Key takeaways from Arizona football’s second spring practice

Chandler+Kelly%2C+a+sophomore+on+the+Arizona+football+team%2C+celebrates+after+taking+the+lead+in+the+fourth+quarter+on+Nov.+6%2C+at+Arizona+Stadium.+The+Wildcats+went+on+to+win+the+game+10-3+snapping+the+20+game+losing+streak.

Nathanial Stenchever

Chandler Kelly, a sophomore on the Arizona football team, celebrates after taking the lead in the fourth quarter on Nov. 6, at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats went on to win the game 10-3 snapping the 20 game losing streak.

Cole Johnson

The second Arizona spring football practice took place at 3:25 PM on March 17 at the Davis Sports Center. Energy and moods were high as the team jumped and hollered as they left the indoor facility and stepped onto the Dick Tomey practice field.

Once again, the team started off with the Haka dance to take the hype to the next level. The team looked to be having a great time until the whistle blew and the music went down. Then it was immediately a business environment.

The team split into two groups with the skill players on offense outside on the Tomey practice field and the defense in the Davis indoor center. Even from 100-yards away the intensity was clear from inside.

Dorian Singer is Looking Strong

Right out of the gate, it was noticeable that Dorian Singer was on it as his first catch was a shoestring catch with his fingertips that turned heads. Singer continued to make tough catch after tough catch, using great body control in the air. He made it look easy.

Depth at Quarterback

The skill level at quarterback is very strong. The noticeable men behind center today were transfer Jayden de Laura, Noah Fifita, Jordan McCloud, Will Plummer and Gunner Cruz. Every one of them was hitting just about every one of their targets, especially McCloud and de Laura. The others looked great, but McCloud and de Laura seemed to have a little extra zip on the ball as they hit their targets.

They also seemed quick and lighter on their feet. “Very nice, Very nice” and “Nice job!” We’re used often by head coach Jedd Fisch as every quarterback was hitting just about every deep target. As the offense split into groups, Fisch was working with Fifita, McCloud, and de Laura.

They were working in perfect symphony as they all hit their targets at the same time during a three QB drill. De Laura was hitting deep targets right on the money all day. He was dropping deep balls right in the basket over corners and into the receivers’ hands.

RELATED: Key takeaways from the first spring football practice

Overall Team Size

The team keeps getting bigger, especially the offensive line and defensive line. The Wildcats have size that hasn’t been seen in Tucson for quite some time. The height of these men is comparable to a big SEC school. The line on both sides also looked light on their feet. They showed quickness that men that size normally don’t have. Even the tight ends and receivers look taller than ever.

Defense Looks Good

During linebacker and corner drills, the defense made multiple great stops. The zone defense looked great as nothing was getting through in the passing game. However, the running backs were getting through. Especially Drake Anderson. “Anderson has put on nearly 20 pounds,” said Fisch. This weight doesn’t look like it has affected his speed as he is quick and strong while running. Towards the end of practice during 11-on-11 drills, the defense shut down the offense. The defense had stop after stop as the defensive sideline erupted often.

Running backs showed out

The running backs showed out on Thursday. Michael Wiley ran with a purpose. While doing 11-on-11 at full speed, Wiley ran right and broke two tackles and ran through another for a touchdown. The force he ran with was intense. The sound of the defensemen that were hit trying to tackle him was more powerful than usual.

Head coach Fisch loved it as he shouted along with the rest of the team after the play. Running back Jalen John also looked very strong as he had multiple runs up the middle for big yards. John was running through men in the last play of the half as he broke 3 tackles to get into the end zone. The coaches erupted as they jumped on John after his great run.


Follow Cole Johnson on Twitter