Arizona’s first two games have brought a little bit of everything into focus for Brent Brennan, but the Wildcats’ head coach made it clear Monday that he isn’t hitting the panic button on any of the position groups drawing attention.
That starts at receiver, where Brennan pushed back on the idea that Arizona’s wideout room is short on answers. He called the group deep and said there is real talent there, while also pointing to the balance of the run game and the passing attack as reasons more chances are coming for that unit.
Brennan specifically said Arizona wants to get the ball to Tre Spivey and Chris Hunter, and he highlighted Rodney Gallagher’s work in the slot and Brandon Phelps’ contributions as signs the room is in good shape. He added that he is looking forward to seeing how those players practice and perform this week.
The same patient approach applies to freshman Caleb Smith, especially with Giovanni Richardson sidelined for a few weeks because of a lower leg injury. Brennan said the expectations placed on young, highly recruited players can be unrealistic, and he noted that Smith has already handled punt returns well and had a nice kick return.
He also stressed that the speed of the college game, along with the scheme and coverage adjustments, makes it unfair to expect a freshman to be thrown in and immediately deliver. Brennan said Bobby Wade is doing a good job developing those younger players and expanding their roles over time.
Arizona’s offensive line also came under the microscope after penalties in the second half helped derail the Wildcats against BYU. Brennan said he had to remind himself that Arizona was facing a good team, and he viewed the game as a tale of two halves.
In the first half, he said, Arizona ran for 100 yards and moved the ball effectively. The second half, though, was slowed by timely and costly penalties that put the Wildcats behind the chains.
Even with that, Brennan said he still trusts the group and Coach Oglesby, and he expects the line to respond well this week.
The backfield rotation is another piece still taking shape. Ismail Mahdi and Max Harris were active against BYU, but only Harris played, and Brennan said the staff will sort out the usage in practice this week.
He said Arizona feels good about Ked, Q, Wesley and Antwan, and noted how much the team will need all of them because of the physical demands of the position and the work Ked and Quincy are already doing on special teams. Brennan also emphasized the value Max and Izzy bring as people and teammates, saying their energy and practice habits matter to the entire group and that their roles should continue to grow.
In the secondary, Brennan said the Wildcats are still making progress despite some uneven moments. He pointed to Daylen Austin getting some action, good reps from the safeties, and physical play from Malcolm Hartzog.
He also praised Gavin Hunter’s work, called Jay’Vion Cole a good player, and said Dwight Bootle “played his tail off,” even though he was beaten on a couple of plays. Brennan acknowledged that Bootle is operating on an island in Arizona’s scheme and said the corner was disappointed by one of the plays he allowed.
Brennan closed by saying he is encouraged by the effort he is seeing from the defensive backs and by the coaching they are receiving. But he also returned to the final stretch of the BYU game, saying Arizona’s offense and defense both had chances in the last eight and a half minutes to help win it and didn’t get it done. He put that responsibility on himself and said that is what the Wildcats will work on moving forward.
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