Arizona Football: Wildcats’ 2017 season preview and predictions
By Zach Bigalke
Defense
Last season, the Wildcats was ranked 118th in the FBS in scoring defense, allowing more than 38 points per game. The unit yielded nearly 470 yards per game to opponents. Arizona’s defense fell down especially hard against Pac-12 competition, conceding over 43 points per game. As a result, Rodriguez’s young offense couldn’t hope to keep pace in most games.
To be fair, though, defense has never been the strongest unit for Rodriguez’s teams in Tucson. The Wildcats need to generate more turnovers this year from its 3-3-5 defense. There is a veteran group up front, though all of the projected starters are former walk-ons. That highlights the failures of recruiting and retaining players that has been at the heart of Arizona’s defensive failures.
The secondary should benefit from the seasoning that the young group of safeties received in 2016. Redshirt senior Dane Cruikshank and junior Jace Whittaker have the cornerback spots locked down. Both are backed up by seniors. The starting safeties all return, with sophomores Tristan Cooper and Isaiah Hayes and junior Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles back as well.
A young group of linebackers
As long as the veterans improve, the front three and the defensive backfield should be just fine. The major question for Rich Rodriguez is how his young group of linebackers will fare in 2017. The team lost Paul Magliore, last year’s leading tackler. Redshirt senior DeAndre’ Miller is the most veteran presence on the unit, and should finally get starting minutes after playing a reserve role the past few years.
But aside from Miller and redshirt juniors Brandon Rutt and Tre Tyler, this is a rather green unit. Gavin Robertson, a redshirt freshman, could start at weakside linebacker after moving from safety. True freshmen Jose Ramirez, Josh Brown, Colin Schooler, and Tony Fields could also play major minutes out of the gate. How well they perform when thrust into the spotlight could determine whether or not the WIldcats manage to replace the lost production from last season.