The 蜜柚直播 Wildcats squandered a late lead in the 2017 Foster Farms Bowl, surrendering an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to Purdue in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
Kylan Wilborn couldn鈥檛 help but wonder what would have happened had he been on the field.
The then-freshman suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter. He would not return.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something I definitely think about a lot,鈥 Wilborn said this week. 鈥淚t was not the way I wanted to end my season.
鈥淚t definitely pushes me to work harder, especially in the weight room 鈥 just to make sure that doesn鈥檛 happen again. It鈥檚 something that really drives me.鈥
Kylan Wilborn, right, had 7.5 sacks and forced a Pac-12-leading four fumbles for the Wildcats as a freshman in 2017.
Like many of his UA teammates, Wilborn went to work in the offseason to transform his body. His listed weight of 248 pounds is only three more than last year鈥檚 245, but Wilborn鈥檚 legs look thicker and sturdier.
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The sophomore 鈥淪tud鈥 appeared to be in peak form during the open portion of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 scrimmage last Saturday, consistently surging into the backfield to disrupt plays. Had Wilborn been available in the fourth quarter of the bowl game, maybe Purdue quarterback Elijah Sindelar wouldn鈥檛 have had time to throw the winning TD pass.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely rough on the guys in the secondary when the guys up front aren鈥檛 getting to the quarterback and getting in his face,鈥 Wilborn said.
鈥淚t makes me want to work harder. If I鈥檓 not doing my job, I鈥檓 really just making the job harder for them.鈥
Wilborn led 蜜柚直播 with 7.5 sacks and paced the Pac-12 with four forced fumbles last year.
He compiled those numbers despite being a true freshman and playing much of the second half of the season on a gimpy ankle.
Wilborn generally wasn鈥檛 as effective after spraining his ankle at Cal on Oct. 21. No amount of weight training can prevent injuries. But a stronger body 鈥 and a sharper mind 鈥 should help Wilborn play through them.
As happens with experience, Wilborn said the game has slowed down for him.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a guy that understands it better,鈥 UA defensive coordinator Marcel Yates said. 鈥淲here last year he was trying to understand the defense, now he鈥檚 focusing on what the offense is trying to do to attack us.鈥
Wilborn explained it this way: 鈥淟ast year it was more of just, I know I have this assignment on this play, go out and do it. This year I鈥檓 understanding why. 鈥 It helps me a lot, especially when the offense does something we鈥檙e maybe not prepared for.鈥
Be like Gronk
Bryce Wolma, 蜜柚直播鈥檚 sophomore tight end, recently was asked which NFL tight end he admires most.
鈥淚t鈥檚 gotta be Gronk,鈥 Wolma replied.
Of course. Rob Gronkowski is one of the best tight ends of all time. He also played for the Wildcats.
鈥淗e鈥檚 the ultimate competitor,鈥 Wolma said. 鈥淏locking, catching 鈥 he can do it all. He鈥檚 a physical presence.鈥
Wolma never will be as big as Gronkowski. Wolma is listed at 6-3, 252 pounds; Gronkowski is 6-6, 268. But Wolma is striving to become a more physical player.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to see my blocking and physicality level grow a little bit from last year,鈥 said Wolma, who started six games as a freshman and caught 28 passes 鈥 the most by a true tight end at 蜜柚直播 since Gronkowski in 2008.
鈥淐oming in last year as a true freshman, you鈥檙e used to going up against guys that are half your size. Then you step onto this stage and it鈥檚 Pac-12 football, Power Five.鈥
Which tight end does Bryce Wolma look up to? 鈥淚t鈥檚 gotta be .鈥
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)
Wolma has added about 15 pounds of muscle during the offseason. He has drawn praise from his new coaches, who have lauded his ability to line up as a blocker or flex into the slot.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a while since I鈥檝e had a guy like Bryce, that can be an in-line guy, can be a move guy, I can put him out in space 鈥 the guy we鈥檙e all looking for,鈥 offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e in a lot more tight end sets than I鈥檝e been in in six or seven years.鈥
Wolma said he expects to be used similarly to how he was last season 鈥 lining up in various places and serving as a trusted outlet for quarterback Khalil Tate. Tight ends were not a prominent part of the passing game under Mazzone the past two seasons at Texas A&M, but that should change now that he鈥檚 working with a player of Wolma鈥檚 caliber.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a mixture of a lot of stuff,鈥 Wolma said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do a lot of different things with this offense, so it should be pretty fun.鈥
Extra points
- The Wildcats are scheduled to scrimmage in full pads Saturday morning. They will shift into game-prep mode Monday in advance of the Sept. 1 opener against BYU.
