Practice report
Tuesday marked Arizona football’s second practice of the fall school semester, and it was a long one. The session went about 45 minutes past schedule.
Head coach Rich Rodriguez was upbeat after practice, excited that fall camp is in the past and football season is around the corner.
“When school starts, it’s like it’s closer to game time,” Rodriguez said. “When we have our Beanie Bowl [Wednesday], they can really sense it’s a week from game time. I hope they’re getting excited. It’s a fun time.”
The biggest news from practice was that former four-star linebacker recruit Jamardre Cobb is switching from defense to offense. Cobb, a redshirt freshman, will play a mix of running back and fullback for the Wildcats this season., according to Rodriguez.
Cobb was one of the cornerstones of Arizona’s 2014 recruiting class but never panned out at linebacker after redshirting last year. Rodriguez said Cobb was “buried on the depth chart,” but the move to offense gives him a chance to immediately contribute.
“Right now, just in two days, it looks like he’ll be able to help us more on offense,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a 245-pound guy that will put a space on you. So I think it’s going to be a good move for him.”
Rodriguez was also asked about any injuries to the team. While he didn’t hinge, he did hint that some injury news could be around the corner.
When a reporter asked if there were any serious injuries, Rodriguez replied with a slight chuckle, “There might be.”
Take that for what you will. The first official injury report should come out sometime early next week.
Rodriguez was also asked about the team’s youth. The coach said that Arizona has about 34 new additions, including walk-ons. “It’s a good class. It’s a really good class.”
A handful of that class got off to an early start with the program by participating in summer sessions. Rodriguez said that the biggest benefit of the period is the early conditioning.
“You can tell a guy to run on [his] own and get in shape,” Rodriguez said. “It’s different when you train with 100 other guys and especially when you train and it’s 100 degrees outside [with a] full, experienced strength staff teaching you. I think more than anything it gets them ready physically.”
Offensive tackle becomes 18th commitment of 2016 class
Arizona football landed a commitment from three-star offensive tackle Bryson Cain early Monday afternoon. With the addition of Cain, Arizona’s 2016 recruiting class grows to 18 members.
Cain, a 6-4, 270-pound product of Temecula, Calif., plays for Great Oak High School. He is the second offensive lineman to join the class, the other being four-star commit Michael Eletise.
As for what drove Cain to commit to the UA, he told Scout.com that it was his comfort level with the coaching staff as well as his confidence in Arizona’s ability to develop linemen.
“I feel very comfortable with Arizona and the staff,” Cain told the site. “I’m looking for [a] scheme that is flexible, but also allows guys to play to their strengths.”
According to the recruiting site 247Sports.com, Cain also held offers from a handful of major programs including Kansas, Washington State, Army and Nevada.
His commitment moves Arizona’s 247Sports class ranking to No. 26 nationally and fifth in the Pac-12 Conference.
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