Arizona has the media on a rotation to view practice with limited capacity this fall, and Tuesday was my first chance to see the team in person. Because of the restrictions I was only allowed to remain stationary on one side of the practice field, so it wasn't the greatest but I was able to get a glimpse of what the team is looking like and there were certainly some things that stood out. Here's a rundown of a few things I noticed while observing the team for the first time plus notes from the conversations with outside linebacker Jalen Harris and wide receiver Boobie Curry.
🔭 Observations
▶ The first thing that I wanted to point out after watching practice last night was how much more active Kevin Sumlin was during practice than I remember seeing previously. He's certainly had his moments of being more vocal, but last night he was very involved. That was especially apparent during the special teams portion of the media viewing period. One of the returners tried to make an unnecessary difficult play on a punt and it ended up being muffed. Sumlin stopped the group and was vocal about why that was the wrong decision and what it could mean in a game. He also continually urged aggressiveness throughout the media viewing portion of practice. I'm not sure if it's just related to being back on the field after having to miss time because of his positive COVID-19 test or just a renewed sense of urgency with the season approaching, but it certainly felt different than what you would see during the spring and even during a normal training camp.
▶ Some of the newcomers were difficult to see closely because of where I had to stand, but I got a good enough look at freshman linebacker Derick "DJ" Mourning and it's easy to see why he has garnered so much praise from his teammates and coaches so far. He absolutely looks the part and you get a good grasp of that when you see him stand next to some of the other players on the team. He moves well despite being such a big player and was getting plenty of encouragement from Paul Rhoads during the drills I was able to watch. It's clear the coaching staff likes him quite a bit and he should be part of the rotation this season at inside linebacker. Right now I'd expect him to make a good run at a starting job.
▶ Continuing with the linebacker unit, the group overall looks about like you would expect it to after so many departures. Both spots are certainly thin and the staff has moved some players around to make up for it at both inside and outside positions. Tuesday the inside linebacker group consisted of: Anthony Pandy (Sr.), Derrion Clark (Soph.), DJ Mourning (Fr.), Dante Smith (RS So.-WO), Calib McRae (So. - WO), Thor Canales (Fr. - WO) and Mike Saliba (Fr. - WO). The outside position also features just three scholarship players and Tuesday that group included: Jalen Harris (RS Jr.), Issiah Johnson (RS So.), Kwabena Watson (RS Fr.), Rourke Freeburg (RS Jr. - WO), Chandler Kelly (Soph. - WO) and RJ Edwards (Fr. - WO). The coaching staff will definitely have its work cut out for it and one significant injury to a scholarship player will make a major impact on any of the linebacker positions. The Wildcats are going to have to play some walk ons this season there really is just no way around it and every one of the scholarship players at all the linebackers spots should be ready to go because it will be an all-hands-on-deck situation based on what I saw Tuesday night.
▶ I will say after watching the quarterback group perform during the open period the group still looks a bit rusty from the long layoff. There seemed to be more misses than usual with quite a few overthrows plus some under-thrown passes. Grant Gunnell looks plenty comfortable, however, as he continues to command the position and prepare for taking over as the full-time starter. The battle to watch this fall will be what the Wildcats ultimately decide to do at the backup position. Right now I'd say Rhett Rodriguez has the inside track to that job and he might only be improving his chances this fall. He had the best throw of the media viewing period on a deep ball down the sideline that was placed perfectly. He has a little more zip on his passes than I can remember and in my opinion had the best showing of anyone not named Gunnell last night. Kevin Doyle made some good throws, but he still looks like he is easing himself into things. He showed some nice touch on a couple throws. I like Will Plummer a lot, but he's going to need some more development and fine tuning before he's ready to hit the field. He had a couple under-thrown balls that forced receivers to either slow up or have to come back for the ball.
▶ This could end up becoming more important down the line, but Arizona could have a little punting battle brewing right now and not in a bad way. Both Kyle Ostendorp and Jacob Meeker-Hackett really did a nice job of punting last night during the media viewing portion of practice. They were boom kicks down the field and even the returners remarked on it a couple times. Obviously there are lot of other things the staff will have to get in place to make this a successful season, but having a couple reliable punters would eliminate a lot of headaches for the UA coaches. Now, what I saw was only a small sample size but it is a nice plus to see considering the Wildcats have had plenty of issues punting the ball over the last several years. We've also seen something like this before where the work on the practice field doesn't translate to the games when there is a rush and a defense trying to block kicks. So, it might be a bit premature to heap some praise on the duo, but it was a positive development Tuesday.
📝 Post-practice notes
▶ One of the things that stood out about the time talking with the two players after Tuesday's practice was Jalen Harris saying that he is now up to 260 pounds. He was just 205 when he arrived at Arizona and it was clear he would need to add some weight by the time the latter half of his career rolled around. Well, now he's at that point and he has done his part to bulk up. Harris, who will be playing the boundary outside linebacker position, will still have moments where he has his hand in the ground so the plan has been to continue adding weight. He won't be covering as much as the other outside linebacker spot will this year so it hasn't been a big deal that he has added as much weight as he has. Harris did say he had to cut back on what he was eating because he was starting to add too much weight. So he has had to find a balance. I will say that he looked like the most physically imposing member of the outside linebacker group Tuesday night.
“I ran a lot, tried to gain more weight and make sure it’s not bad weight,” he said Tuesday. “So, I’ve been working to stay in shape and make sure I’m strong and be able to do anything that’s asked of me.”
▶ The topic of departures from the program has come up a lot already and the company line has been "they had to do what was best for them" when it comes to players like Colin Schooler and Tony Fields II moving on from the program to finish their careers elsewhere. Senior linebacker Anthony Pandy said he never had a thought about leaving, but Harris is another upperclassman who seemed to be a prime fit for leaving the program. His younger brother picked Colorado over the Wildcats and his family has openly raved about the program in Boulder. Harris is on the downslope of his career at this stage and likely could have been able to find a way to play immediately if he picked CU or any other program. Instead, he has remained locked in and will be a big part of the UA defense this season.
"I believe in what we’re doing here, and I believe it’s gonna work,” he said. “So, those guys had to make the decision they felt was best for them. We’re focused on who we have here and we’re gonna make this thing work.”
▶ Sophomore receiver Boobie Curry will get a re-do this season. Last year he was likely headed for a big role but a shoulder injury during training camp sidelined him for several weeks and delayed his ability to get on the field. He eventually did see some action and he made an impact at the outside receiver spot. He has even more of a clear path to playing time and a big role this year and he's hoping to take advantage of it.
"My freshman year was kind of a frustrating, disappointing year," he said. "I went into this offseason during quarantine grinding everyday, working hard improving on all aspects of the game that can help me on the field. I've definitely upgraded from a skill standpoint for my game and I feel great. I feel 100 percent healthy now and ready to go."
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GOAZCATS - PHOTOS: Arizona's 2020 fall practice (10.13.20)
Photos of newcomers, returning players and coaches from Arizona's fall practice Tuesday night.
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