FB Quiet Time

[Little George]

FB went into the quiet period before the final pieces of the staff were in place. Lots of question surround the team going into Spring. I will throw out the number 10. 10, give or take a few. That is the number of open scholarship roster spots we currently have, give or take a few. Confused? Do not be. Right now I see 10 open spots. There are players in the portal that are on campus and could very well leave , opening more spots. Or, those players could stay, and we can move forward in the Summer Transfer Portal as well as maybe some decommits or other late traditional commits.

The staff is not sleeping!

The staff is now evaluating what our immediate needs will be. We will enter Spring Camp with open competition at most position which will drive competition. IF the staff can fill the needs from within the current roster then there may be less adjustments over Summer. Obviously we have some needs. Filling those needs from within can change our focus after Camp. Here are some thing to look for during Spring Camp.

What kind of structural changes (system changes) will there be? I do not expect wholesale changes anywhere in that area, but there will be some changes.
Will the D line keep that deep rotation going to keep players fresh? Likely yes, but in that case we will still need to add another solid DL guy or two.
Do we have a MLB that will step up? We hope so and have some good options for sure IF they show up to their potential.
Will we have Edge rushers like we lost to Washington? Actually that potential is also already here, IF those players play up to their potential.
How will we cover at the CB position? First is that during camp we have Tacario Davis still here, working with the team. IF he likes what he sees and sticks around that answers half of the equation. Worst case situation then is dropping Stukes to CB where his career started and filling his S spot. There are option here though fewer.
How will the OL shape up? In the forth qtr against Oklahoma we adjusted by putting Magnuson in at G and Savaiinaea to RT. That shored up much of the issue. The other side had Pulido at LT and he is a great player, but more suited for the G spot. Maybe about a half step slow in protection against the quicker outside guys. Are there options on the team? Yes! We will discuss that. Worst case we have Pulido, Moe, Baker, Magnuson, and Savaiinaea from left to right on the OL. The 4th qtr OL against Oklahoma. That ain't bad.
The O looks really solid minus that BIG 220 plus lbs RB to power run like Colman and Williams did. We do have some interesting additions to that room though.
I will try to break down a few things going on and where those evaluations are leading us.
Watch this thread for updates as I try to bring a few thing to light going into and during Spring Camp.
Meanwhile enjoy a deep tourney run in basketball and support our WBB NIT tourney run as well as Baseball and Softball teams.
   

[FCat]

I saw we had a CB commit who is pretty good. Guess we won't miss Prysock anymore.

[Little George]

I saw we had a CB commit who is pretty good. Guess we won't miss Prysock anymore.

That is totally dependent upon several factors.
1. Tacario Davis stays
2. Karnley is as good as expected.
3. Killebrew is as advertised out of HS TWO long years ago.
4. Somebody else comes along in the summer portal.

But for sure a yes!

[Little George]

What kind of structural changes (system changes) will there be? I do not expect wholesale changes anywhere in that area, but there will be some changes.

Further explanation for this.

Defensively we keep Duane Akina as the DC and that is the absolute best starting point! The much improved pass coverage and development of our DBs has been directly tied to Akina's presence on the field. I think this bodes well for Tacario Davis to return depending on the Spring Camp results. I see this as a major factor to be positive in the further development of every DB on this roster. Changes in the secondary? Not many other than improved play each week we take the field.
The DL may rotate less if we do not have the depth we had last year, but I tend to think that will be an area of attention in the summer transfer portal.
LB has been an area of concern as well. One change here could be a slight change in the reads made on the offense. One thing that really hurt us last year early on was the inability of our inside LBs to read the O. Flowe is ever talented, and Hemuli  wasn't bad, but neither were in their place on a regular basis. Maybe I should say they were out of place or even lost in space often enough to make a huge play one play and give up the BIG play the play out. The Mississippi State loss was because of the TOs, but it could have easily been won IF either Hemuli or Flowe had been able to read the plays. MSU scored because those two guys were in the wrong place regularly. That problem was evident against Stanford, and carried into the Washington game as well. I love both those guys, but seriously Flowe needs to play at the Edge. Pure pressure guy and a beast while at it. Adjustments? I see the staff making the reads by the LBs a lil easier maybe, but I could also see Flowe being tried out at the Edge where the two fastest edge guys transferred to Washington. I am not sure that Flowe will adjust to even easier reads at LB, but IF he can pick up the Edge position, he could be BETTER than what we had last year. Similar size with more strength and attitude.
Opposite of the small side we have Taitai coming back and possibly an upgrade at starter if you can picture this with Smith coming in from SJSU. Worst case, we have Taitai and Smith both in at the same time and rely upon Lolesio, Savaiinaea, Davis, and Durham to handle the rotations. If there is any question after Spring, look for the staff to pursue another Edge in the summer portal.
Back to LB, We have what some are calling unproven talent. Well, IF you go back and watch the ASU and Oklahoma games, there were a few younger players getting some PT. Ka'aihue saw the field in both games and did pretty good for a true freshman. I look forward to seeing what he will do this year. Brown also saw a lil time last year. So, both those two are lacking experience, but both have the ability to play the position. Reading the plays again comes up. Su'a came in last year as a freshman as well and never saw the field. My take is that he has a tremendous upside like Flowe. He was just behind on picking up the reads! Like Flowe, that was his struggle. Reports I have gotten were that he has made great progress at this. IF that is the case we should be fine at LB. IF not, we will be in the portal heavy for a MLB following the Spring. The reads are huge!

Overall I do not see big changes coming in what we ran as a unit defensively.

Offense is in a real solid position from the get go with almost all of our talent returning. System changes? This is a huge question mark. Many will look at the style Babers ran at Syracuse. Don't bother! Some maye look at what we ran during his OC years here at Arizona in the late 90's. That was a talented offensive unit. In fact the best offensive unit ever at Arizona by the stats. We have more talent available today than we did then so the options are open. Babers isn't an idiot and will likely stay pretty close to what we have seen the last two years but may simplify things a lil.

Special Teams is an area I see as a focal point for this staff. I see some major upgrades here. 

Athletic Dept changes because of the new director? Yes there will be some for sure. Cutting waste often know as trimming the fat will be obvious. The Booster funds and the NIL money is one area that she does very well with. I would expect the changes through raised ticket prices we already are seeing combined with some cuts here and there without hurting the game time experience. Look for a more efficient recruiting approach as well, but again, not one that will hurt the program.

[Little George]

Will the D line keep that deep rotation going to keep players fresh? Likely yes, but in that case we will still need to add another solid DL guy or two.

DL is an interesting situation. We took a lot of losses on the DL both inside and outside. i will talk about the inside on the post and do the outside later.

The losses: Nofoagatoto's was a big inside presence in the rotation. Savea would likely have started along side Bill Norton, but followed Nance to Texas. Not sure how he fits in there, but it is on him. Tyler Manoa was another big body in the rotation, but was less effective than his size would have projected. Jacob Kongaika who transferred to ASU. He came as a walk-on and earned a scholarship, but chose to transfer anyway. I wish this kid would have stayed. That is FIVE of our big Dl guys gone. All were used in the rotation.
Returning: Bill Norton who will likely be one of two starters on the inside. Love his game as he was the biggest win on the DL in keeping him for the extra year. He is a critical piece of our DL! Isaiah Johnson has some size inside, but had very limited PT in only two games and recorded no stats. Keanu Mailoto was a JC transfer last year and saw very limited time in only three appearances he had one assisted tackle. Good size, but does it add up to success? The staff liked this kid when they brought him in for depth. Nick Fernandez is another young guy that hasn't seen any action. I think I posted somewhere before that he had a little PT, but he has no official PT or stats. Chase Randall is a local walk-on kid that is maybe better than that would lead many to believe, but he has not seen any time in his one year at Arizona. Bryce Echols is another walk-on players that has not seen any PT.

The new guys: Big Chubba Ma'ae is coming from the Big Sky conference so we have to consider that. He has the size. He was a Second Team All conference player and was a priority for the staff as they new there were some big losses coming. Kevon Darton from Syracuse could definitely be that second starter. He is a little undersized as we have been accustom to over the years, but he has some serious game for his size. He is just a little over 270 lbs but only about 6'0 or so and seems pretty stout. 

Couple of options on the roster: Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei played on the outside last year behind Upshaw and so his time was limited at times. He performed very well when he was in the game. at a little over 285 he could see some time inside with other additions on the outside. He did start FIVE games the year before. Tylen Gonzalez has been on campus one year now and was recruited to play OT, but played both ways in HS. I love the thought of him staying on the O side and improving to replace some of the guys that will be leaving over the next two years. However, he is well over 300 lbs and could handle the position if he and the staff moved that direction.

 I'd feel a lot better if Savea had returned, but that ship has sailed unless something very strange happens. The staff will be fishing for some BIG DL guys in the portal following Spring Camp. With Norton and Ma'ae both using up their eligibility this year it will get very thin after that IF we do not find success along the way in bringing in some size and talent.

Now as far as the rotation goes, yes the staff will likely still rotate, but without the extra bodies that will be very limited.

Portal watch: Soane Toia from SJSU is familiar with the staff and entered the portal before pulling out of the portal. At that point he was going to finish his semester there either way. This way he continues to work with the team and make that move over the summer. Similar situation to our CB Tacario Davis. The difference is that DL is a position of need here as well as the CB position. I believe that unless something major happens TD will stay in Tucson. Only time will tell. As for Toia, he would be a good addition.

[Little George]

Do we have a MLB that will step up? We hope so and have some good options for sure IF they show up to their potential.

I will start with the best known positive. Jacob Manu is about as good as it gets at the OLB in the PAC or B12. Love his game, leadership, tenacity, personality, and effort. He is a true leader that brings it on every play.
Now for the questions:
We do bring back Justin Flowe who is a tenacious player on the field. The issue is that he has not picked up how to read the O. The MLB has to be able to read the play and direct the D, but most importantly so he can be where he needs to be. Our DL is designed to eat blocks and allow the LBs to make the plays. That cannot happen when the LBs do not know where they need to be. There could be some slight changes to teh D scheme to allow Flowe to be as tenacious as he desires to be. I do not see that as a fix! More on Flowe later.
Leviticus Su'a did not pick up the D scheme or reads right away as an incoming freshman. He was relegated to the practice squad. Word was that those things improved over the course of the year. IF so, we may have our MLB of the future as Su'a will be a RS Freshman this year. Big IF? Not so far fetched, but we won't really know until the games begin.
Kamuela Ka'aihue is another young player that played in 15 games and started against both Utah and ASU. He has shown a lot of potential already and has seen game time. I love him in the rotation, but again is he a full time starter? I think he can be! I hope Su'a is.
Taye Brown is another guy that appeared in every game but mostly on STs last year. Another kid that shows great potential, but has limited game experience at LB. I love all three of these kids and their potential.
Flowe again, I do not see him at MLB for us unless it is for certain packages. WHY would Flowe stay here if that is the case? More on that later.
Sterling Lane 2 is a guy the for some reason has not been as advertised. He has played in four games on the DL, but not last year. That was his first year. For whatever reason IDK, but that DE/Edge is where he may end up either playing, or he could transfer out after Spring, or some time in the future.
New guys coming in:
Cyrus Durham was a MLB in JC and was very good at it. He was recruited here to play the Edge. I am not sure where that will all go, but we will know more after Spring Camp.
Bey and Mann are not here for spring. They are not officially on the roster yet. They are both smaller in size and not likely to contribute at the LB spot this year unless they turn out to be some super studs.

Spring Camp will determine several things. One of those things is going to be where these kids play on the field. Flowe could get bumped out at LB if all three of these guys are that good. Hmmm, Looks like they already played more than Flowe to end the season. Now, again, why would Flowe stay? I believe they want Flowe to change positions to the Edge, or rush end for more pass oriented teams we face. Look for that in the Spring. IF he does not change I think his time here will be limited. I believe he would be CRAZY GOOD off the Edge. Maybe even scary?

Over-all: IF we do not have at least four starter quality LBs from this group I see us picking someone up in the portal. It could be a potential starter in an upper classman because of our youth. That may be in the plans either way as depth could be an issue.

This Spring is for evaluations and those evaluations will be critical to the success and depth of our team this year. There are about 10 opening in the scholarship limit so we will likely be aggressive in adding at our weakest links on the team.

[Little George]

Little insight to the ideas the staff has going into Spring Camp

https://www.azdesertswarm.com/football/2024/3/19/24105584/arizona-wildcats-football-assistant-coaches-spring-practice-dino-babers-danny-gonzales-duane-akina

[Little George]

Will we have Edge rushers like we lost to Washington? Actually that potential is also already here, IF those players play up to their potential.

Losses: Taylor Upshaw, Isaiah Ward, and Russell Davis 2. That is a lot of talent and so many people have questioned how and where we will replace that talent. This will answer some of that. There are definitely questions going into Spring Camp. The staff is evaluating this team for strengths and weaknesses. Spring Camp will tell them what they need to know and we will see adjustments from there beginning immediately following Camp. With about 10 open spots I expect we will be aggressive over the summer portal period. Look for the staff to fill the biggest needs first.

Let's look at what we have in known experience and otherwise already on the roster first and then what we can maybe expect.

Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei was the primary back up for Upshaw last year. He is a solid player that played solid minutes last year when Upshaw was not in the game. IF he is the starter he will be a solid player, but maybe a notch below where Upshaw was. He is also big enough that he can slide to the inside at times if needed.

Dominic Lolesio made some brief appearances last season as a true freshman. He did play in the max of four games while maintaining his RS.  His ceiling is high and I expect he will see a lot of PT this season much like Ta'ita'i did last year.

Julian Savaiinaea was also a true freshman last year but did not see any PT. He is listed as a DL, but played the edge in HS and was a little light to be a down DL guy when he arrived. I have not seen any updated weights, but he was strong as an ox when he came in. He did not look like your typical freshman. Hopefully after a year in the system they have him ready to play the edge, or built up a little more than the 245lbs he was when he got here. The bloodlines say this kid will be a player at some point here at Arizona.

Tristan Davis came in as a lesser known player but has great size for the position at 6'7" 255 lbs. I am sure he has added some strength and good weight by now. We will see what he can do.

Cyrus Durham was a LB in JC, but was recruited to be a DE/Edge guy. At 6'4" 235 he has better size than Ward or Davis but I am sure not the quickness.

Tre Smith was an All Mountain West First Team player on the Edge at SJSU and I would expect that unless Ta'ita'i has really stepped up his game, that Tre will get the start. He actually could be a step up from Upshaw if that is possible. It is also possible that those two could start opposite of each other.

Smaller quicker players: Look this is my take based on what I have gathered. Sterling Lane 2 came in as a LB, but played DE in HS and all of his play here has been on ST and at DE. That tells me he is not going to play LB here. I would assume he makes a push for the Edge.
Another player I have here is Justin Flowe. Look, Flowe has just not learned to read the passing game D at the LB position and even IF the D scheme changes slightly to an easier read, I do not see him staying at LB here. I see him moving to a position much better designed for his game. That is the Edge! He could wreck havoc on opposing teams if he could just turn it loose. I believe these two will be looking at this during camp. IF they work out there I see that position becoming solid. If it does not, then I see that one or both could hit the portal after Spring camp. JMO!

Incoming freshman Eduwa Okundaye will not be on campus until the summer and is a player that will likely not be a factor this coming season unless he is a much better prospect than expected.

IF nothing looks solid by the end of camp, expect the staff to hit this position hard in the portal. They may anyway if they can land an impact player the such of Upshaw or better.

[Little George]

How will we cover at the CB position? First is that during camp we have Tacario Davis still here, working with the team. IF he likes what he sees and sticks around that answers half of the equation. Worst case situation then is dropping Stukes to CB where his career started and filling his S spot. There are option here though fewer.

With Akina as DC we can see the DBs being the strength of this team moving forward. I have hopes this carries to every position  on D! The development of these kids has been tremendous over the last year!

What we have:

Treydon Stukes aka former walk-on, now could be a great CB but plays that Fifth DB position that was known as the Viper spot. Not sure what we will call it going forward. This kid has changed what our whole backfield can do. Almost like having a Free Corner floating back there with the hits a Free Safety would make. There is a chance he may have to return to the CB position, but that is looking less likely now.

Gunner Maldonado has been very similar in his development with Akina. Looks very solid going into the Spring Camp and into next season. He has become a ball hawk, but his strength in open field tackles has been amazing. Now enter the Leadership both those two guys bring? Yea!

Dalton Johnson again is a development story of it's own. Could be a starter but will play starter minutes either way. Great run support and open field tackling has been above average. His pass coverage has jumped as well and looks to be another leader on D. There will be no drop off when he comes into the game.  and he will be around two more years unless he makes an early jump.

Genesis Smith showed his stuff early on, but also showed some great improvements as the season went on. IF he is not starting, someone has made a major jump to pass him! I can see this kid in the NFL in a couple years. Yes, because of the rules he should be here two more years! That is amazing to me as he is someone we can continue to build around.

DJ Warnell has seen his time drop off some this last year, but not because he hasn't improved. The players around him have made major jumps in their games as well as a guy like Genesis Smith coming in. It is very good having his depth on our roster if he sticks around for his Senior campaign. I do not have a read n where he stands, but if this is his last year he could go somewhere after the spring to gain PT.

Tacario Davis is likely the most talented DB we have on the roster even IF everyone had returned. IF he sticks around after Spring Camp it will be an answer to many prayers. Kid is a future NFL player for sure. Not sure what else I should even mention here. maybe nothing else even needs said. I believe it is likely he stays, but until the season starts in the fall we just won't know 100%.

Adrian Parish came from a solid winning program and has some ability, but does it translate to the D1 level? He did not play last year and I have not heard a lot about his development during the year.

Gavin Hunter has good size and did see some PT against NAU last year. His RS was intact and he has been around long enough to know the system very well. Can he contribute? Well, why not? The issue is a solid line up in front of him has not allowed him to see the field yet. He seems to have the tools, but only time will tell.

Jai Ayviauynn Celestine has great speed and ability but lacks size and has not seen great amounts of PT, but does show the ability to contribute to the team in positive ways. The question is how would he do in a more prominent role.

Emmanuel Karnley is a kid that has great size at CB and shows the ability in practice, but due to the two stars we had at CB last year he just never saw the field. Can he break out and fill that open CB spot? We could be pleasantly surprised if his progress follows what the other DBs have shown.

The new additions:

Marquis Groves-Killebrew was a high rated recruit from HS. He played in three games at A&M and then another four games at Louisville. He has some game experience with two decent programs. I am interested in what he can bring in the form of either quality depth, or as a possible starter IF we were to lose Davis. Who knows, Maybe he starts across from Davis? Maybe our CBs are better than last years? It is possible.

Johno Price was a decent HS player with good stats and played one year at Coll of San Mateo JC. His stats were decent there as well. He came highly recommended and the staff is very familiar with him so he has joined our program. Will his game translate to D1? I believe he likely has the tools to contribute or the staff would not have brought him in. They tend to like his game and versatility.

Jack Luttrell is coming in after one year at Tennessee. he was a four star recruit out of HS and brings a lot of talent. He has four years to play and should be a really solid player as he develops under Akina's instruction. Staff really likes this kid!

Kaden Wicks was not rated coming out of HS and actually played at IMG Academy, so that surprises me a bit. I don't know a lot about him other than he has very good size and the staff wanted to bring him in.

The DBs look to be solid with the biggest questions coming at CB surrounding the future decision of Davis. With 10 spots open the staff will watch how the Spring Camp goes and then decide on what the needs are once they get a better feel about those new players bring.

[Little George]

How will the OL shape up? In the forth qtr against Oklahoma we adjusted by putting Magnuson in at G and Savaiinaea to RT. That shored up much of the issue. The other side had Pulido at LT and he is a great player, but more suited for the G spot. Maybe about a half step slow in protection against the quicker outside guys. Are there options on the team? Yes! We will discuss that. Worst case we have Pulido, Moe, Baker, Magnuson, and Savaiinaea from left to right on the OL. The 4th qtr OL against Oklahoma. That ain't bad.

I explained the fact that we can line up day one with what we played in the forth qtr of the bowl game and have one of the best OLs in the west. I do not see that happening. I do believe that Pulido will play at RG right beside Savaiinaea at RT. That is an NFL right side of the OL! Wendell Moe at LG beside Baker at C. Moe could be an NFL OL guy himself. Baker is a Senior C that will be very solid himself. Where does that leave Magnuson? Still coming off the bench for now. Who will handle LT? Maybe the most important position of the OL. Back side protection is critical! Let's look at our options:

Joseph Borjon actually got the start against Oklahoma and did not fair well at RT very long. He was left in for three qtrs and absolutely could not handle the outside speed of Oklahoma. He is NOT a bad player, but NOT a starter at the Power level of college football. Rotation should be decent in short situations, but struggles with outside speed.

Leif Magnuson is a solid player that has played OG for us in a mostly reserve role. He is a solid inside player, but not the level of Pulido, and not the guy to play LT. His game is still improving and he could eventually start at G for us. Worst case is he is starting RG and Pulido goes back to LT. That would be ok with me!

JT Hand is a great young man with a decent talent set, but just has not been starter quality at this level. Hopefully his game continues to improve and he can continue to contribute as a reserve player.

Grayson Stovall is a solid OL player that has served primarily this last season as backup C. That is likely to be his role this year as well. He can fill in at either G spot as well, but is the primary reserve at C. He is set to replace Baker at C after this coming season. He should be a two year starter if he can keep his position at that point.

Elijah Payne did RS his first season so he is young and has no game experience at the college level, but he sure looks the part. Reports last year were that he was improving as the year went on.

Rhino Tapa'atoutai also did a RS season last year. He is a solid build and has also added strength since being on campus. Reports also have he was improving as the season went on.

Tylen Gonzalez was a hidden gem that the prior staff felt like they kept hid so not to lose him. He seems very happy here and has the tools to be a very solid OL guy, but like Rhino, has more experience at DL than OL until he got onto campus. How good can he be? IDK! Fact is he has the physical tools just like Rhino and Elijah. We have not seen them and they are unproven. All three could project to play LT.

The new guys:

Alex Doost is a name many people are throwing around as a potential starter. That is great IF he turns out that good. He did not see the field in his only season at Northwestern. I find it hard to believe he would come in ahead of the three prior players on this list unless he is actually a very good player. He was an interior OL guy in HS. Does that translate to LT? He has four year to play and will be a part of our future OL for sure just as the prior three mentioned.

Ryan Stewart is well known by the staff. He got three starts as a freshman at LT before he had a season ending injury. He did not play last year in recovery. Has he healed to full capacity? Time will tell. He seems the most logical to start at LT at this point although there are some really good option already mentioned. Yes this is a SJSU transfer.

Matthew Lado is a kid that will likely RS and work on his body strength and learning the system.

The staff would have liked to have brought in a solid experienced LT for sure, but there was not time with the coaching change coming when it did. Ideally you do not want to bring in a guy in the summer or fall with plans for him to start on the OL, especially at LT. I would expect that if none of these guys are ready we may see Pulido out of position again.

There are options and they are good ones, but they are young and unexperienced. The bright side is that two of our current starters were starting as true freshmen. 

OL seems to be a strength at this point and the foundation for our versatile offensive attack.

The staff is always looking for talent and may reach out to an OL guy, but a starter quality guy coming in this late would not be the best situation.