TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Arizona Wildcats donned full pads as they took fall camp inside Arizona Stadium on Wednesday night for day five of fall camp.
With full pads came the opportunity to tackle, and a particularly energetic practice session. Following individuals drills and group work, the Cats lined up for a 50-play scrimmage to get a first look at 2019's offensive and defensive units.
Once practice and the scrimmage were completed, junior tight end
Bryce Wolma and junior linebacker
Tony Fields II took the time to meet with the assembled media inside the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility. Complete interviews for both players can be found here:
Wolma | Fields
For more information and highlights on Wednesday night's practice, continue below.
Quote of the Night
Tony Fields on the Wildcats emphasis on stopping the run: "[The coaches] emphasize it a lot, but more than anything they emphasize stopping the offense in general. We don't want to stop the run, or the pass, we want to stop them in general. We want them to get no yards at all."
Photo of the Night
Number of the Night — 0
The Wildcats play on "Week 0" this year, making their tilt against Hawai'i one of just two games played on the weekend of Aug. 24. This early start is what caused the Cats to open fall camp earlier than most every program in the nation, and will also open up a rare third bye week during the 2019 campaign. Of course, the biggest advantage of playing Week 0 is the opportunity to capture the interest of an entire country hungry for the return of football.
"Playing Week 0 where everyone is going to be getting into their first week of prep but we're going to be playing ... That's going to be really fun to know that we've got a lot of eyes on us," Wolma said.
Wolma and Fields, a pair of Wildcat juniors, will be featured heavily by Arizona on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball in 2019, respectively.
Wolma, a tight end from Saline, Michigan, landed on the John Mackey Award preseason watch list again this year, making it two straight years he has received the recognition. He has played in all 25 games for Arizona the last two seasons, tallying 33 receptions for 310 yards and two touchdowns while also featuring heavily into the Cats run blocking scheme — due to the efforts of Wolma and the rest of the line, the Wildcats led the Pac-12 in rushing yards per game in 2018 with a standout mark of 202.4.
Fields slots into the Cats defensive second level at linebacker, where he's seen 25 consecutive starts since arriving on campus as a freshman. After a stellar debut season in 2017 in which he led the team and ranked second among all FBS freshmen with 104 total tackles he was honored with Freshmen All-America honors by both ESPN.com and 247 Sports. Across two years roaming the field for the Wildcats, Fields has racked up 193 total tackles, 12.0 tackles for loss, and 7.0 sacks. Heading into this coming season he was tabbed to the Butkus Award preseason watch list, which serves to honor the best linebacker in college football.
Featured Newcomer — Freshman Grant Gunnell
Gunnell, a quarterback from The Woodlands, Texas, came to Arizona after producing one of the most prolific passing career in Texas state history. Across three-plus seasons behind center at St. Pius X High School in Houston, Gunnell set state records with 16,108 passing yards and 195 touchdowns. Following his senior season in 2018, he was named as a finalist for the All-American Bowl Offensive Player of the Year award, and earned the Greater Houston Honda Dealers Player of the Year award. In addition to his accomplishments through the air, Gunnell also ran for 1,621 yards and 28 touchdowns. Once his prep career was wrapped up, Gunnell was tabbed as the No. 15 pro-style quarterback in the nation by 247 Sports. Through the first handful of fall camp practices, Gunnell has been featured heavily in the Wildcats quarterback rotation as he battles for the backup slot heading into his true freshman campaign. He is joined on the Cats by his brother, Will, who is a walk-on receiver.
"Grant's high school accomplishments speak for themselves. What is most exiting though is his passion and knowledge for the game. We are so excited about Grant and what he brings to the University of Arizona," offensive coordinator
Noel Mazzone said of Gunnell on signing day.
Tweet of the Night
Continued Coverage...
Day 2 Report |
Day 3 Report |
Day 4 Report
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