TUCSON, Ariz. — For those who have followed the Arizona Wildcats fall camp through the first 10 days, two major themes have emerged: An emphasis on consistency, and a focus on relationships.
Both were on display again Tuesday night, especially the latter. Trust built between teammates, trust established between coaches and players, both are crucial parts of a high-performing team. While these relationships naturally form through time together on the field, effort put in off the gridiron is also key.
"That's my biggest thing, I just want to be a great brother to my teammates. Everything is not about just on the field, you have to build these relationships off the field," safety
Scottie Young Jr. said when asked about mentoring incoming freshmen.
Defensive coordinator
Marcel Yates mentioned something similar when asked how coaches can best show they care about players, not just as athletes but also as people.
"To me it's when you get off the field," Yates said. "Every coach is going to ask them about academics and football, academics and football, but they're people. So to me, when they walk in a room everyone is different ... As soon as that guy walks in a room you can look at his face and tell he has something on his mind whether it's football related, family related, whatever it may be. You have to do more than just talk to them about school and football, you have to ask them about how they're doing."
Fall camp provides an excellent opportunity for coaches and teammates to form those bonds and strengthen the relationships they'll need to count on once they take the field in-season.
For more highlights on Tuesday night's practice, continue below.
Quote of the Night
Defensive coordinator
Marcel Yates on the priorities of the defense: "Stopping the run is priority [number one]. It's as simple as this: When the quarterback can turn around and just hand the ball off that's the easiest thing to do, so when he has to put the ball in the air obviously you have a chance now to make plays. So we always want to stop the run first."
Photo of the Night
Number of the Night — 6
After facing adversity on and off the field in 2018, junior safety
Scottie Young Jr. made the decision this offseason to change jersey numbers from #19 to #6. He sees the change as a way to refresh and approach this season and his career from a new angle.
"I've been telling everyone [that change] is just like a reincarnation of myself. I had #19 all the way from high school up until [last year], but then I just felt like I needed something new," he said. "Now everybody has been saying I've matured, and I feel like I've matured into something different. It's like I'm blossoming into something different this year — I have a lot of expectations and goals."
The meaning behind that number? A shared history with one of the Wildcats all-time greats.
"Actually, coach Cecil went to my high school. After [
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles] was gone I was thinking, 'It's spring ball, I want something new.' So I texted coach Cecil and asked if I could get #6 and he said 'for sure' so they got it switched for me for spring ball."
Young returns to the Wildcats secondary for a third campaign after having logged 20 appearances and 18 starts over the last two seasons. Since 2017 he has tallied 91 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, eight pass breakups, and one pick six. The 5-foot-11 safety led the Cats with three picks last year and returned one for a touchdown against Cal on Oct. 6. He joined Arizona after earning four varsity letters at Helix High School in San Diego and garnering a three-star rating by 247Sports. Between Young,
Jarrius Wallace, and
Tristan Cooper, the Wildcats will return a trio of safeties who combined to log 127 total tackles in 2018. Like many who have echoed the same sentiment throughout fall camp, Young believes the 2019 defense is going to be improved over last season's unit.
"[This year's defense] is one unit," he said. "We've got a lot of guys healthy right now. We've got depth and a lot of speed and physicality out there — guys flying around and having fun."
Featured Newcomer — Freshman Eddie Siaumau
Siaumau, who hails all the way from American Samoa, joins the Cats in 2019 as a true freshman linebacker. He prepped at Faasao Marist High School and earned four varsity letters under head coach Oakland Salavea. The three-star recruit was tabbed as the No. 1 prospect out of American Samoa for the 2019 class and participated in the 2019 Polynesian Bowl in January.
"This young man is very rangy. He played all over the field in high school so he can play in space and make plays at multiple positions on defense," Wildcats defensive coordinator
Marcel Yates said of Siaumau on signing day.
Tweet of the Night
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