Arizona Football: Spring Practice Storylines That Matter

2016 Arizona Spring Football storylines: What’s the big deal, what to worry about, and what’s all set.

Back to the drawing board for Arizona …

Last season wasn’t quite a disaster for the Wildcats, after beating New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl game to finish above .500. But it also wasn’t an appropriate answer from the team that captured the South Division in the previous year. The program is spending this spring trying to relocate its fastball under Rich Rodriguez, who’s beginning his fifth season in Tucson.

The Cats went 3-6 in Pac-12 play in 2015, unable to make stops after linebacker Scooby Wright was lost to injury. Well, now that Wright is NFL-bound, the team will either improvise or lean harder than ever on an offense with a high ceiling.

No One Is Worried About …

The offensive backfield. Quarterback Anu Solomon and running back Nick Wilson are healthy and they’re entering their third seasons as starters. If both can remain healthy, the Wildcats will boast one of the league’s better backfields. Wilson only carried the ball 18 times over the final seven games, but he’s a perfect fit for this attack when he’s operating at 100%.

Extra Attention Must Be Given To …

The pass defense. Really, every phase of the D needs to be addressed, but especially a secondary that yielded 28 touchdown passes. There’s cautious optimism that Cats like seniors Tellas Jones and DaVonte’ Neal can emerge into leaders who do a better job of keeping the ball in front of them.