Rich Rodriguez first floated the idea of a full-blown youth movement at last month鈥檚 Pac-12 Media Days. He was especially high on his class of newcomers, saying that 鈥渢here鈥檚 probably 20 of them that will play this year.鈥
Even though the Wildcats dealt with a wave of decommitments leading up to national signing day, Rodriguez still labeled this 2017 class as, potentially, the best since he was hired at 蜜柚直播 five years ago.
Whether that part of it comes to fruition won鈥檛 be decided for a while, and probably not even this season.
That part about the 20 players playing right away? Rodriguez might not have been too far off, if the early days of training camp are any indication. Most of those 20 newcomers are true freshmen; others include transfers like junior college defensive lineman Dereck Boles.
Rodriguez says his team includes 50 newcomers. That he thinks 20 could play is notable.
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Consider: Just 25 freshmen have recorded statistics in Rodriguez鈥檚 first five years as 蜜柚直播鈥檚 coach. The Wildcats flopped a year ago, going 3-9, and still only played six freshmen.
The youth movement should push 蜜柚直播鈥檚 returners, if nothing else.
鈥淣o question,鈥 Rodriguez said. 鈥淵ou can talk about competition all you want, but the guys really know it. They can look around and say, 鈥極h, if I don鈥檛 step up my game, I may not be playing much.鈥 What we try to do is create true competition at every position. We鈥檙e getting closer to that.鈥
Rodriguez is never one to laud specific players, particularly early in fall camp. His tone is different this year, however: He has consistently praised the newcomers.
Freshman Tony Fields II has been the talk of camp so far. The athletic, still-growing Las Vegas Desert Pines High School product is already considered the favorite to start at the 鈥淲ill鈥 linebacker position previously occupied by Paul Magloire Jr.
蜜柚直播鈥檚 linebacker corps needed an infusion of young talent, and Fields 鈥 coupled with freshman middle linebacker Colin Schooler, who is also fighting for a starting job 鈥 has helped ease some of the concern at the position.
Fields enrolled at 蜜柚直播 in January and participated in spring drills and summer workouts. As a result, he鈥檚 added more than 30 pounds of muscle.
鈥淣ow that I know what to expect every day, I know I need to know what gaps to fill, I know all the plays, I have the upper hand on everybody in my class,鈥 Fields said on Thursday.
He hasn鈥檛 played a down of college football yet, but with a full spring under his belt, Fields already considers himself a veteran of the linebackers group. And he鈥檚 not entirely wrong.
The only returning linebackers with significant playing experience are Brandon Rutt, a former walk-on, and DeAndre鈥 Miller, who has missed all of camp with an injury.
鈥淚鈥檓 more of an upperclassman now that we have a lot guys at the 鈥榃ill鈥, 鈥 Fields said. 鈥淚鈥檓 actually a lot of help to all of them. That鈥檚 what (linebackers coach Scott) Boone looks at me as 鈥 he asks me to help them out whenever I need to and stuff like that, so that鈥檚 what I do.鈥
Coaches have also praised freshman receiver Brian Casteel and running back Nathan Tilford. Like Fields, Tilford 鈥 蜜柚直播鈥檚 highest-rated 2017 recruit 鈥 enrolled in January.
Rodriguez has also said he wants three quarterbacks ready to play. After redshirt junior Brandon Dawkins and sophomore Khalil Tate, the Wildcats have three true freshmen 鈥 K鈥橦ari Lane, Rhett Rodriguez and 26-year old Donavan Tate.
The greatest bulk of freshman contributors, though, will likely come on defense.
Fields and Schooler will be in the playing rotation right away, and Long Beach Poly product linebacker Joshua Brown could compete for reps at middle linebacker, too.
At the hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker position, UA assistant Brian Knorr lauded Jalen Harris and Kylan Wilborn as early standouts.
Tony Wallace could see some time at cornerback. Scottie Young, Troy Young, Rhedi Short and Xavier Bell could factor in as safeties.
Parker Zellers, a senior defensive lineman, said he couldn鈥檛 believe how technically sound defensive tackle Kurtis Brown already is as a freshman, and that鈥檚 a recurring theme 鈥 many of these freshmen haven鈥檛 been overwhelmed by college football concepts.
Safeties coach Jahmile Addae said he鈥檚 been especially impressed by Troy Young and Scottie Young.
鈥淩eally what you鈥檙e looking for is retention,鈥 Addae said. 鈥淐an I give him information and have him give it back to me? That takes no time (to figure out).
鈥淭hey鈥檙e young and athletic kids, and they鈥檙e aggressive. They鈥檙e also 鈥榟eadsy鈥 enough to where they鈥檙e able to make the checks and adjustments. At that age, that鈥檚 tough, especially in this defense.鈥
Fields has heard all those raves about this class, many of them about himself, but, he said, that doesn鈥檛 matter until the season actually begins Sept. 3 against Northern 蜜柚直播.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great, it鈥檚 fascinating, but I feel like I鈥檓 not done yet,鈥 Fields said. 鈥淚 have a lot more to do and I haven鈥檛 really made the impact I want to make yet because we haven鈥檛 played in a game yet.鈥
Extra points
- 蜜柚直播 practiced in full pads on Friday morning, and Rodriquez said he 鈥渨asn鈥檛 pleased鈥 with the intensity, but understood because of how hot and humid it was outside.
- Receiver Tyrell Johnson is still considered 蜜柚直播鈥檚 fastest player, but Rodriguez also mentioned freshman receiver D.J. Hinton, a 蜜柚直播 High product and son of former Wildcat David Hinton.
- Rodriguez said that tackle Cody Creason has had a 鈥渟olid鈥 camp. Gerhard de Beer may trail Creason in the battle to start at right tackle, in part because he鈥檚 been dealing with a knee issue that kept him out of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 last three games in 2016, all of spring drills and some of summer workouts.
