You would think that a few players out of 110 wouldn’t make a difference on the Arizona Football team, but these two players will.
The Arizona Football defense could use the two young veterans who made a name for themselves last season in their freshman year. Sophomore safety Scottie Young Jr. and senior cornerback Jace Whittaker will most probably get back into the lineup this weekend against Houston. Last season, the two combined for 101 tackles, 77 of them were solo. Young had to sit out last week due to a one-game suspension, and Whittaker suffered an injury before the BYU game.
With Dane Cruikshank graduating (He currently plays for the Tennessee Titans in the NFL). This would be the year for other players to step up and show the world what they are made of.
As always, when players are out of the rotation, others step up. With Scottie out, Safety Isaiah Hayes stepped up and was all over the field. He ended the night against BYU with 13 tackles. He has been waiting to shine, and he did just that. Sumlin had this to say about Hayes, “He has gotten more and more confidence coming off that injury situation — Is a really unselfish player, communicates well with everybody — very very efficient and very very productive for us– he’s a great story — perseverance and toughness and character and everything you’d like at that position.”
With Jace out last week, Lorenzo Burns stepped up and made some huge plays. Burns was a key to last season’s success on defense. Last season he recorded 81 tackles. He was third behind 2017 season award-getters Colin Schooler (104) and Tony Fields II (95). Seasoned grad transfer Tim Hough got the last minute assignment to fill in for Whittaker and did well casting six tackles, fourth-most by DB’s last weekend. Hough will move back to cornerback and Whittaker will take his spot back at spur safety.
More from Wildcats Football
- Arizona Football begins Conference play against Stanford
- Arizona Football starts slow but runs away from UTEP
- How Wildcats Fans Can Claim $200 INSTANT Bonus at BetMGM Betting $10 Right Now
- Costly Mistakes doom Arizona Football in loss to Mississippi State
- How can Arizona Football beat Mississippi State on the road?
But Burns and Hayes didn’t get much rest against BYU, along with Schooler and Fields. So adding Young Jr. and Whittaker back in the mix has to help.
The young players whose names we now know from their standout performances last season are a tight group. It had to be a bummer not to have him on the sidelines during the BYU game. He tweeted last week that all he wanted to do was “ball.”
Fields II was chosen to get in front of the media to preview the Houston game. “It’s going to be great, I mean Jace is our leader at DB our corner, he’s our returner also so it’s going to be great getting him back and Scottie Young he is a great starter returner too, so it’s going to be great just to have that more experience back in the back end.”
Arizona’s defense on third down in 2017 ranked 11th in the Pac-12.
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster) September 4, 2018
’17 opponents: 46.7 pct. converted
BYU in Week 1: 41.6 pct. converted
Tony Fields says it will be great having Scottie Young Jr. and Jace Whitaker return this week at Houston. pic.twitter.com/uVAbd8QIKs
It had to be hard to sit at home and watch the game, but that just want Young Jr. did.
Whittaker posted 12 tackles, and three defended passes in the Foster Farms Bowl against Purdue.
This is huge for Arizona Football, having these two huge producers back in the lineup. We predict the defense will be stepping up their efforts against Houston and both Young Jr, and Whittaker will be a welcome addition if healthy and able to play.