TUCSON, Ariz. – Three days into spring practices and the same word keeps popping up for the Arizona football team: leadership.

On Thursday evening, that focus came from inside receivers coach Theron Aych and senior receiver Cedric Peterson.

It's an interesting position to look for leadership on the 2019 Arizona football roster considering the Wildcats must replace the top three leading receivers from last fall in Shawn Poindexter, Shun Brown and Tony Ellison.

Stepping into the void is Peterson, who started all 12 games last season, and Devaughn Cooper, who led the Wildcats in yards per catch (20.4). Also emerging from the group is Brian Casteel, who missed the 2018 season with injury, after playing in a reserve as a true freshman a year earlier.

Peterson, from Moreno Valley, Calif., is entering his fifth season. He's largely been overshadowed by fellow teammates David Richardson, Samajie Grant, Nate Phillips, Trey Griffey and the afore mentioned trio of seniors last fall. But Peterson has steadily carved his own key role as a steady, reliable player willing to sacrifice his own numbers for the good of the team.

Now Peterson understands he needs to take a more prominent role, not necessarily on the stat sheet, but as a leader on the squad. Afterall, he's been able to learn a little bit from a lot of different players in the receiver room these last four years.

"It just came so fast," Peterson said Thursday. He added, "my role now is to make sure all the receivers are on the same page. Make sure we're doing things right on and off the field. Showing up on time for meeting rooms, getting extra work in."

While Peterson has mostly played the outside receiver position throughout his career, the entire receiving corps is a tight-knit unit that learns multiple positions. Inside receivers coach Theron Aych sees the group growing day by day, especially in terms of leadership.

"We challenged these guys" Aych said. "Football is a reflection of life. Sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone."

Veterans like Peterson, Cooper and Casteel may be stepping out of their comfort zones to assume more vocal leadership roles, but collectively the team is becoming a bit more comfortable now that they enter the second year of the system.

"For our entire offense it helps us as a unit being with Coach Mazzone and Coach Sumlin another year," Aych said.

Peterson expanded on that sentiment.
 
"It's only Day 3," Peterson said. "But for the most part I feel like we're a lot better team and a lot more together as a team. I feel like more people are bought in. No one likes the way we felt last year. Everyone came in from January on and knew what we needed to do to get to that next level."

Consider the message from the coaching staff received.

Arizona will wrap up its first week of spring practices with an afternoon workout on Saturday. The Wildcats are then scheduled to practice Monday, Wednesday and Thursday next week.
 

Inside or Out?

Arizona's receiving positions are split into two groups: inside and outside. Taylor Mazzone coaches the Wildcats outside receivers, while Aych handles the inside group. What separates an inside receiver from an outside receiver?

"It's a feel thing," Aych said. "We have certain attributes when we come into it [through recruiting], but we evaluate guys once they get here. There's a little bit of a mental learning curve that sometimes certain guys do better with. The inside is a different game going through guys like Colin Schooler and Tony Fields."

Aych's insider receivers largely consists of Casteel, Cooper, Jaden Mitchell, Jailen Bailey, Thomas Marcus Jr. and Zach Williams and Will Gunnell.
 

Looking to the Future

Aych is impressed with some of the young receivers, including redshirt freshmen Bailey, Marcus Jr., Williams and outside receiver Tre Adams. He also pointed out two mid-year enrollees making early impressions, including Mitchell and outside receiver Boobie Curry.

Beyond the current crop of receivers, Aych and the coaching staff understand the important of their on-going recruiting efforts. The spring practice season and the debut of the Davis Sports Center are allowing coaches to showcase the program to numerous spring visitors.

"This class is going to be pivotal as far as what the future holds for what Coach Sumlin is building," Aych said. "We're trying to get some guys out here to see spring practice, see the new facilities and see the excitement that's being built. I think this next class is going to help lay the foundation."
 

Follow Spring Football

Fans can follow the Wildcats throughout spring practices online at www.arizonawildcats.com and via social media on Twitter (@ArizonaFBall), Instagram (@ArizonaFootball) and Facebook (@ArizonaFootball).
 

2019 Arizona Football Tickets & Wildcat Club Renewals

Football season tickets and Wildcat Club membership (including men's basketball priority seating) renewals are underway. The deadline to renew is May 1st. New season tickets are also now available. To renew or purchase your season tickets you visit arizonawildcats.com/FB or call 520-621-CATS (2287) and secure your seats today.