5 takeaways from the first week of Arizona football training camp

Arizona officially concluded its first week of training camp Tuesday night under the lights of the Dick Tomey Practice Fields.

Tuesday marked the Wildcats’ sixth practice of training camp — the first session in full pads.

Arizona organized its month-long training camp schedule to have an evening session at Arizona Stadium every third practice so the team can get accustomed to the night setting for game days.

However, the monsoon chased Arizona to the Davis Sports Center for the first night practice, then the Wildcats used Tuesday’s practice to mix and match second- and third-stringers on the natural grass of Dick Tomey Practice Fields.

The Wildcats are expected to have their first training camp practice at Arizona Stadium on Saturday, exactly three weeks from Arizona’s season-opening contest against Hawaii on Aug. 30.

As Arizona shifts to the fully-padded portion of training camp, here are five notable takeaways from the first week:

Offensive line still under construction

Among the biggest concerns for Arizona entering training camp was the offensive line, especially after losing three prominent starters following an injury-riddled season.

Plus, the most important link to Arizona’s offensive line, left tackle Rhino Tapa’atoutai, is still working his way back from a knee injury he suffered at the halfway point of last season.

As Tapa’atoutai finds his way back into the lineup, Texas Tech transfer Ty Buchanan has anchored the left tackle spot for Arizona, while Michigan transfer Tristan Bounds is at right tackle. The Wildcats’ backups at tackle consist of redshirt freshman Matthew Lado and freshman Louis Akpa, a 6-6, 280-pound Bay Area product.

At guard, redshirt sophomore and Pro Football Focus Freshman All-American Alexander Doost looks to be a sure-fire starter at right guard. Doost and Hawaii transfer Ka’ena Decambra are likely starters at right guard and center, but until Tapa’atoutai returns, the five-man lineup is still in question.

Defensive tackle-turned-offensive lineman Chubba Ma’ae and offensive tackle-converted-guard Michael Wooten have played left guard, but it’s possible once Tapa’atoutai returns, Buchanan moves inside to guard. Or Arizona rolls out a tackle tandem of Buchanan and Tapa’atoutai, who started his UA career as a right tackle, with Bounds as a “swing tackle” on standby.

“The emergence of Ty Buchanan has been awesome this spring,” Arizona offensive line coach Josh Oglesby said. “The amount of reps that he has gotten and he’s starting to feel more comfortable at that spot. With a guy like Rhino, who has the ability to swing, that’s something we’re definitely looking into.”

Georgia Tech transfer Jordan Brown, who was slotted at starting left guard in the spring, suffered an upper-body injury in the spring and is expected to miss a majority of the season, but was fully dressed on Tuesday and participated in individual drills.

Finding a cohesive five-man lineup on the offensive line is still a work in progress for Arizona.

FCS guys settling in

Arizona added 10 FCS players from the transfer portal in the offseason. Some of them — like defensive tackle Deshawn McKnight, linebacker Riley Wilson, wide receiver Javin “Nunu” Whatley and running back Quincy Craig — hit the ground running in the spring and established mainstay roles for this season.

McKnight was Arizona’s breakout star on defense in the spring and will likely start alongside Tre Smith, Tiaoalii Savea and Dominic Lolesio on Arizona’s defensive line, and Whatley emerged as arguably Arizona’s fastest receiver and one of its top big-play creators as a pass-catcher.

Arizona running backs coach Alonzo Carter said Craig is “pound-for-pound one of the strongest guys on the football team.”

Other FCS Wildcats were MIA in the spring, but have shown up in training camp, like edge rushers Malachi Bailey (Alcorn State) and Chancellor Owens (Northwestern State).

The 6-2, 278-pound Bailey had 128 tackles, 46.5 tackles for loss and 28 sacks and was a First-Team All-SWAC selection the last two seasons at Alcorn State.

Bailey has mostly played with Arizona’s second defensive line with redshirt freshman defensive end Eduwa Okundaye and redshirt sophomores Julian Savaiinaea and Jarra “Bear” Anderson; same for the 6-3, 285-pound Owens, who had 78 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles the last two years at Northwestern State.

Bailey and Owens’ edge-rushing abilities coupled with their frames allow them to play as defensive ends or viable options in defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales’ 3-3-5 lineup.

Other FCS players with bright moments in training camp include Mercyhurst transfer tight end Cameron Barmore and linebacker Blake Gotcher — who led FCS in tackles — after a mild spring.

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Most of Arizona’s FCS transfers were in Tucson for the spring, but now that they’ve settled into the FBS — and Power 4 — routine, the smaller-school additions look more comfortable.

Defense forming ‘aggressive’ identity

The most commonly-used word among Arizona’s defensive players when they describe Gonzales’ defense is “aggressive.”

Whether it’s a 3-3-5 defense, with Wilson or Chase Kennedy as a stand-up defensive end-linebacker hybrid, or a 4-2-5 defense, the Wildcats are using disguised blitzes with linebackers and defensive backs. On Monday, Arizona safety Genesis Smith blitzed quarterback Noah Fifita and batted down his pass attempt in the backfield.

Kennedy has recorded multiple sacks and stops for loss in training camp, along with linebacker Taye Brown.

Additionally, San Jose State transfer cornerback Michael Dansby, who had arguably the most productive week in Arizona’s secondary, and West Virginia transfer Ayden Garnes are threatening Texas transfer Jay’Vion Cole and returning starter Marquis Groves-Killebrew as starters in the lineup, albeit Cole had arguably his best practice of training camp on Tuesday with an interception, a tackle for loss and a pass deflection in team periods.

Rising redshirt sophomore nickel back Gavin Hunter, who’s currently starting for the rehabilitating Treydan Stukes, and safety Jack Luttrell, who played nearly 400 defensive snaps at Arizona last season, are game-ready options in Arizona’s secondary and provide the Wildcats insurance in the event of Stukes, Smith or Dalton Johnson being unavailable.

Regardless of who’s in, Arizona’s multi-dimensional defense is designed to cause havoc and confusion.

“You do not need to have the most talent, but you have to have enough,” Gonzales said. “If you don’t have enough, it doesn’t matter what we do schematically on either side of the ball.

“But if you have enough, now you can take advantage of some things by giving people some pictures they might not understand or do something different with different personnel groups.”

During individual drills, Arizona’s defensive linemen and linebackers have worked on tackling and scoop-and-score drills, while defensive backs have worn boxing gloves in one-on-one drills to prevent excessive grabbing that result in passing interference penalties. Arizona is prioritizing aggressive defense and forcing turnovers, yet playing smart to limit penalties.

Kicking competition heating up

After the spring, sophomore Michael Salgado-Medina was expected to start at either punter or kicker, but it’s possible option C (neither) could happen.

Australian punter Isaac Lovison, who is listed at 6-4, 222 pounds, has kicked several booming punts — both traditionally and rugby-style — and looks like the leader to win the starting punter role.

Walk-on kicker Tyler Prasuhn, a former Washington commit and son of former UA kicker John Prasuhn, is exchanging reps with Salgado-Medina, and both have been neck and neck in training camp.

On Tuesday, Prasuhn (wearing Tyler Loop’s No. 33 jersey number) got the first reps and made field goals from 32 yards, 37 and 42, but missed a 47-yard attempt, albeit the miss could’ve been due to a poor snap or hold. Salgado-Medina also missed one of his four attempts, but had makes from 32 yards, 42 and 52; he missed a 47-yard field goal.

Illinois State transfer kicker and Sierra Vista native Ian Wagner, who is the holder for Arizona’s field-goal unit, will likely be a kickoff specialist, with Lovison as a punter and either Salgado-Medina or Prasuhn as the placekicker.

Fountain of youth

Arizona has multiple promising freshman defensive backs, including safety Coleman Patmon and cornerbacks Gianni Edwards and Swayde Griffin. Despite not having as many weight-room reps as the veteran defensive backs, the young defensive backs have been scrappy and fearless in team periods and seven-on-seven segments.

Freshman running back Wesley Yarbrough broke a tackle and shed multiple defenders for a first down on Tuesday. He also had a long touchdown run on Monday.

The 5-10, 211-pound Yarbrough could play in four games — potentially five, if the Wildcats make a bowl game — and preserve a year of eligibility, but he looks game-ready and a likely option as Arizona’s fourth running back behind Ismail Mahdi, Kedrick Reescano and Craig.

Freshman receivers Gio Richardson and Isaiah Mizell could potentially redshirt this season, but their development and speed bode well for Arizona’s offense after Luke Wysong, Kris Hutson and Whatley graduate after the season.