TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Arizona Wildcats took the field for their first practice of 2019 fall camp on Friday night to begin preparations for the season opener at Hawai'i on Aug. 24.
The Cats practiced for just more than an hour and a half in what head coach
Kevin Sumlin described as a "high-energy practice."
Arizona officially opened camp in their brand-new, state-of-the-art Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center before moving onto the newly-named Dick Tomey Practice Fields to wrap up the remainder of practice.
One of the Wildcats' key defensive pieces heading into the year, redshirt senior cornerback
Jace Whittaker, couldn't wait to get back onto the practice field.
"This is what we work all summer for," he said. "So antsy, (on a scale of) one to 10, I was a 20. It just feels great to be playing football again."
Quote of the Night
Coach
Kevin Sumlin on renaming the practice fields after the legendary Coach Tomey: "For us and for every team that plays from here on - it's a legacy that lives on ... Not just for the university, but to every team and every player that plays football here at the University of Arizona."
Photo of the Night
Wildcats junior running back J.J. Taylor participates in a drill on Friday night. He enters season No. 10 in school history with 2,542 rushing yards.
Number of the Night - 29
Just 29 days remain until the Wildcats square off against the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors in the season opener on Aug. 24 in Honolulu.
Cornerback
Jace Whittaker figures to be a key piece of the Wildcats defense in 2019 after being limited to just one game last season. As a junior in 2017, Whittaker led the team with 13 pass breakups and snagged three interceptions, including one pick-six. During his four-year career thus far with the Cats, Whittaker has tallied 104 total tackles — including four tackles for loss — and 32 pass breakups. "We're all fully bought in, so whatever [the coaches say], we're going with it," he said as he addressed the media post practice.
Featured Newcomer - Freshman Kyon Barrs
Defensive tackle
Kyon Barrs got his first action at Arizona on Friday night. The three-year letterwinner from Murrieta Mesa High School in California earned both all-league and all-CIF honors as a senior in 2018 after recording 90 total tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss. The big tackle said he chose Arizona because "they all feel like family to me."
Season tickets, flex packs, and more are available now for the 2019 football season. For more information or to purchase visit
ArizonaWildcats.com/FB or call 621-CATS today.
