Arizona football's 'super deep receiver room' keeps the Wildcats 'fast and fresh'

Arizona has quality and quantity at wide receiver this season.  

The Wildcats already have more pass catchers this season (17) than they did last year (16), according to Pro Football Focus, and they enter the weekend fourth in the Big 12 in passing offense. 

Four UA receivers have double-digit receptions this season: Javin Whatley, Chris Hunter, Luke Wysong and Kris Hutson. Eight receivers have over five catches and at least one touchdown catch.  

"We have a super deep receiver room and we have so many guys that are so good at different things," Wysong said on Tuesday. "We all have our own skillset and we all do things our own way and we all have our own style. When our opportunities come, we have to be ready. It's not just me, it's all the guys in the room. I think we do a good job of that."  

Arizona head coach Brent Brennan said a steady rotation of receivers keeps that position "fast and fresh." 

"There's also some young players that are in the growth and development place and you're starting to see more from them on game day," Brennan added. "I'm excited because I think that group will continue to improve as we go. ... There's been a lot of fun stuff in that group and I think there's more to come." 

The UA receiving corps has "a very unique blend of veterans that are transfers, but they've really bought into what we have been talking about since they've been here," said wide receivers coach Bobby Wade.

"They also understand that they've been through some things in their career, so their ability to pull these freshmen to the side and have side conversation that's really open, honest and real, I think really helps the development piece for them," Wade said. "In return, it helps me, as well, they actually get at these kids tough. They're coaching them as hard as I'm coaching the older guys.

"That's fun to watch. ... It's forever going to be a process for these guys, and I love that the older guys understand that there's still a lot of room for growth for them, as well." 

One of the rising underclassmen receivers is Chandler native Gio Richardson, who hauled in an acrobatic 40-yard catch in the fourth quarter against Oklahoma State.

"I'm very happy with where he's at, and he's going to continue to get coached extremely hard by me, but only because I understand his ceiling and we're nowhere even close to that," Wade said. "I'm excited that he's able to take that kind of coaching and he's still showing up, knowing that he wants to get better." 

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Richardson had several opportunities for deep catches earlier in the season, but barely missed them. Freshman Isaiah Mizell has played in four games this season and is considered arguably the fastest player on the team. 

"Gio and Mizell, I love those kids," Wysong said. "Those kids comes to work every single day. Being able to have them in our room has been such a huge help. It has helped us older guys teach our ways to them, so it helps us know what to do in certain situations." 

Arizona's pass catchers had 205 yards after catch (YAC) last week vs. Oklahoma State after producing just 63 in the 25-point loss to Iowa State. Wade said, "YAC yards are extremely important."

"We just had to reestablish the fact that when we're catching the football, we're knifing and getting up field," Wade said.

Arizona redshirt sophomore Tre Spivey "has taken it personally, as well as everyone in the room as far as catching and getting up field," Wade said. Spivey had three catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns against Oklahoma State — and 50 of those yards were YAC.  

The Wildcats also went up against one of the best defensive secondaries in the Big 12 in Iowa State, meanwhile, Oklahoma State is last in the league in passing defense. Arizona will have a battle similar to the Iowa State matchup, with BYU having the second-best passing defense in the Big 12 behind Arizona. Potential All-Big 12 cornerback Evan Johnson has two interceptions this season and is one of the top cornerbacks in the Big 12.  

"As far as their personnel, they're going to be good," Wade said of BYU. "They have an experienced back end and they have some speed, so it's going to be a fun game. They're very comfortable, as well, so we have to be settled, play our game, take advantage of the opportunities that we get and just continue to keep coming back when it doesn't hit. Just keep working and keep pushing. That's the biggest thing, just being able to match their effort." 

As Arizona approaches the second half of the schedule, the Wildcats aren't looking to tighten up the rotation.

"It will always be fluid," Wade said. "How they perform in practice determines their opportunity in games. Naturally, when we're throwing the ball as much as we are, we want to keep guys fresh and sustain a full year and have a really good room. It's all based off of how they perform each and every week in practice. It'll forever be fluid because that's the only way you can really have true competition in the room.

"They still need to show up on Tuesday and Wednesday to perform, and that gives them their best opportunity to play more. ... I love that we have depth, but it's only as good as our weakest link, at the end of the day. You just never know what happens with those guys as far as injuries and things like that. They all need to be prepared to play."