When he shifted to safety during the season opener at Hawaii, lifelong cornerback Jace Whittaker had minimal experience at the position. Yet it wasn鈥檛 completely foreign to him either.
This will take a little explaining. Let鈥檚 start with the 蜜柚直播 Wildcats鈥 walk-through practice before the Hawaii game. That鈥檚 when Whittaker took reps at the 鈥淪pur鈥 safety spot. It was the first time he had ever done it. It was mostly a contingency plan 鈥 an if-necessary kind of deal.
It became necessary when Rainbow Warriors slot receiver Cedric Byrd II lit up the UA secondary for 10 catches, 128 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Whittaker moved inside, mainly to cover Byrd. Byrd still produced in the second half 鈥 four catches, 96 yards, one TD 鈥 but didn鈥檛 do nearly as much damage as in the first. On what turned out to be the winning score, Whittaker passed him off in zone coverage.
People are also reading…
Whittaker returned to his usual position for the home opener against NAU. Then came Week 3 against Texas Tech. Whittaker played Spur for the entire game. 蜜柚直播 put together its best defensive performance of 2019. It probably wasn鈥檛 a coincidence.
Multiple UA coaches have described Whittaker, a wily fifth-year veteran, as one of them. 鈥淐oach on the field鈥 practically has become a part of Whittaker鈥檚 name.
By playing more in the middle of the field and having all the action in front of him, Whittaker is in a better position to use his experience and intelligence.
鈥淚 can see what鈥檚 going on a lot better,鈥 Whittaker said Tuesday amid preparations for Saturday鈥檚 Pac-12 opener against UCLA. 鈥淭he feel is a lot different as well. I tend to play football with the feel of how the game is going. That helps me a lot. The communication is a lot better.鈥
Moving a top player from corner to Spur 鈥 which could be matchup-dependent in Whittaker鈥檚 case 鈥 is not unprecedented for UA defensive coordinator Marcel Yates. He did the same thing with Dane Cruikshank in 2017. Cruikshank had an excellent season and joined the Tennessee Titans as a fifth-round draft pick.
Cruikshank had a lot to learn in a short period of time. He didn鈥檛 go it alone.
鈥淲e were in the film room every single day, for as long as we could be in there,鈥 Whittaker said. 鈥淚 wanted to know his position.
鈥淥ur job that year was to know everything the defense was doing. And that鈥檚 what we did. I soaked up everything that he was learning.鈥
Whittaker played cornerback in 2017, recording three interceptions. He missed most of last season because of injuries. This year, he already has matched his 鈥17 total with three picks through three games.
The mental reps he took with Cruikshank clearly benefited Whittaker, who, unlike his former teammate, didn鈥檛 practice at the position during training camp. Still, it seems like a difficult thing to do.
鈥淔or Jace, it鈥檚 not that hard,鈥 UA senior safety Chacho Ulloa said. 鈥淛ace is a smart player. I had no doubts that he was going to be successful.鈥
Has Ulloa tried to coach Whittaker up?
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not necessary,鈥 Ulloa said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 very passionate about the game. He鈥檚 very detail-oriented.鈥
Whittaker spends a lot of time talking football with Yates, who also coaches the safeties, and cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin. They wouldn鈥檛 have trusted Whittaker to make the move from corner to Spur if they didn鈥檛 think he could handle it.
At 5 feet 11 inches and 185 pounds, Whittaker has neither the length nor bulk that Cruikshank offered. (The Titans list him at 6-1, 209). But shifting Whittaker inside is more about the intangibles he brings to the defense. Even players on the other side of the ball notice.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a great leader 鈥 one of the best leaders that I鈥檝e been around,鈥 junior tailback Gary Brightwell said. 鈥淲hen things are going rough ... he takes all the blame. He picks his guys up. He never points the finger.鈥
Watching the comeback
Every Wildcat who spoke to the media Tuesday experienced UCLA鈥檚 monster comeback over Washington State in a different way.
Whittaker cut it off after the first half. The Cougars led 35-17 at the time. The lead grew to 49-17. Whittaker didn鈥檛 find out until the next day that UCLA had rallied for a 67-63 victory. Teammate Samari Springs broke the news.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 believe it,鈥 Whittaker said. 鈥淏ut 鈥 they鈥檙e a good team. And (coach) Chip Kelly knows what he鈥檚 doing.鈥
Tight end Bryce Wolma had the opposite experience. He was hanging out with some friends Saturday night, and they turned the game on at halftime. They didn鈥檛 pay much attention when WSU鈥檚 lead grew to 32 points. Then UCLA started scoring.
鈥淲e keep looking back, and we鈥檙e like, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 going on?鈥欌 Wolma said. 鈥淏y the end of the game, we were all watching.鈥
Ulloa went home for the weekend to Corona, California. When he and his family left their house to go out to dinner, the game was tied 7-7. By the time they were being seated at a local Benihana restaurant, the blowout was underway. Ulloa thought the game was 鈥渙ut of reach.鈥
鈥淔orty-five minutes, an hour later, I go to the bathroom,鈥 Ulloa said. 鈥淲hat the heck just happened? I was gone for a little bit, because I was watching it.鈥
Brightwell was unaware of the Bruins鈥 historic rally. With the UA on a bye, he put his phone on 鈥渄o not disturb鈥 mode.
What was Brightwell doing during the game?
鈥淚 was actually doing homework,鈥 he said.
Extra points
鈥 蜜柚直播 recently added two walk-ons to its online roster: quarterback Cameron Fietz, a transfer from the University of British Columbia, and receiver Vince Ellison, the younger brother of former Wildcats wideout Tony Ellison. More walk-ons are expected to be added this week.
鈥 UCLA returned a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown last week 鈥 believed to be the first time the Bruins have done both in the same game.
