Hey guys, it is that time of year again with spring football starting up today. This also is the official start of the Brent Brennan era (in terms of coach) and we finally get to see what he is like on the field.
Today and throughout spring ball, we will have full coverage from galleries, video interviews, practice breakdowns, takeaways and more.
But, to prepare you for the start of spring ball, I'll be breaking down five things to watch this spring.
Five things to watch:
1. Brent Brennan as a coach
- This will be the first chance we get to see Brent Brennan on the football/practice field coaching up his players. Is he going to be a very vocal head coach? Or, is he going to be like Jedd Fisch, who really let his guys coach the positions and then would go all over the field adding his input and then taking over during formation drills?
so far, Brennan has been a very easy going guy, but I know—as do you guys—that when on the field, people can go into work mode.
To Fisch's credit, those were some of the most well-run practices I've ever seen. Everything had a purpose. So, I thinks it will be interesting to see how this staff does things and what they plan of attack will be.
2. The offensive line starting unit
- Last season, Arizona had one of the better lines in program history with a steady starting five ones Raymond Pulido got fully healthy. It was a line that was able to pass protect and create holes in the running game. Now, all though much of the line will be coming back, the Wildcats will be missing Jordan Morgan, who has graduated and preparing for the NFL Draft.
So, I want to see who that starting five will be from the start of spring ball and if it remains the same til the end.
Also, will Jonah Savaiinaea still be playing RT? Or will this staff move him back inside to RG?
When looking at Savaiinaea, it is clear that he did an excellent job of moving to RT when he was asked to do so. However, I think his natural position in the NFL will be guard and that will give him the best chance of having a 12 to 14-year career at the next level.
3. Noah Fifita's work with Dino Babers
- There has been no official word that offensive coordinator Dino Babers will be working with the quarterbacks, but when you look at the resumes on the staff, he is the only one that has been a QB coach. So, I would assume he will be the primary guys working with that room.
I want to see how Noah Fifita adapts to the new coaching style of this staff compared to what he was use to with the Fisch staff.
Although Fifita had a great season last year, there is still a lot of room for improvement and Babers might be the guy that helps him take that next level of development that prepares him to lead the program and get ready for a potential NFL career.
4. What is the offense going to look like?
- With Babers taking over as offensive coordinator and years of experience, it will be intriguing to see what type of offense the Wildcats will have during the 2024 season.
Now, Babers has already said that he doesn't want to give too much away too soon and I think that includes spring football. But, we will have a chance to see the base of his offense and if it will look something similar to Syracuse, or maybe even a Baylor (2008-15) style of offense when Art Briles was the head coach.
It is noteworthy that Babers worked with Briles during that time and was part of helping build up that program. That system relied on speed and getting offensive weapons out in space.
I think we will see more of a Baylor style of offensive with a emphasis on balancing things out with the running game.
Still, time will tell and Babers definitely has some tricks up his sleeves.
5. Rounding out the defense
- Although the Wildcats lost starting cornerback Ephesians Prysock and both edge rushers Russell Davis and Isaiah Ward to Washington in the transfer portal, the team still has a great base to build off of the success it had on defense a season ago.
With Jacob Manu and others returning, Arizona has the ability to be one of the better defenses in the Big 12 conference. And getting Tacario Davis back was a massive part of this statement.
However, the team needs to figure out who will be the No. 2 cornerback behind Davis. Will it be newcome Marquis Groves-Killebrew? Or will it be a situation where the Wildcats will be looking to add from the portal when the window opens up on April 18th?
I think what the staff doesn't want is to have to move Treydan Stukes back out from the nickel back position. Mainly because Stukes was highly successful in the nickel role and helps sure up the secondary from that spot.
Aside from the cornerback position, Arizona needs to find two edge rushers that can put pressure on the quarterback.
I'm sure there will be a ton of rotation on the defensive line, but figuring out the two main guys this spring will be critical for the Wildcats.
Okay guys, we'll have a bunch more from today as Aidan and I will be out at practice providing full coverage. However, please feel free to comment with any other questions I may have not hit on, or what you want to see this spring.
Today and throughout spring ball, we will have full coverage from galleries, video interviews, practice breakdowns, takeaways and more.
But, to prepare you for the start of spring ball, I'll be breaking down five things to watch this spring.
Five things to watch:
1. Brent Brennan as a coach
- This will be the first chance we get to see Brent Brennan on the football/practice field coaching up his players. Is he going to be a very vocal head coach? Or, is he going to be like Jedd Fisch, who really let his guys coach the positions and then would go all over the field adding his input and then taking over during formation drills?
so far, Brennan has been a very easy going guy, but I know—as do you guys—that when on the field, people can go into work mode.
To Fisch's credit, those were some of the most well-run practices I've ever seen. Everything had a purpose. So, I thinks it will be interesting to see how this staff does things and what they plan of attack will be.
2. The offensive line starting unit
- Last season, Arizona had one of the better lines in program history with a steady starting five ones Raymond Pulido got fully healthy. It was a line that was able to pass protect and create holes in the running game. Now, all though much of the line will be coming back, the Wildcats will be missing Jordan Morgan, who has graduated and preparing for the NFL Draft.
So, I want to see who that starting five will be from the start of spring ball and if it remains the same til the end.
Also, will Jonah Savaiinaea still be playing RT? Or will this staff move him back inside to RG?
When looking at Savaiinaea, it is clear that he did an excellent job of moving to RT when he was asked to do so. However, I think his natural position in the NFL will be guard and that will give him the best chance of having a 12 to 14-year career at the next level.
3. Noah Fifita's work with Dino Babers
- There has been no official word that offensive coordinator Dino Babers will be working with the quarterbacks, but when you look at the resumes on the staff, he is the only one that has been a QB coach. So, I would assume he will be the primary guys working with that room.
I want to see how Noah Fifita adapts to the new coaching style of this staff compared to what he was use to with the Fisch staff.
Although Fifita had a great season last year, there is still a lot of room for improvement and Babers might be the guy that helps him take that next level of development that prepares him to lead the program and get ready for a potential NFL career.
4. What is the offense going to look like?
- With Babers taking over as offensive coordinator and years of experience, it will be intriguing to see what type of offense the Wildcats will have during the 2024 season.
Now, Babers has already said that he doesn't want to give too much away too soon and I think that includes spring football. But, we will have a chance to see the base of his offense and if it will look something similar to Syracuse, or maybe even a Baylor (2008-15) style of offense when Art Briles was the head coach.
It is noteworthy that Babers worked with Briles during that time and was part of helping build up that program. That system relied on speed and getting offensive weapons out in space.
I think we will see more of a Baylor style of offensive with a emphasis on balancing things out with the running game.
Still, time will tell and Babers definitely has some tricks up his sleeves.
5. Rounding out the defense
- Although the Wildcats lost starting cornerback Ephesians Prysock and both edge rushers Russell Davis and Isaiah Ward to Washington in the transfer portal, the team still has a great base to build off of the success it had on defense a season ago.
With Jacob Manu and others returning, Arizona has the ability to be one of the better defenses in the Big 12 conference. And getting Tacario Davis back was a massive part of this statement.
However, the team needs to figure out who will be the No. 2 cornerback behind Davis. Will it be newcome Marquis Groves-Killebrew? Or will it be a situation where the Wildcats will be looking to add from the portal when the window opens up on April 18th?
I think what the staff doesn't want is to have to move Treydan Stukes back out from the nickel back position. Mainly because Stukes was highly successful in the nickel role and helps sure up the secondary from that spot.
Aside from the cornerback position, Arizona needs to find two edge rushers that can put pressure on the quarterback.
I'm sure there will be a ton of rotation on the defensive line, but figuring out the two main guys this spring will be critical for the Wildcats.
Okay guys, we'll have a bunch more from today as Aidan and I will be out at practice providing full coverage. However, please feel free to comment with any other questions I may have not hit on, or what you want to see this spring.
