Arizona went back-to-back with a night, full pads practice Tuesday before this morning's shorts and helmets practice in the heat. After not being too pleased with Tuesday's practice he was in a little better mood Wednesday.
Here is the practice report wrapping things up over the last couple practices.
* When it comes to injuries Arizona is feeling them right now, but for the most part the 'Cats have avoided major injuries across the board like there have been at times in the past. Right now the main contributors who are injured remain Lene Maiava and Anthony Lopez. Maiava still feels like he will be back soon, and he was doing a little more today than he was yesterday. Lopez is battling a couple different injuries so it will be interesting to see when he can get back on the field again.
Those injuries have forced some movement around, but for the most part things are settled at most positions assuming everyone injured can get back in time for the season.
Position breakdowns
Quarterbacks: Rodriguez has been giving the quarterbacks quite a bit of attention the last couple days, and Anu Solomon told me Tuesday night that the staff has been a little more comfortable giving him more as camp as gone on. There will be some new wrinkles with the offense this year now that Solomon is a year older and the redshirt sophomore said there has been some trial and error with the new stuff Arizona has installed. Some of it has been thrown out and other parts of it have been kept.
It will be interesting to watch as Arizona prepares for its second season with Solomon at the helm.
Running backs: The more camp goes on the more it feels like Zach Green has that third spot behind Nick Wilson and Jared Baker locked up. He continues getting a lot of work with the second unit and since Arizona typically goes 1s on 2s in live periods that has meant he gets to go up against Arizona's first-team defense. He told me today that has made a good experience for him as he has been able to see where he needs to improve. Maturity is the word that seems to come up with him these days and he really seems to now have a grasp of what work needs to be done for him to play. Saturday will be a big day for him, but right now he looks to be on track to be that next guy in line, which usually will get you on the field for Arizona.
Receivers/tight ends: Arizona continues to work Johnny Jackson in the slot with the first group. He is obviously being asked to get caught up in a hurry now that he's back on offense, but he has been putting in some extra work and getting a chance with the first-team offense has really seemed to help as well. Since Arizona knows what it will get from Samajie Grant the movement hasn't really had any type of ripple effect. Even if Tyrell Johnson is out for an extended period this season Solomon will have his options with this group.
Charlie Ragle had to get into his guys a little bit today after practice, but the tight end group is coming together. Arizona plans to use those guys and right now I'd say Josh Kern, Trevor Wood and even Matt Morin are likely to see the field most of that group. Kern is the biggest threat right now and he is the one who has been the most healthy this fall.
Offensive line: Things are starting to feel a little bit more iffy with the offensive line right now. There are some guys who will start that Arizona has a lot of confidence in and there are some players who might have to play who UA's staff is not as confident in. With 12 games in 12 weeks Arizona is going to need to have some progress here real soon with that second unit otherwise it could be an interesting year. The second unit has looked a little thin these past few days after Maiava went down. Gerhard de Beer continues to be his replacement, but that has moved Alex Kosinski - a freshman - in his spot at tackle with the second unit.
Zach Hemmila is looking to be locked in at the center spot with the second unit, but that group will need to have some guys step up over these next few weeks to make the staff feel a little better about that depth. It is starting to feel like this could be a season of some tense times with that second unit and making sure the starters stay healthy.
Defensive line: There is still some work to be done with the defensive line unit, but at this point things are settled with who will be getting time on the field but the when and with what group are still being decided. Reggie Gilbert will have his spot with the starting unit, but it has been a revolving door with some of the other players. Luca Bruno still feels like he has earned his starting job this fall, but Jeff Worthy continues to put up a good fight with that second group and it would not be surprising to see him on the field first either when the UTSA game gets here. Sani Fuimaono has quietly had a strong fall camp and he has been working quite a bit with the first unit lately.
It will be interesting to see how it comes together, but as of now the defensive line has done what it needed to do up to this point to be bette and right now if feels like that group will be able to be a strength of UA's team.
Linebackers: Arizona's staff continues to move guys all over the field and as I suspected even back in the fall there is going to be different players everywhere when the season arrives. The Wildcats have started working on getting players lined up in different spots than what they are used to and you can start to see that creating a mess - something Jeff Casteel would love to do to opposing offenses - is coming to fruition. Cody Ippolito was playing in the middle today with the second unit along with Jake Matthews and RJ Morgan, who has been further back most of camp. Morgan has bulked up some and it will be interesting to see how much he sticks there the rest of the week.
I've mentioned how much it feels like Casteel has been teaching even more than normal and now that process is starting to show on the field. It's clear he wants to have as many guys know as many positions within the group by the time the season starts so he can create the mass confusion that will allow Scooby Wright to do what he does.
Safeties: Much like the linebackers have been moved around the place so too have the safeties. Arizona's starting unit will always remain the same with Will Parks, Jamar Allah and Tellas Jones, but there has been plenty of movement behind that group too. Paul Magloire has been moved all over the place from bandit to spur and back again - and with different groups. That is usually a good sign that he will see the field and Rodriguez told me today that will be the case for the JUCO transfer. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles will be that second free safety as long as he stays on track and Carter Hehr continues to be the other safety with the second unit getting the most time.
While unproven, Arizona has some options with its second group at the safety spots in addition to Lopez who it knows what it will get with him when he's healthy again.
Cornerbacks: Sammy Morrison continues to run with the first unit opposite DaVonte' Neal at cornerback, and while it feels like it is a motivational tactic to get more from Cam Denson the freshman has looked done what he has needed to do to leave a good impression on the staff. It still ultimately feels like Denson will end up starting with Neal, but Morrison will have his chance to see the field as he has earned it this fall. Neal has really looked like Arizona's best cornerback this fall.
His speed on that side of the ball is something Arizona just does't have with any other player at the position. Not only will he be sufficient at the position he looks like he has a chance to be good this year at corner for UA. The first few games will give a glimpse of what he can do, but right now he has done the work to be ready to go at corner for the new year.
Depth Chart
Offense
QB: Anu Solomon; Jerrard Randall
RB: Nick Wilson or Jared Baker; Zach Green
WR: Cayleb Jones; Abraham Mendivil
WR: David Richards; Trey Griffey or Tony Ellison
Slot: Nate Phillips; Shun Brown
Slot: Samajie Grant; Johnny Jackson
TE: Josh Kern, Trevor Wood
OT: Freddie Tagaloa, Layth Friekh
OG: TD Gross; David Catalano
C: Cayman Bundage; Zach Hemmila or David Catalano
OG: Jacob Alsadek; Kaige Lawrence
OT: Lene Maiava or Gerhard de Beer; Alex Kosinski
Defense
DT: Luca Bruno or Jeff Worthy
NT: Parker Zellers or Sani Fuimaono; Jeff Worthy
DE: Reggie Gilbert; Anthony Fotu or Jeff Worthy
LB: Derrick Turituri; Cody Ippolito
LB: Scooby Wright; Haden Gregory or Cody Ippolito
LB: Jake Matthews; DeAndre' Miller
Spur: Will Parks; Anthony Lopez or Paul Magloire
Bandit: Tellas Jones; Carter Hehr or Paul Magloire
FS: Jamar Allah; Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
CB: Cam Denson or Sammy Morrison
CB: DaVonte' Neal; Kwesi Mashack
Here is the practice report wrapping things up over the last couple practices.
* When it comes to injuries Arizona is feeling them right now, but for the most part the 'Cats have avoided major injuries across the board like there have been at times in the past. Right now the main contributors who are injured remain Lene Maiava and Anthony Lopez. Maiava still feels like he will be back soon, and he was doing a little more today than he was yesterday. Lopez is battling a couple different injuries so it will be interesting to see when he can get back on the field again.
Those injuries have forced some movement around, but for the most part things are settled at most positions assuming everyone injured can get back in time for the season.
Position breakdowns
Quarterbacks: Rodriguez has been giving the quarterbacks quite a bit of attention the last couple days, and Anu Solomon told me Tuesday night that the staff has been a little more comfortable giving him more as camp as gone on. There will be some new wrinkles with the offense this year now that Solomon is a year older and the redshirt sophomore said there has been some trial and error with the new stuff Arizona has installed. Some of it has been thrown out and other parts of it have been kept.
It will be interesting to watch as Arizona prepares for its second season with Solomon at the helm.
Running backs: The more camp goes on the more it feels like Zach Green has that third spot behind Nick Wilson and Jared Baker locked up. He continues getting a lot of work with the second unit and since Arizona typically goes 1s on 2s in live periods that has meant he gets to go up against Arizona's first-team defense. He told me today that has made a good experience for him as he has been able to see where he needs to improve. Maturity is the word that seems to come up with him these days and he really seems to now have a grasp of what work needs to be done for him to play. Saturday will be a big day for him, but right now he looks to be on track to be that next guy in line, which usually will get you on the field for Arizona.
Receivers/tight ends: Arizona continues to work Johnny Jackson in the slot with the first group. He is obviously being asked to get caught up in a hurry now that he's back on offense, but he has been putting in some extra work and getting a chance with the first-team offense has really seemed to help as well. Since Arizona knows what it will get from Samajie Grant the movement hasn't really had any type of ripple effect. Even if Tyrell Johnson is out for an extended period this season Solomon will have his options with this group.
Charlie Ragle had to get into his guys a little bit today after practice, but the tight end group is coming together. Arizona plans to use those guys and right now I'd say Josh Kern, Trevor Wood and even Matt Morin are likely to see the field most of that group. Kern is the biggest threat right now and he is the one who has been the most healthy this fall.
Offensive line: Things are starting to feel a little bit more iffy with the offensive line right now. There are some guys who will start that Arizona has a lot of confidence in and there are some players who might have to play who UA's staff is not as confident in. With 12 games in 12 weeks Arizona is going to need to have some progress here real soon with that second unit otherwise it could be an interesting year. The second unit has looked a little thin these past few days after Maiava went down. Gerhard de Beer continues to be his replacement, but that has moved Alex Kosinski - a freshman - in his spot at tackle with the second unit.
Zach Hemmila is looking to be locked in at the center spot with the second unit, but that group will need to have some guys step up over these next few weeks to make the staff feel a little better about that depth. It is starting to feel like this could be a season of some tense times with that second unit and making sure the starters stay healthy.
Defensive line: There is still some work to be done with the defensive line unit, but at this point things are settled with who will be getting time on the field but the when and with what group are still being decided. Reggie Gilbert will have his spot with the starting unit, but it has been a revolving door with some of the other players. Luca Bruno still feels like he has earned his starting job this fall, but Jeff Worthy continues to put up a good fight with that second group and it would not be surprising to see him on the field first either when the UTSA game gets here. Sani Fuimaono has quietly had a strong fall camp and he has been working quite a bit with the first unit lately.
It will be interesting to see how it comes together, but as of now the defensive line has done what it needed to do up to this point to be bette and right now if feels like that group will be able to be a strength of UA's team.
Linebackers: Arizona's staff continues to move guys all over the field and as I suspected even back in the fall there is going to be different players everywhere when the season arrives. The Wildcats have started working on getting players lined up in different spots than what they are used to and you can start to see that creating a mess - something Jeff Casteel would love to do to opposing offenses - is coming to fruition. Cody Ippolito was playing in the middle today with the second unit along with Jake Matthews and RJ Morgan, who has been further back most of camp. Morgan has bulked up some and it will be interesting to see how much he sticks there the rest of the week.
I've mentioned how much it feels like Casteel has been teaching even more than normal and now that process is starting to show on the field. It's clear he wants to have as many guys know as many positions within the group by the time the season starts so he can create the mass confusion that will allow Scooby Wright to do what he does.
Safeties: Much like the linebackers have been moved around the place so too have the safeties. Arizona's starting unit will always remain the same with Will Parks, Jamar Allah and Tellas Jones, but there has been plenty of movement behind that group too. Paul Magloire has been moved all over the place from bandit to spur and back again - and with different groups. That is usually a good sign that he will see the field and Rodriguez told me today that will be the case for the JUCO transfer. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles will be that second free safety as long as he stays on track and Carter Hehr continues to be the other safety with the second unit getting the most time.
While unproven, Arizona has some options with its second group at the safety spots in addition to Lopez who it knows what it will get with him when he's healthy again.
Cornerbacks: Sammy Morrison continues to run with the first unit opposite DaVonte' Neal at cornerback, and while it feels like it is a motivational tactic to get more from Cam Denson the freshman has looked done what he has needed to do to leave a good impression on the staff. It still ultimately feels like Denson will end up starting with Neal, but Morrison will have his chance to see the field as he has earned it this fall. Neal has really looked like Arizona's best cornerback this fall.
His speed on that side of the ball is something Arizona just does't have with any other player at the position. Not only will he be sufficient at the position he looks like he has a chance to be good this year at corner for UA. The first few games will give a glimpse of what he can do, but right now he has done the work to be ready to go at corner for the new year.
Depth Chart
Offense
QB: Anu Solomon; Jerrard Randall
RB: Nick Wilson or Jared Baker; Zach Green
WR: Cayleb Jones; Abraham Mendivil
WR: David Richards; Trey Griffey or Tony Ellison
Slot: Nate Phillips; Shun Brown
Slot: Samajie Grant; Johnny Jackson
TE: Josh Kern, Trevor Wood
OT: Freddie Tagaloa, Layth Friekh
OG: TD Gross; David Catalano
C: Cayman Bundage; Zach Hemmila or David Catalano
OG: Jacob Alsadek; Kaige Lawrence
OT: Lene Maiava or Gerhard de Beer; Alex Kosinski
Defense
DT: Luca Bruno or Jeff Worthy
NT: Parker Zellers or Sani Fuimaono; Jeff Worthy
DE: Reggie Gilbert; Anthony Fotu or Jeff Worthy
LB: Derrick Turituri; Cody Ippolito
LB: Scooby Wright; Haden Gregory or Cody Ippolito
LB: Jake Matthews; DeAndre' Miller
Spur: Will Parks; Anthony Lopez or Paul Magloire
Bandit: Tellas Jones; Carter Hehr or Paul Magloire
FS: Jamar Allah; Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
CB: Cam Denson or Sammy Morrison
CB: DaVonte' Neal; Kwesi Mashack
