蜜柚直播

The boys and girls were excited to meet the 蜜柚直播 Wildcats鈥� head coach, of course. But he wasn鈥檛 the one they were most excited about.

鈥淭hey want to see DeMarco,鈥� Sumlin said with a smile, referring to new running backs coach 鈥� and recent NFL star 鈥� DeMarco Murray.

Make no mistake, though: Sumlin is the one calling the shots.

He and his team have one more week of spring drills, which conclude with the spring game next Saturday. For Sumlin and his staff, the final four practices are their last opportunity to evaluate a team that went 5-7 last season. It was a disappointing outcome to a year that began with great expectations.

But it wasn鈥檛 all bad: 蜜柚直播 led the Pac-12 in total offense and rushing. It didn鈥檛 translate into as many wins as it should have, and that鈥檚 an area the coaches tried to address Saturday with a 78-play scrimmage emphasizing specific situations.

That was the starting point for Sumlin鈥檚 chat with the press corps. He also talked about newcomers, including impressive freshman cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace, and the situation at defensive tackle, where depth is lacking. Portions of the conversation have been lightly edited for context and clarity.

What was your biggest takeaway from the scrimmage today?

A: 鈥淲e worked some situations. Just trying to be a smarter football team. We鈥檙e just trying to put guys in situations that are critical to win close games, something we didn鈥檛 do last year. Setting goals instead of just playing football, and the communication that goes with that.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to put these guys, particularly these guys who haven鈥檛 played a lot, in positions to really evaluate them. That鈥檚 the goal here, and we鈥檒l continue that (next) week.鈥�

How are the newcomers coming along?

A: 鈥淧retty good. We鈥檙e trying to get those guys going, particularly the O-linemen (junior-college transfers Josh Donovan and Paiton Fears). Those guys are battling.

鈥淎 lot of the younger guys are getting snaps and playing, the receivers in particular. A bunch of these guys should be going to prom next week. You forget about that. They鈥檙e out here playing against guys who鈥檝e started games and are veteran players.

鈥淓very time we鈥檝e come in here, into the stadium to scrimmage, they have gotten better. They were a little wide-eyed the first couple days. They were a little bit better today. We鈥檝e got another week, then we鈥檝e got all summer when the other guys come. It鈥檚 certainly an advantage for the guys who got here early.鈥�

We鈥檝e heard a lot of good things about Christian Roland-Wallace. What have you seen out of him?

A: 鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 look like he should be going to the prom next week. He鈥檚 got a different body. He鈥檚 athletic. And the thing that鈥檚 really surprised everybody 鈥� he鈥檚 been playing corner, he can run, he can jump 鈥� he really has some return value too. He鈥檚 been catching punts as well as anybody.

鈥淲e were kind of concerned this year because we didn鈥檛 have our punt returners returning. He鈥檚 really surfaced in the mix. We feel better about our return situation than we did coming into spring.鈥�

Are you planning to keep the quarterback rep structure the same, where it鈥檚 been about equal for everybody, for the rest of spring and into training camp?

A: 鈥淚鈥檒l tell you what we鈥檝e been doing. It鈥檚 been a little bit different. We鈥檙e keeping track, not just the quarterbacks鈥� reps, but everybody鈥檚 reps, and then the grading system applies to that. There鈥檚 immediate feedback. When we meet the next day, here are the reps you had (and) here鈥檚 your grade. Everybody on this team is getting graded every practice.

鈥淲hen we get through spring 鈥� we鈥檙e going to talk about what we鈥檙e going to do in the fall. We鈥檒l meet with all the individuals, not just the quarterbacks, about goal-setting, where they are right now, what we expect of them throughout the summer and where we鈥檙e going to go in the fall. We鈥檙e gonna have double-digit new guys here, across the board, which will help.鈥�

How big a concern is the interior of the defensive line?

A: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a concern. We鈥檝e still got some guys that we鈥檙e counting on getting in here that aren鈥檛 here right now (JC transfer Trevon Mason and incoming freshman Kane Bradford). That鈥檚 an added piece.

鈥淲e鈥檙e still recruiting. We鈥檙e still looking at guys. This grad-transfer market has turned into a pretty competitive deal. We鈥檙e still in that market right now.鈥�

Is that something you look at once everyone has concluded spring practice?

A: 鈥淣o. We鈥檙e looking right now. We鈥檝e been on the phone. We鈥檝e had some guys visit. It鈥檚 pretty competitive all over the country.

鈥淲e have numbers where we want to be at every position. Along with that comes the talent level. Just because it says you have so many at that position, maybe some of them aren鈥檛 ready to play. So that number can change. We鈥檒l readjust where we are. We know where we want to be.

鈥淭he question you had about the interior of the defensive line, those numbers don鈥檛 match up with where we want to be right now.鈥�

Moving defensive end JB Brown inside, is that something you want to do on a long-term basis or is it more of a package thing?

A: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a package deal. He can rotate in and out. JB being able to move in and out gives us some flexibility. He鈥檚 got some quickness in there.

鈥淔inton Connolly has been doing a nice job as a 鈥榮hade.鈥� He鈥檚 300 pounds. We鈥檙e kind of playing around in there with those guys.

鈥淣ahe (Sulunga) is young, but he鈥檚 255, 260 pounds. He鈥檚 got the ability to move in and out too. He鈥檚 kind of the wild card right now. He鈥檚 a young guy, but he鈥檚 got strength and he鈥檚 playing a lot. He鈥檚 really helping us.鈥�

Extra points

• Junior tight end Bryce Wolma has a broken bone in his elbow and will miss the rest of spring, Sumlin said. Wolma, who has appeared in every game in his first two seasons, is expected to be back for training camp.
• Defensive tackle Myles Tapusoa attended practice, Sumlin said. Tapusoa has been out since the second spring workout while dealing with injury and conditioning issues.
• Freshman receiver Jaden Mitchell, who has had a strong camp, banged up his hand during the scrimmage, which was closed to media observation.
• Edge rusher Jalen Harris practiced despite recently losing seven pounds because of a flu bug that has swept through the team.
• 蜜柚直播 continued to limit veteran tailback J.J. Taylor鈥榮 participation in 鈥渓ive鈥� team work, but linebacker Colin Schooler played more than he has been and made a noticeable impact, Sumlin said.
• Kicker Lucas Havrisik connected on a 50-plus-yard field goal.
• Spotted at practice: Lincoln Kennedy, who will be calling the spring game for Pac-12 Networks, and former UA offensive lineman Gerhard de Beer.