Every week, Arizona Daily Wildcat football beat reporters Zack Rosenblatt, Cameron Moon and Kyle Johnson will vote on the top 10 players on Arizona’s roster. The rankings will take into account the full-season performance, with fluctuations based on week-to-week statistics.
1. Matt Scott, quarterback
Season totals: 707 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception, 66.7% completions, 129 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
Week two against OSU: 28-of-41, 320 yards, 2 touchdowns, 55 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
Scott has been nothing short of spectacular in the first two weeks, and his fit in head coach Rich Rodriguez’s system has been a key factor in the Wildcats 2-0 start.
2. (tie) Ka’Deem Carey, running back
Season totals: 273 yards, 4 touchdowns, 36 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
Week two: 126 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns, four receptions, 28 yards, 1 touchdown
Carey was expected to be the biggest benefactor of the new spread-option offensive system due to its run-first tendencies. It hasn’t necessarily been “run-first”, but Carey broke out nonetheless. He is just 152 yards and two touchdowns off his rushing totals from 2011.
2. (tie) Jake Fischer, linebacker
Season totals: 27 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 1 recovery
Week two: 14 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery
He may have missed all of 2011 with an ACL injury, but there doesn’t appear to be any lingering effects from his time sitting out. Fischer is flying all over the field and leads the Wildcats in tackles.
4. Jared Tevis, safety
Season totals: 21 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, 5 pass deflections
Week two: 9 tackles, 2 interceptions, 32 yards, 2 pass breakups
Here’s how Tevis’ career has gone at this point: walk-on redshirt, special teams contributor, scholarship player, starting safety, key contributor on a ranked Arizona team. Tevis has two interceptions and is second on the team in tackles. It’s safe to say no one outside of the locker room expected this kind of contribution.
5. Austin Hill, receiver
Season totals: 12 receptions, 263 yards, 1 touchdown
Week two: 5 receptions, 124 yards
Hill somehow flies under the radar, but he might be the Wildcats’ best receiving weapon on offense. His acrobatic catches the last two weeks have carried Arizona’s passing game.
6. Kyle Quinn, center
Season totals: 2 games played
It’s tough to judge offensive lineman because of the lacking statistics readily available, but the line has by and large protected Scott well. Quinn is the leader of the line, and in the middle of it, so he probably deserves the most credit. Also, most of Carey’s four touchdown runs have come because of holes opened up in the middle of the defense.
7. Marquis Flowers, linebacker
Season totals: 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups, 2 pass deflections
Week two: 9 tackles, 2 pass breakups
His transition from safety to linebacker appears seamless thus far. He looked like he was struggling in week one in his new digs, but he has since adjusted and is third on the team in tackles and first in sacks.
8. Jonathan McKnight, cornerback
Season totals: 7 tackles, 1 interception, 1 pass deflection, 1 touchdown
Week two: 4 tackles, 1 interception, 48 yards, 1 touchdown
At cornerback, when you don’t hear a player’s name as much that usually means he’s doing his minimum job and shutting down the opposing receiver. McKnight’s name wasn’t mentioned much in week one, but in week two he made his presence known. His 48-yard interception return for touchdown might have won the game for the UA against Oklahoma State.
9. Trace Biskin, offensive guard
Season totals: 2 games played
Biskin qualifies for pretty much the same reasons as No. 6 on the list, Quinn
10. Tra’Mayne Bondurant, safety
Season totals: 13 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass breakup, 1 pass deflection
Week two: 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
Easily the Wildcats most impactful defensive player in the last half of 2011, Bondurant is staying relevant on defense again. At the “spur” position, he is asked to essentially play both linebacker and safety, and that’s helped him disrupt the backfield. If not for Bondurant’s pass rush on OSU’s Wes Lunt, the quarterback might never have forced the throw that was picked off by McKnight.
Honorable mention: Dan Buckner, John Bonano
