Often enough, a search and scroll through YouTube can find the solution to any number of problems.
Heck, Arizona redshirt senior tight end Tanner McLachlan used YouTube to help rehab an ACL injury while in transition between Southern Utah and the UA.
Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura “didn’t grow up privileged,” said Wildcats head coach Jedd Fisch, so camps and high-priced coaches weren’t feasible as a youth for the second-year starter, who completed 13 of 17 passes in the Wildcats’ scrimmage on Saturday.
His father, Jacob de Laura, combed through video after video on YouTube to find quarterback drills for his son to work on. De Laura’s father watched videos and took his son to Palolo Valley District Park near their housing complex in Honolulu to attempt the drills.
Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura speaks to assembled media during the Wildcats' 2023 preseason media day at the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center on Aug. 1.
“He would look at YouTube videos on his own time and then say, ‘Let’s do this,’” de Laura said “I’m like, ‘Why am I doing this?’ and didn’t really understand, but my dad did his best to prepare me to go as far as my football career can take me.
“He didn’t do too bad to get me to this position.”
De Laura, who dons No. 7 as his jersey number because Michael Vick was his favorite player growing up, also leaned on his relationship with Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, the younger brother of Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa, to work on drills at parks and fields in Hawaii.
Now de Laura doesn’t have to be thrifty when it comes to quarterback coaching.
The last two summers, de Laura attended the Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana, a four-day camp at Nicholls State that features some of the top passers in college football, including Michael Penix (Washington), Cameron Rising (Utah), Drake Maye (North Carolina), Jayden Daniels (LSU), Arch Manning (Texas), Quinn Ewers (Texas) and Will Rogers (Mississippi State).
De Laura said he had “more conversations with Peyton (Manning)” than Eli Manning.
Jayden de Laura, quarterback, speaks to members of the media during the Arizona Wildcats’ football preseason media day at the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center in Tucson, Ariz. on August 1, 2023.
“We talked ball, talked about Coach Fisch and he helped with my mechanics,” de Laura said. “He said I looked way cleaner than last year, because last year was my first time taking under-center snaps and I didn’t know how to take a drop under center. This year, I took all my reps under center to show that I know how to do it now.”
De Laura didn’t just take coaching from the Manning bros, he also absorbed information from the campers, like Penix, about making smarter plays in games. Last season, de Laura threw a Pac-12-worst 13 interceptions despite throwing for 3,685 yards and 25 touchdowns. Eschew hero ball and move on to the next play.
“Seven of (the interceptions) came in two games, so we gotta clean that up,” de Laura said. “Can’t turn it over that much in two games. And just being smart with the ball. Not forcing everything down field and just throw it out of bounds. That’s one thing I took away from Michael Penix. He’s like, ‘If nothing is there, and I don’t like getting hit, I’m just going to throw it out of bounds and live to play the next play.’”
Arguably the most impactful of the two camps in de Laura’s offseason was the “3DQB” event in Huntington Beach, California, with former Arizona State starter Taylor Kelly as one of the top instructors. De Laura said he learned how to throw with his “lower half,” meaning his waist, hips and legs, putting more zip on his passes. Upon returning to Tucson for the remainder of the summer, de Laura applied the methods he learned with Arizona’s wide receivers in player-run practices — or “PRPs.”
Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura, right, shown talking to backup Noah Fifita, is in position to take off in his second year in Tucson after a hitting the learning curve 2022.
“I always knew I never used my lower half when I’m throwing, but I never knew how to use it,” de Laura said. “Going there really helped me dial in, learn and use my mechanics. ... Throwing it is way easier now. Now I know how to use my legs and not really use up top and really control my velocity on my balls.”
De Laura “will be way better” as a quarterback in his second season in Fisch’s system.
“Sky’s the limit,” de Laura said. “That’s the first time I’ve worked with a quarterback coach my whole life other than my high school coach and my dad.”
Arizona quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty said de Laura’s development this season is “exactly what we hoped and thought it would be” and there aren’t “silly pre-snap issues” as opposed to last season, when de Laura worked out the kinks settling into a new system after transferring from Washington State.
Quarterback Jayden de Laura cocks to throw while working with the receivers during an Arizona football spring practice session on March 30.
“He’s so much more in command,” Dougherty said of de Laura. “We always talk about owning his position, owning his job, ownership of playing the quarterback position. I think you’re seeing that right now. ... When you correct things, it’s not an avalanche of things where you’re just trying to tread water so to speak. Now you’re really precise in what you’re trying to correct and come out here to work on it.”
Fisch said, “What we’re asking of our quarterback is starting to show up.”
“His control at the line of scrimmage, his decision-making; scramble when needed, but continuing to work in the pocket,” Fisch said.
Entering his fourth year as a college quarterback, de Laura is “kind of just digging in and being the older guy on the team,” he said, even as his offseason included some off-the-field turmoil. A lawsuit surfaced accusing him of sexual assault tied to an incident that occurred while he was in high school. De Laura’s attorneys denied the accusations.
“A lot of people look up to me and a lot of people expect me to be that leader — not just on the field but off the field, too,” de Laura said this week.
Extra points:
Arizona’s first defensive unit in Saturday’s scrimmage had Michigan transfer defensive end Taylor Upshaw, Georgia transfer defensive tackle Bill Norton, UCLA transfer defensive tackle Tyler Manoa, Cal transfer edge rusher Orin Patu, linebackers Jacob Manu and Oregon transfer Justin Flowe and cornerback Ephesians Prysock, nickel back Treydan Stukes, strong safety Gunner Maldonado, free safety Isaiah Taylor and cornerback Tacario Davis.
UA defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen 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 end Isaiah Ward, junior-college transfer defensive tackle Keanu Mailoto, sophomore defensive tackle Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei, defensive tackle Jacob Kongaika, defensive tackle Tiaoalii Savea and edge rushers Russell Davis II, Sterling Lane II and Jeremy Mercier.
Saturday was a productive day scrimmage for Arizona’s running backs. Sophomore Jonah Coleman had 46 yards and a touchdown in one possession, and redshirt freshman Rayshon “Speedy” Luke had a 69-yard run along with a 19-yard dump-off touchdown from quarterback Noah Fifita.
Left tackle Jordan Morgan participated in the first half of Arizona’s scrimmage, but continued his knee recovery on the sideline during the second half.
Sophomore tight end Keyan Burnett caught two touchdown passes, including a 47-yarder from de Laura between the hashmarks.
Contact Star football reporter Justin Spears at jspears@tucson.com. On Twitter: @JustinESports
