Two weeks ahead of the spring showcase, the Arizona Wildcats finished their third week of spring football practice on Saturday.Â
Here are notes and observations from Arizona's ninth practice of the spring:Â
* Arizona's first defensive unit: defensive linemen Dominic Lolesio, Leroy Palu and Mays Pese; linebackers Chase Kennedy, Taye Brown and Georgetown transfer Cooper Blomstrom; Charlotte transfer cornerback Dwight Bootle, Nebraska transfer slot cornerback Malcolm Hartzog, redshirt sophomore safety Quinn Olson, redshirt junior safety Gavin Hunter and Wyoming transfer cornerback Tyrese Boss were the secondary.Â
* The Wildcats also had a four-man front with Lolesio, Palu, Pese and freshman Prince Williams, a former standout at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas.
* The starting offensive line was Matthew Lado, Rhino Tapa'atoutai, Washington transfer center Zachary Henning, Alexander Doost and Louis Akpa. The second offensive line was redshirt freshman Jaxon Griffin, redshirt junior and BYU transfer Jake Griffin (Jaxon's older brother), redshirt senior Grayson Stovall, senior Isaac Perez and San Jose State transfer Nathan Hale.Â
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* Reserve quarterback Sawyer Anderson, one of the few competing to back up Noah Fifita, threw a 60-yard touchdown pass over the middle to Colorado State transfer receiver Jordan Ross.Â
* Fifita threaded a slant pass through four defenders to wide receiver Tre Spivey for a long touchdown. Fifita replicated the same throw to USC transfer DJ Jordan.Â
* In a red zone team period, Illinois transfer Cole Rusk had a nifty touchdown grab in the left corner of the end zone; the pass was thrown by Fifita. Anderson had a 10-yard touchdown run.Â
* In the final team period, Bootle intercepted Fifita on a rollout pass. Fifita's final pass attempt over the middle was tipped and intercepted by Olson, which ended practice.Â
* Former Arizona wide receiver Dennis Northcutt, one of the UA's all-time best pass catchers, attended practice with his son, Dylan, who was on an unofficial visit. Dylan Northcutt is 2027 cornerback from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California.Â
* Other notable recruits on unofficial visits include defensive lineman Dieter Lotulelei, a three-star edge rusher from Salt Lake City, and three-star running back Wayne Shanks Jr., a 5-11, 195-pound Houston native, who also has offers from Kansas, Notre Dame and Arkansas, among others.Â
Contact Justin Spears, the Star's Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
Justin Spears
Sports Reporter
