Arizona kept the spotlight on the red zone during its 8/18 practice, and a few names kept flashing throughout the work. Caleb Smith, Jay'Vion Cole and Jordan Ross all turned in standout moments in one-on-ones, while Noah Fifita continued to look right at home running the offense.
Smith opened with a touchdown over Gavin Hunter, another reminder that size hasn’t stopped him from making noise in camp. He keeps finding ways to get open and make plays, and he’s gone from a player who might have been easy to overlook as a freshman to someone who looks ready for a real role. He’s also pushed the receivers ahead of him.
Cole followed with an interception, and that’s become part of his routine. He’s been steady, clean and rarely off script.
Danny Gonzales believes Cole will challenge to be the best cornerback in the Big 12, and that opinion is getting harder to dismiss. Ross, meanwhile, has started to heat up after an uneven beginning to camp.
He beat Swayde Griffin for a touchdown and appears to have found another gear after struggling to create separation early on.
The red zone work stayed front and center for a long stretch, with Arizona installing and repping that part of the field again and again. Gio Richardson came up with a sideline catch in the end zone that was ruled incomplete after the ref said he bobbled it, though the play looked clean.
Fifita then did what he has been doing all camp: operate with calm and confidence. He hit Cole Rusk for a touchdown and later found RJ Mosley for another score.
Mosley’s day was a bounce-back effort after Monday’s rough outing. His biggest issue right now is the reaction that follows a drop, because the frustration is showing. The coaches have been working with him on how to reset quickly, since mistakes are going to happen.
Sawyer Anderson also kept strengthening his case in the backup quarterback battle. He threw a touchdown to Henry Gabalis in 7-on-7, connected with Jordan Ross for another score, and also hit Wesley Yarbrough on a screen that went for a touchdown. Anderson looked like the more comfortable of the backup quarterbacks and continues to separate himself from Luke Haugo.
Haugo, though, finished practice well. In the 11-on-11 red zone drill to close things out, he found Arthur Ban and Jordan Ross for touchdowns.
In Other News...
Arizona May Finally Have The Line Noah Fifita Needs
Arizonas offensive line was one of the biggest questions hanging over training camp, but assistant coach Josh Oglesby said the group looks far better equipped to support Noah Fifita than it did a year ago. The difference, he said, starts with depth and the kind of competition that can sharpen a unit before the season begins. Washington transfer Zach Henning has quickly become an encouraging new piece at center, while Alexander Doost and Tristan Bounds give the right side a steadier feel.
Matthew Lados move to the left side adds another layer of optimism, with the staff viewing him as ready to take a step forward as one of the Big 12s better tackles. For Arizona, the appeal is obvious: more stability in front of Fifita and fewer of the protection issues that can derail an offense. The line still has to prove it on the field, but the pieces are starting to look more complete than they have in some time. [Read more 🡒]