Arizona went back-to-back for the first time this fall with a practice Monday night and the first two-a-day morning practice Tuesday inside Arizona Stadium. Tuesday night's practice will be closed to the media, so here is a look back at the last two to get you caught up going into tomorrow's practice.
* Monday's practice was the first in full pads and that meant a chance to see how some players reacted to live situations and Rich Rodriguez was pleased with how things went. Tuesday will be an all-shorts day as the UA head coach said the two-a-days will be more like one long practice since they are a little shorter than normal. Still, Arizona has made progress over the last week and Rodriguez likes where the team is at right now.
* Injury wise there are still quite a few dinged up players right now with Jarvis McCall being the most impactful. He is still working through his injury and that means DaVonte' Neal has been taking his spot as one of the starting cornerbacks.
Postion breakdowns
Quarterbacks: Tuesday was a good day for Anu Solomon who continues to keep his progress going this fall. At this stage Solomon and Jerrard Randall are the clear-cut No. 1 and No. 2 for Arizona this year as both have taken advantage of knowing the situation and working hard over the summer. Timing has really been the key as Arizona's groups have remained intact from the spring allowing for the little nuances of each receiver to be picked up even better by Solomon.
This last week Solomon has looked a lot more comfortable being the one running the show and that will be important for UA heading into the year.
Running backs: Arizona has not had any changes at the top as Nick Wilson and Jared Baker continue to lead the way as Rodriguez's "co-starters" and even Zach Green has worked even more toward solidifying his spot as the No. 3 back so far in fall camp. There was some bad weight holding Green back a bit in the early going, but he is moving a lot better this last week and he looks to be in the best spot to contribute out of the other backs in the group this season. Orlando Bradford looks ready to go physically, but there are still times when you can tell he is thinking a little too much.
If he can really grasp the offense within the next couple weeks he might make surge as well.
Receivers/tight ends: It's always nice to see how the new players are doing and adjusting, but sometimes you have to notice the group that has continued to work and has proven itself already and the talk of the camp when it comes to the receivers has remained its starting unit. It always feels more fun to talk about a potential newcomer who could make an impact but the group of Cayleb Jones, Nate Phillips, Samajie Grant and David Richards/Trey Griffey has really made some noise this fall. There was so much talk about how good the unit could be last season, but now the group is healthy and that has given it a lot of confidence.
Jones continues to make progress with his game and he really could be a huge difference maker for UA this year. Outside of that first group there continues to be some rave reviews from the players in camp about Tony Ellison and what he brings to the table.
Offensive line: Now into another day of the Cayman Bundage experiment, the offensive line is really where a lot of the action is at for Arizona right now. The senior former guard has been working at center with the first group and at this point he seems to have all the kinks worked out of his game when it comes to snapping. That has not been an issue this time around and right now he still looks like the favorite to land the starting job. Arizona is trying its best to get things settled early and not have to move guys around too much even though it likes the versatility of its group. That is one reason Zach Hemmila has stuck at center for the most part still with TD Gross being moved into the first unit at guard.
Of that second unit Gross certainly has the most versatility and so far he has looked pretty good at Bundage's old guard spot next to Freddie Tagaloa. The move also gives Arizona some good size up front now.
Defensive line: The defensive line is going to be a lot stronger than was originally thought it feels like now. Rodriguez really likes the start the group has had up to this point and he mentioned that Jeff Worthy is one who continues to look good after dealing with some injury issues in the spring. Arizona's group of six (Zellers, Gilbert, Bruno, Fotu, Fuimaono and Worthy) will get some good run this year and overall that group has performed strong. Where the defensive line needs to make some strides is with its younger guys. There are a ton of defensive linemen coming in with the 2016 class so some of those younger players need to start making their move now to add some depth for 2015 but also prepare for 2016 as well.
Linebackers: Another position group that has been a pleasant surprise this fall is the linebackers, and Arizona needed it to be. Another group that has a solid rotation of about six guys who are ready to contribute is only getting stronger as camp continues. Jake Matthews has really taken some steps forward this camp and he has set himself up to be a real contributor now for Arizona.
Arizona will have some different looks this year as it works to get the most of Scooby, but that has been another impressive group so far through the first full week.
Safeties: Tuesday morning was a chance to mix things up again as the Wildcats moved Paul Magloire to the third unit to make some room for Penn transfer Trevor Niemann some work at bandit with that second unit during the open portion. Not sure it will stick right now, but it was interesting to see. Magloire has looked pretty good this fall and he looks like he is ready to contribute after a stellar summer in the weight room. Anthony Mariscal is another one who has really been working and trying to pick up the concepts this fall.
I still feel he's a year away from really being needed, but some of the older guys in the program have spoken well of his work ethic an ability and he has set himself up already to have a solid career with UA.
Cornerbacks: McCall's injury has certainly made things interesting now with Neal continuing to get some extended work with the first unit. Arizona has a lot of faith in McCall's abilities and it will continue to keep him in the mix, but the rest of the group has improved as well. There has been some positive talk about Sammy Morrison already as he has continued to work with that second unit. As the son of a former player Morrison really has a nice grasp of what he needs to be doing and there is not a lot of BS to his game.
That first day I really thought he was going to get lost in the shuffle, but since then he has really cleaned things up and he looks like someone who could help UA.
Depth chart
Offense
QB: Anu Solomon; Jerrard Randall
RB: Nick Wilson or Jared Baker; Zach Green
WR: Cayleb Jones; Abraham Mendivil
WR: David Richards or Trey Griffey; Tony Ellison
Slot: Nate Phillips; Shun Brown
Slot: Samajie Grant; Tyrell Johnson
TE: Josh Kern, Trevor Wood
OT: Freddie Tagaloa, Layth Friekh
OG: TD Gross; Levi Walton or David Catalano
C: Cayman Bundage; Zach Hemmila or David Catalano
OG: Jacob Alsadek; Kaige Lawrence
OT: Lene Maiava; TD Gross
Defense
DT: Luca Bruno; Jeff Worthy
NT: Parker Zellers; Sani Fuimaono
DE: Reggie Gilbert; Anthony Fotu
LB: Derrick Turituri; Cody Ippolito
LB: Scooby Wright; Haden Gregory
LB: Jake Matthews; DeAndre' Miller
Spur: Will Parks; Anthony Lopez
Bandit: Tellas Jones; Paul Magloire
FS: Jamar Allah; Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
CB: Cam Denson; Kwesi Mashack
CB: Jarvis McCall or DaVonte' Neal; Sammy Morrison
* Monday's practice was the first in full pads and that meant a chance to see how some players reacted to live situations and Rich Rodriguez was pleased with how things went. Tuesday will be an all-shorts day as the UA head coach said the two-a-days will be more like one long practice since they are a little shorter than normal. Still, Arizona has made progress over the last week and Rodriguez likes where the team is at right now.
* Injury wise there are still quite a few dinged up players right now with Jarvis McCall being the most impactful. He is still working through his injury and that means DaVonte' Neal has been taking his spot as one of the starting cornerbacks.
Postion breakdowns
Quarterbacks: Tuesday was a good day for Anu Solomon who continues to keep his progress going this fall. At this stage Solomon and Jerrard Randall are the clear-cut No. 1 and No. 2 for Arizona this year as both have taken advantage of knowing the situation and working hard over the summer. Timing has really been the key as Arizona's groups have remained intact from the spring allowing for the little nuances of each receiver to be picked up even better by Solomon.
This last week Solomon has looked a lot more comfortable being the one running the show and that will be important for UA heading into the year.
Running backs: Arizona has not had any changes at the top as Nick Wilson and Jared Baker continue to lead the way as Rodriguez's "co-starters" and even Zach Green has worked even more toward solidifying his spot as the No. 3 back so far in fall camp. There was some bad weight holding Green back a bit in the early going, but he is moving a lot better this last week and he looks to be in the best spot to contribute out of the other backs in the group this season. Orlando Bradford looks ready to go physically, but there are still times when you can tell he is thinking a little too much.
If he can really grasp the offense within the next couple weeks he might make surge as well.
Receivers/tight ends: It's always nice to see how the new players are doing and adjusting, but sometimes you have to notice the group that has continued to work and has proven itself already and the talk of the camp when it comes to the receivers has remained its starting unit. It always feels more fun to talk about a potential newcomer who could make an impact but the group of Cayleb Jones, Nate Phillips, Samajie Grant and David Richards/Trey Griffey has really made some noise this fall. There was so much talk about how good the unit could be last season, but now the group is healthy and that has given it a lot of confidence.
Jones continues to make progress with his game and he really could be a huge difference maker for UA this year. Outside of that first group there continues to be some rave reviews from the players in camp about Tony Ellison and what he brings to the table.
Offensive line: Now into another day of the Cayman Bundage experiment, the offensive line is really where a lot of the action is at for Arizona right now. The senior former guard has been working at center with the first group and at this point he seems to have all the kinks worked out of his game when it comes to snapping. That has not been an issue this time around and right now he still looks like the favorite to land the starting job. Arizona is trying its best to get things settled early and not have to move guys around too much even though it likes the versatility of its group. That is one reason Zach Hemmila has stuck at center for the most part still with TD Gross being moved into the first unit at guard.
Of that second unit Gross certainly has the most versatility and so far he has looked pretty good at Bundage's old guard spot next to Freddie Tagaloa. The move also gives Arizona some good size up front now.
Defensive line: The defensive line is going to be a lot stronger than was originally thought it feels like now. Rodriguez really likes the start the group has had up to this point and he mentioned that Jeff Worthy is one who continues to look good after dealing with some injury issues in the spring. Arizona's group of six (Zellers, Gilbert, Bruno, Fotu, Fuimaono and Worthy) will get some good run this year and overall that group has performed strong. Where the defensive line needs to make some strides is with its younger guys. There are a ton of defensive linemen coming in with the 2016 class so some of those younger players need to start making their move now to add some depth for 2015 but also prepare for 2016 as well.
Linebackers: Another position group that has been a pleasant surprise this fall is the linebackers, and Arizona needed it to be. Another group that has a solid rotation of about six guys who are ready to contribute is only getting stronger as camp continues. Jake Matthews has really taken some steps forward this camp and he has set himself up to be a real contributor now for Arizona.
Arizona will have some different looks this year as it works to get the most of Scooby, but that has been another impressive group so far through the first full week.
Safeties: Tuesday morning was a chance to mix things up again as the Wildcats moved Paul Magloire to the third unit to make some room for Penn transfer Trevor Niemann some work at bandit with that second unit during the open portion. Not sure it will stick right now, but it was interesting to see. Magloire has looked pretty good this fall and he looks like he is ready to contribute after a stellar summer in the weight room. Anthony Mariscal is another one who has really been working and trying to pick up the concepts this fall.
I still feel he's a year away from really being needed, but some of the older guys in the program have spoken well of his work ethic an ability and he has set himself up already to have a solid career with UA.
Cornerbacks: McCall's injury has certainly made things interesting now with Neal continuing to get some extended work with the first unit. Arizona has a lot of faith in McCall's abilities and it will continue to keep him in the mix, but the rest of the group has improved as well. There has been some positive talk about Sammy Morrison already as he has continued to work with that second unit. As the son of a former player Morrison really has a nice grasp of what he needs to be doing and there is not a lot of BS to his game.
That first day I really thought he was going to get lost in the shuffle, but since then he has really cleaned things up and he looks like someone who could help UA.
Depth chart
Offense
QB: Anu Solomon; Jerrard Randall
RB: Nick Wilson or Jared Baker; Zach Green
WR: Cayleb Jones; Abraham Mendivil
WR: David Richards or Trey Griffey; Tony Ellison
Slot: Nate Phillips; Shun Brown
Slot: Samajie Grant; Tyrell Johnson
TE: Josh Kern, Trevor Wood
OT: Freddie Tagaloa, Layth Friekh
OG: TD Gross; Levi Walton or David Catalano
C: Cayman Bundage; Zach Hemmila or David Catalano
OG: Jacob Alsadek; Kaige Lawrence
OT: Lene Maiava; TD Gross
Defense
DT: Luca Bruno; Jeff Worthy
NT: Parker Zellers; Sani Fuimaono
DE: Reggie Gilbert; Anthony Fotu
LB: Derrick Turituri; Cody Ippolito
LB: Scooby Wright; Haden Gregory
LB: Jake Matthews; DeAndre' Miller
Spur: Will Parks; Anthony Lopez
Bandit: Tellas Jones; Paul Magloire
FS: Jamar Allah; Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
CB: Cam Denson; Kwesi Mashack
CB: Jarvis McCall or DaVonte' Neal; Sammy Morrison
