person can play that many snaps in a game,” Carter said of Arizona’s running backs.

The starting running back will “take a big chunk of” the 80-85 snaps and log 35-40 snaps, with two other running backs splitting between 25-30 snaps, Carter said.

Carter doesn’t believe in a “starter” label, so he considers his top three running backs as a “1, 1A and 1B.”

A potential X-factor in Arizona’s running backs group is Portland State transfer Quincy Craig.

In many ways, Craig is a different running back compared to his counterparts in Arizona’s backfield. He’s not the flashy transfer in potential starter Ismail Mahdi, who was an All-American and led FBS in all-purpose yards at Texas State in 2023. Mahdi was also an All-Sun Belt First Team selection the last two seasons.

“The way he runs the ball, the way he catches the ball, it’s different,” Carter said of the 5-9, 184-pound Mahdi. “He can be a home-run hitter, whether it’s catching the ball, swing out of the backfield or a 60- or 70-yard run, he brings that to the table. Now that he’s finding his lane and his confidence, you’ll see some special things out of him.”

Craig also isn’t a returning veteran, like junior Kedrick Reescano, who had 78 carries for 359 yards and a touchdown after transferring from Ole Miss last year. Reescano moved up the depth chart after current Washington Commanders rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt missed the final 11 games of the season with an eligibility issue, and Rayshon “Speedy” Luke opting to redshirt and transfer after four games.

The 6-foot, 214-pound Reescano “has played in the Big 12 for a year, so he brings something to the table that nobody else in the room has,” Carter said. “He’s got experience playing in some games. His leadership is open and welcomed by not just the running back room, but the whole team.”

Reescano was also dubbed the best pass-blocking running back by Carter. One of Carter’s most emphasized mantras, which is also a sign in his office at Lowell-Stevens Football Facility: “No block, no rock.”

“You better protect that quarterback, especially when you’ve got one like Noah Fifita,” Carter said.

Craig isn’t Liam Neeson, but he does have a very particular set of skills and “brings a lot of versatility,” Carter said.

Craig grew up in Garden Grove, California, and has been a longtime opponent of Fifita. At the youth football level, Craig’s Irvine Chargers played against Fifita and the Orange County Buckeyes.

Their battles moved to the high school level in the renowned Trinity League, where Craig played at national powerhouse Mater Dei while Fifita starred at Servite with tight end Keyan Burnett and former Wildcats Tetairoa McMillan and Jacob Manu and NFL rookie defensive lineman Mason Graham.

Mater Dei-Servite “was a very big rivalry for us,” Craig said.

“(Fifita) was always a ball player, him and T-Mac,” he added. “They always had a good team, especially the four years they were there. ... Happy to see him on my team this time.”

Craig was recruited out of high school to play running back, even though he primarily played slot receiver for Mater Dei’s national championship-winning team in 2021. Craig was Mater Dei’s fifth-leading rusher, while the Monarchs’ top two rushers were Arizona State running back Raleek Brown and Sacramento State running back Ajon Bryant.

Craig had more return yards (877) and receiving yards (759) than rushing yards (464) during his career at Mater Dei.

Playing slot receiver was “how I developed my route-running and my catching ability,” Craig said.

The all-purpose Craig signed with Portland State in 2022 and rushed for 1,233 yards and 10 touchdowns, along with 530 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in three seasons. He also had a combined 345 return yards.

Doege and Arizona wide receivers coach Bobby Wade discovered Craig once he entered the transfer portal in December, and they “were really impressed with what he brought to the table on film, not just from a running back standpoint, but he did a lot of things catching the ball and in the special teams standout,” Carter said.

“Quincy brings a lot of versatility,” Carter said. “You see a kid that can not only run the ball, but can also run excellent routes, has good hands and is really physical in the run game, so we figured he can have a great role in the offense. ... Once the film was sent to me and I was able to evaluate him and watch it, it was a no-brainer to have him a part of the program.”

Carter said the 5-10, 196-pound Craig, who can squat 500 pounds and benchpress 365 pounds, is “pound-for-pound one of the strongest guys on the football team,” Carter said.

“He does some things for his size, it’s incredible that he does it,” Carter said. “Those things that he brought to the table, I knew he’d be a good fit for our program. He’s real physical and blocks defensive ends, linebackers. Whatever you ask him to do, he does it. Like I mentioned, he has great hands and has versatility to play in the backfield or even out in the slot as a receiver. ...

“Traditionally, the position of running back, they don’t get enough credit for what they bring to the table. As a running back, not only do you have to run the football, but you gotta understand protections, have good hands to be a receiver.”

At Big 12 Media Days last month, Arizona head coach Brent Brennan said, “We’re going to hand it to him, we’re going to throw it to him and we’re excited about Quincy.”

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“He’s a really good football player,” Brennan added. “Quincy is going to play a lot of football for us. He had a great spring, a great offseason. He’s a fantastic kid. He’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Craig “being able to do everything opens up the field for everybody,” Reescano said.

“You never know what’s coming when you put any of us in,” Reescano said. “Our skillset doesn’t narrow us down to certain plays.”

Craig made several eye-opening plays as a rusher and pass-catcher during Arizona’s spring practice schedule and the first week of training camp — and he hasn’t shied away from contact.

“It’s been a great experience,” Craig said. “Coming from (Portland State) to here, it’s been a great transition and I’ve been loving it since.”

Doege’s offense is tailored to Craig’s skillset, “because we can motion out into an empty set or an open set and get into a nice one-on-one (matchup) with a linebacker, so I think that could help the team really well,” he said.

“I think it’s going to help out the team tremendously, just to have that running back being in a slot position, catch footballs and stuff like that,” Mahdi said.

Running the football, among other avenues, was one of Arizona’s glaring weaknesses last season. The Wildcats had the 15th-worst rushing offense in college football — second-worst in the Big 12.

Collectively, Arizona’s “very versatile” running backs room is bullish on a turnaround this season, “because there’s no falloff when you put either one of us in,” Reescano said.

“All of us can do everything when it comes to running routes, running the ball, blocking,” he added. “Everything you need to do to be a running back, everybody in the room can do.”

Added Carter: “The versatility of all those guys will give us an opportunity for Coach Doege to be just as creative with the offense and do what he wants to do.

“Having that versatility is important.”

Yarbrough ‘going to be a very good football player’

When freshman running back Wesley Yarbrough’s 5-11, 211-pound frame stood near Reescano, some of the UA players teased the third-year running back.

“’Man, he’s bigger than you,’” Carter joked.

Yarbrough, a Houston-area native, is one of two freshmen in Arizona’s running backs corps, along with Dallas-area running back Cornelius Warren III. Yarbrough and Warren combined for 6,108 yards and 80 touchdowns during their illustrious high school careers.

Reescano, also a Houston-area native, was assigned to mentor Yarbrough, while the Dallas-area native in Mahdi overlooks Warren.

“I see a lot of myself in Wesley as a freshman because I didn’t know everything but I wanted to learn it so bad,” Reescano said. “I feel for Wes. I feel like I’m looking in the mirror when I look at him.”

Yarbrough broke off for a long touchdown run during a team period on Monday and flashed potential as a fourth option at running back.

“He’s going to be a very good football player, but right now we’re just making sure he’s up to speed with those other three guys,” Carter said. “Those other three guys are special.

“They do some things that are very unselfish and they work with the younger guys, so it’s exciting to see what Wesley will be in the future.”

The four-game redshirt rule could preserve Yarbrough’s freshman season. If the Wildcats qualify for a bowl game, he could play in five games this season and still keep his freshman year.

“We just want to make sure that if we need him to go, he’s prepared to go,” Carter said. “I’m very excited of the potential and what he brings to the table. So far, he’s been exactly what I want. ... Right now, his role is to be a good teammate, learn the offense and learn special teams stuff. So far, so good.”

Extra points

– Carter said Mahdi was overwhelmed in the spring, but has settled down in Arizona’s offense. Said Mahdi: “I was thinking instead of playing in the spring. Right now, I’m pretty good with the playbook and understand it like the back of my hand, so I can go out there and play free and be myself.”

– Craig on Arizona redshirt sophomore linebacker and former Mater Dei teammate Leviticus Su’a: “He’s a great player. He’s fast to the ball and very physical. That’s something that was seen throughout high school, and it’s good to be back with him.”

Photos: Day three of the University of Arizona football training camp