Arizona Football welcomes JT Hand to the Offensive Line

With Arizona Football gaining legacy commit JT Hand for 2021, the Wildcats will be getting a great player who will help the offensive line.

By far, the woes in the 12-game losing streak for Arizona Football has a direct connection to the issues with the offensive line. Luckily, incoming 2021 recruit JT Hand should help the Wildcats immensely.

As we all saw in 2020, the offensive line struggled, giving up double-digit sacks in only five games. And looking back several years, injuries to multiple quarterbacks have been a direct relation to the offensive line not handling a pass rush.

Arizona Wildcats

In my opinion, the number one issue that Head Coach Jedd Fisch and staff need to address and fix is the struggling offensive line. And to me, it is uncertain the struggles have been due to poor coaching, lackluster/low-quality practices (which falls in line with poor coaching), personnel, injuries, or a combination of all the aforementioned.

It wasn’t hard to notice the missed assignments led to lack of holes for running backs and poor pass blocking, which led to the frequent number of quarterback sacks given up specifically in 2020.

I believe with the addition of offensive line coach Brennan Carroll, he will take a hard look at what needs to be fixed and make the necessary corrections.

On Saturday afternoon, I got to sit down on a one-on-one Zoom call with JT, and I learned the true freshman is highly motivated and ready to make an immediate impact.

A 6-foot-3 inch, 295-pound offensive lineman out of Southern California, Hand comes to Arizona from the highly recognized and highly recruited Mission Viejo High School football program.

I will get back to JT, but first, let’s take a look at his parents. JT’s dad, Bryan Hand, played football at Arizona during the Desert Swarm years, led by all-time Arizona wins leader, Dick Tomey.

Bryan played football as an offensive lineman at UofA from 1993-95 and boasts a ring as a member of the team that went 10-2 and pummeled Miami 29-0 to win the 1994 Fiesta Bowl.

Bryan studied History and Criminal Justice at UofA and is now a police officer for the Inglewood Police Department in Inglewood, California.

In between serving with the LAPD and Inglewood PD, he has served 25 years in Law Enforcement since departing Tucson. He also has coached JT since he was a young boy, starting with Flag Football, then Pop Warner, Middle School, freshman, and most of his sophomore year of high school. And you can tell, Bryan has always very much been involved with JT’s football happenings.

JT’s mom Jen is also very supportive of her son and is ecstatic that JT is playing football at the UofA. Jen graduated from the University of Arizona in 1996, Majoring in English.

Getting the chance to sit down one-on-one with incoming commit, JT Hand!

KB: Do you have a preference if you play Center or Guard?  

JT: “I love Center. If you play center you can go to guard, it’s tough to go from guard to center. I played many games at center in high school when the starting center blew out his knee I stepped in at center and I loved it. I think I will play both at least initially. Josh McCauley has been a good mentor since I met him. My goal is to go to the NFL and at 6-foot-3, center is definitely the position I love most”.

*JT was pulled up to varsity at Mission Viejo after his freshman year.

KB: According to the Offensive Coordinator and O-Line Coach Brennan Carroll, the Center is the QB of the O-Line. Do you feel like as a true freshman you can be a vocal leader? 

JT: “I definitely do. I did it in high school. I feel like I can learn the system extremely fast especially with the new coaching staff. Everyone is learning a new system. I feel like I have just as much of a chance as anyone.”

KB: How much impact does it have on you to play at UofA as an O-Lineman, knowing your dad also played at UofA as an O-Lineman? 

JT: “It’s a dream come true. I’ve been wearing Arizona gear and going to games since I was a baby, practicing in the stadium now knowing I sat there watching games as a kid is awesome. I remember writing myself a letter in 8th grade about getting a scholarship at Arizona. I had no idea how it worked to get a scholarship but I wrote that I knew I had a lot of work to do to get it, never doubted myself and now I am here, it’s awesome. I realize I have a lot of work to do still and a lot of work ahead of me”.

At this point, JT showed me Bryan’s old helmet and specifically showed me the yellow scuff marks on the helmet from when Bryan played against ASU. On a separate note, the 1994 UofA vs ASU game in Tucson which I attended, is to this day my all-time favorite Territorial Cup game. The Cats won in a thriller at home 28-27.

Are you aware of the struggles that the O-Line had in 2020?

JT: “Yes. I’ve heard from various players that the practices were relaxed and players were allowed to miss practices. I don’t want to blame the former staff but that is probably part of the problem.  I realize there are no awards given out for showing up and just going through the motions and I don’t expect a trophy for showing up, this is big-time Division 1 Football. I want to put in the work and be a part of getting this program turned around. The new staff pushes us very hard and I like that, coaches should push players to the max, past their limits and that is what I like. We are already working hard in the weight room. A lot of players are here now and ready to work. I think this new staff can raise our strength, speed, and everything because of the way the coaching staff pushes us.”

What are your short-term and long-term goals?

JT: “Short term goals include getting rotations in the starting line-up and playing time in Spring Ball, get noticed and say I’m ready, I am good to go, put me in, I can do my job. I want to earn a role as a starter. My long term goals include playing in the NFL.”

KB: Do you feel added pressure to perform since your dad played at Arizona and your mom is a UofA alum? 

JT: “I don’t feel added pressure. I mainly feel pride. Arizona has had a rough go of it lately. I feel pride that I can be a part of the process to turn the program around and excited to be a part of the next few years. Also, the pride of walking through the facilities and seeing pictures of guys like Bruschi, Cecil, and Waldrop. Waldrop was the best man at my dad’s wedding.”

KB: Do you consider yourself an O Lineman that plays violently (within the rules of course)?

JT: “Yes, definitely. I am working out six days a week with my teammates, we are divided into certain groups based on position. We are lifting weights and running to stay at the top of our game”.

KB: Is your dad your mentor? 

JT: “Yes. He is the reason why I am here today. My dad has been my football coach, lifting coach, he has developed not only my physical game but my mental game as well. He has coached me on eating habits, off-season training has trained me on technique too.”

JT is a fine young man and is already mature for a 17-year-old. He will turn 18 in April. He is the type of guy that raises his hand and says put me in coach, I’m ready to do my job. He is very positive about his future at Arizona and beyond. He will be a huge asset to the offensive line.

I mean just look at the raw talent…

https://twitter.com/GiantSkillz/status/1343084778329755648?s=20

I feel that JT Hand can make an immediate positive impact on the offensive line and the team overall. As Always, Bear Down, Arizona!