Rob Gronkowski had a good time on the ESPYs red carpet with tennis player Daniela Hantuchova. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

NFL camps have started … do you know where your former Arizona Wildcats are?

Offseason news has been dominated by ex-UA tight end Rob Gronkowski, who followed up his record-setting second season with the New England Patriots with what is widely referred to as the “Summer of Gronk.”

Let the Boston Globe describe it:

“Gronkowski, in no particular order, won a celebrity home run derby at the Triple-A All-Star Game (reportedly hitting one 325 feet), appeared on The Choice, a dating show, co-hosted Access Hollywood Live, judged a celebrity bikini contest in Las Vegas and walked the ESPY’s red carpet. He also attended the premier of the movie “Ted,” hung out with Kim Kardashian, was one of the naked cover boys for ESPN The Magazine, and ran a viral video campaign trying to land on the cover of the Madden video game.

Oh, and he also signed a six-year contract extension worth $54 million – the richest deal ever given to a tight end. It includes $18.17 million in guaranteed money.”

Oh, to be Gronk.

Gronk is the headliner among the former Arizona Wildcats in the NFL, with 22 players on camp rosters.

Here is a look at who is where:

Colin Baxter, C, San Diego
Baxter, who started an Arizona Wildcats record 48 consecutive games, bounced between the Chargers and the New York Jets as a rookie. The former undrafted free agent is battling for a backup spot in camp with San Diego.

Recent story: Baxter, Molk at center of Chargers competition (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Lance Briggs, LB, Chicago
Briggs is the most-decorated of the former Wildcats in the NFL, a stalwart on the Bears’ defense for the past nine seasons, recording 969 tackles. Being selected to seven consecutive Pro Bowls puts him in unbelievable company in franchise history; Bill George, Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary are the only other Bears to accomplish that. He is still going strong at 31, and he signed a contract extension in the spring to take him through the 2014 season.

Eben Britton, OT, Jacksonville
Britton started 15 games at right tackle as a rookie in 2009, but injuries have limited him to 11 games over the past two seasons. The Jags hope he can lock down the right tackle position, again, in camp.

Antoine Cason, CB, San Diego
Cason, the 2007 Jim Thorpe Award winner and the brightest defensive star of the Mike Stoops era, has started the past two seasons for the Chargers, breaking up 17 passes each year. The former first-round pick has 10 career interceptions in four NFL seasons.

Juron Criner could be quite a catch for the Raiders. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Juron Criner, WR, Oakland
One of the most prolific receivers in school history (209 catches for 2,859 yards and a UA-record 32 touchdowns), Criner drew rave reviews in Raiders’ OTAs and minicamps after being selected in the fifth round. Could be a steal.

Recent story: Raiders’ Criner signs contract on eve of first practice (CBSSports.com)

Gino Crump, WR, Arizona Cardinals
The undrafted free agent had a good senior season (65 catches, 610 yards, two TDs) and was signed by the Cardinals on May 30. Before that, he attended the Buffalo Bills mini-camp, but was retained. Said Cardinals star WR Larry Fitzgerald in the Arizona Republic in June: “He’s explosive; he has really good hands, a good feel.”

David Douglas, WR, New York Giants
Douglas faces long odds as an undrafted free agent, but he showed great hands and route running at Arizona, and his athleticism was often underrated. He made 117 receptions in his final two seasons with the Cats.

Ricky Elmore, OLB, San Diego
He was a sixth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2011, but didn’t make it through camp while trying to transition from a prolific college defensive end to NFL outside linebacker. Elmore, who had 21.5 sacks in his final two seasons at Arizona, is getting another chance with the Chargers.

Nick Foles, QB, Philadelphia
An Arizona quarterback in the NFL? Foles, who rewrote the Wildcats passing records, will try to become the first former UA quarterback to throw a pass in an NFL game since Bill Demory in 1973. Foles, a third-round pick, could battle Mike Kafka for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Michael Vick, according to some reports.

Recent story: Foles has strategy to attack Birds’ playbook (CSNPhilly.com)

Nick Folk, PK, New York Jets
Folk, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys in 2007, has connected on 49 of 64 field goals in his two seasons with the Jets and has hit from beyond 50 yards in each of his five NFL seasons. He and veteran kicker Josh Brown will compete in camp for a roster spot.

Robert Golden, DB, Pittsburgh
Golden, an undrafted free agent, started at cornerback and safety with Arizona. He’ll be trying to latch on with the Steelers at safety.

Adam Grant, OT, Denver
Undrafted after the 2010 season, Grant stuck with the Broncos’ practice squad all of last season and was invited back to camp.

Chris Gronkowski, FB, Denver
His favorable rookie season in Dallas in 2010 took a bad turn when he missed a block that got quarterback Tony Romo injured. Gronkowski played seven games for the Colts last season before being shut down because of a torn pectoral muscle. Perhaps he will get a chance to do this season what he didn’t last year with the Colts — protect Peyton Manning.

Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England
The NFL party boy is coming back from post-Super Bowl ankle surgery (he says it’s 100 percent) and he will try to continue his march toward being one of the great tight ends in NFL history. He caught 90 passes for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns last season (a record for tight ends).

Recent story: Bill Simmons tells three crazy Rob Gronkowski stories from the ESPYs (BusinessInsider.com)

Spencer Larsen, FB, New England
The former All-Pac-10 linebacker was a two-way player for his first two seasons in Denver, famously starting at fullback and at linebacker in the same game as a rookie. After four seasons with the Broncos, Larsen moved on to the Patriots in the offseason. He signed a two-year contract but will have to earn a roster spot in camp; his special teams ability will help.

Earl Mitchell, DT, Houston
Mitchell is a third-year pro who has been a solid contributor to the Texans, making 55 career tackles, and he’s back to battle Shaun Cody again for playing time at nose tackle. He might not be the traditional plugger in the middle of the 3-4 front, but he puts his athleticism to good use and should have a long NFL career.

Fendi Onobun, TE, Buffalo
The former Arizona basketball power forward, who played one season of football at the University of Houston, is on his fifth NFL team after being a sixth-round pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2010. He has played in four NFL games, making two catches.

Brooks Reed, OLB, Houston
Reed was excellent as a rookie last season, stepping into a starting role and making 45 tackles, including six sacks in the regular season. The former UA defensive end — a second-round pick — is quick with his pass-rushing first step, and Wildcats fans know all about his relentless motor.

Recent story: Texans LB coach: Sky’s the limit for Brooks Reed (Houston Chronicle)

D’Aundre Reed, DE, Minnesota
Reed, despite being a backup at Arizona, was intriguing enough as an athlete to be a seventh-round pick in 2011. He was not active for any game last season.

Mike Thomas, WR, Jacksonville
Thomas, a fourth-round pick in 2009, set a franchise rookie record with 48 catches for 453 yards. He followed up with team-highs in catches in each of the past two seasons, although the Jags’ aerial attack was rather anemic last year with rookie QB Blaine Gabbert. Thomas, who caught 44 passes for 415 yards last season, will have a new running mate this season to spark the passing game — two-time Biletnikoff winner Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State.

Paul Vassallo, LB, Arizona
Vassallo, signed as an undrafted rookie free agent, made 172 tackles, including 13 for loss, in his two seasons with the Wildcats after transferring from junior college.

Trevin Wade, CB, Cleveland
The seventh-round rookie had a solid senior season, bouncing back from junior struggles, and looked good in various offseason activities. “I think he’s got a feel for playing the game at corner,” Browns coach Pat Shurmer recently told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Waived
–DE Lionel Dotson (Buffalo)

NOTE: Former UA returner/receiver Travis Cobb, an undrafted free agent after the 2010 season, worked out for the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday.

Brooks Reed will be looking to build off a productive rookie season. Photo by Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

C.J. Parish, here tackling Stanford running back Tyler Gaffney, would like more chances to be on the other side of these kind of collisions. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

There was a player down on the field, injured, late in the first half at the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game at Kino Stadium.

Someone mentioned that it was former Arizona Wildcats defensive end C.J. Parish. How could that be? His team was on offense. He was supposed to be on the sideline.

But it was Parish. When scouts asked him during practice last week to show them what he’s got at fullback, he gave them a nod and a smile and said, “Yes, sir.”

“Everybody has a dream to go to the next level,” Parish said after the Monday night’s game.

“So you do whatever you can to put yourself in that position. The scouts wanted to see me at fullback and we didn’t have one. I caught on fast. The plays came to me naturally. It was good.”

Parish played fullback at Arizona for three games in 2010 before suffering a season-ending concussion. The coaches moved him back to defense last year because of the Cats’ need at defensive end. He arrived from junior college as a linebacker.

“(Scouts) just want to see me catch more passes and do more stuff out of the backfield, but they definitely like me at fullback,” he said.

Parish, after a taking a hit on his left leg late in the first half Monday, ended up being fine, playing in the second half. He wasn’t the only ex-Cat trying out a new position.

Defensive end Mohammed Usman tried linebacker Monday night. Robert Golden, who played all over the secondary at Arizona, stuck solely at cornerback Monday night — which is his position of preference anyway.

He started at safety in 2009 and 2011, and at corner in 2010.

“Cornerback has always been my position,” Golden said.

“I always had to rotate at safety, and played a little nickel at Arizona, so I couldn’t really stick to one position. But when I came out here, I had fun with it and just got the job done.”

Golden had the game’s only interception, picking off a halfback pass from Penn State’s Stephfon Green.

“I kind of sensed something fishy,” Golden said of the trick play. “The guy threw the ball short and I was able to undercut it and make a play.”

Golden said he interviewed this week with about 20 to 25 NFL teams, adding, “I know the Miami Dolphins showed a lot of interest in me.” He said he’s headed to Dallas to train at the Michael Johnson Performance Center; Golden said ex-UA receiver Juron Criner is also training there.

Golden likely is the best prospect among the seven former Wildcats in the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game. Truth is, almost all of the players in the game are facing long odds … but, on the other hand, the NFL is littered with productive late-round picks and undrafted free agents, so you never know.

Other ex-Arizona players in the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game were linebacker Paul Vassallo, linebacker Derek Earls, fullback David Hill and receiver Gino Crump.

Crump had six catches for 45 yards, including a nine-yard catch on fourth-and-5 on his team’s game-winning drive. The Stripes team beat the Stars 24-21 on a touchdown pass with 22 seconds left.

Crump said he takes whatever scouts say to him “with a grain of salt,” but added: “Right now, I’m feeling really optimistic about my future in the NFL.”

Usman made two tackles, including one on a kickoff. Vassallo had one stop. Earls was not credited with a tackle.

“We rotated three groups,” Vassallo said of the linebackers. “As a player, you would like more reps, but it’s not easy with nine linebackers in an all-star game.”

Related: Late touchdown gives Stripes the win

Robert Golden breaks up a pass intended for ASU receiver Gerell Robinson in the November game. Photo by Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Former Arizona Wildcat defensive back Robert Golden will get a chance next week to start showing NFL scouts where he might end up in the secondary.

Golden is one of five ex-Cats who have committed to play in the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game, which will be played Jan. 16 at Kino Stadium.

The others are defensive ends C.J. Parish and Mohammed Usman and linebackers Paul Vassallo and Derek Earls.

Golden figures to be the best pro prospect of the bunch, ranked 244th overall by NFLDraftScout.com, which would put Golden near the end of the seventh round. His position flexibility — he started at cornerback and safety for Arizona — could be a plus.

“I feel I can be anywhere between a corner and a nickel back,” Golden said. “As a safety, I like to get physical in the box and I feel I can cover just as well as any corner out there.”

Golden, playing safety as a senior, was third on the team in tackles with 69, including two for loss. He had one interception, followed by a spectacular 91-yard touchdown return at Washington.

Golden made 60 tackles, intercepted a pass and broke up 12 others as a junior, when he started at cornerback. He started all 13 games at safety in 2009, with 41 tackles and two interceptions.

Golden spent some time home in Fresno, Calif., working out with Pac-12 safeties T.J. McDonald (USC) and Tevin McDonald (UCLA) before starting training at Fischer Sports in Phoenix. For more than seven hours a day, he’s been working on technique, studying film and working on strength and conditioning.

“It’s an exciting time,” he said. “But I know I have to grind.”

Practices, which are open to the public, begin Wednesday as players begin to audition for the scouts.

“I’m going to prove I’m one of the hungriest players out there,” Golden said. “They won’t expect anything less than that from me.”

NOTES
Four former Arizona State Sun Devils have committed to play in the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game — safety Eddie Elder, long-snapper Cameron Kastl, linebacker Colin Parker and receiver Aaron Pflugrad. … The game, which begins at 6 p.m. on Jan. 16, will be televised by Fox Sports Arizona and some of its affiliates. … Former Arizona head coach Dick Tomey will be an assistant coach for the “Stripes” team, which will be led by former Fresno State coach Pat Hill. Hill worked for Tomey at UA in 1990 and 1991, serving as offensive coordinator in that second season. … For tickets, call 520-434-1367 or visit the http://casinodelsolallstargame.com/.

It is the second such honor for Bonano, who has a 3.90 grade-point average in Physiology. Vassallo has a 3.48 GPA in Pre-Public Health.

Offensive lineman Carter Lees and defensive back Jared Tevis earned second-team All-Academic honors.

Two Wildcats earned honorable mention academic honors — offensive lineman Trace Biskin and Dave Roberts.

Paul Vassallo will be trying for his second season with 100-plus tackles. Photo by David Kadlubowski/The Arizona Republic

Here is the eighth part of our Arizona Wildcats football preview in collaboration with our Gannett partner, The Arizona Republic.

We write the words, and they have taken the cool photographs and put it all together in a slick presentation at azcentral.com.

Check back here and at azcentral.com every Friday as we roll out more of our preview every week, all the way into August.

This week: The linebackers.

INTRO

It has been an offseason of attrition at linebacker, but Arizona’s two leading linebackers — seniors Paul Vassallo and Derek Earls — return.

Backups R.J. Young and Trevor Erno left the program, starting linebacker Jake Fischer suffered a torn ACL in the spring game, and there was an academic casualty. That left Vassallo and Earls as the only scholarship linebackers before freshman reinforcements arrive for camp in early August.

“We can’t stop because some people quit or someone went down,” Earls said.

If Vassallo and Earls stay healthy, then this will be a position of strength for the Wildcats, who use just two linebackers the majority of the time, relying more on their nickel package.

But the newcomers, led by freshman Rob Hankins, will have to play some right away — and be ready to play a lot.

Paul Vassallo

Vassallo has been one of coach Mike Stoops’ best junior college finds, leading the Wildcats in tackles last season with 102 and earning honorable mention all-conference honors.

More than that, he became a leader on the defense in his first season in the program.

“Paul is a very outspoken man,” linebacker Derek Earls said last year. “Paul gets offensive really easily. It’s pretty funny. He is usually the first one to go off.”

Said Vassallo: “I like it when things are done the right way, so when things aren’t going as smooth, it kind of frustrates me at times. So then I will say something.”

Vassallo was the first Arizona player to reach triple digits in tackles since Spencer Larsen in 2007.

Derek Earls signs autographs after the spring game. Photo by David Kadlubowski/The Arizona Republic

Derek Earls

Earls, following a successful debut season as a junior college transfer in 2010, brings toughness and savvy to the middle linebacker position. He made 44 tackles, including 6.5 for loss, last season.

He and fellow starting linebacker Paul Vassallo became roommates and fast friends after each arrived at UA for the 2010 spring semester. That chemistry should only be better on the field in their second seasons.

“In the first year, we were a little bit hesitant, trying to make sure we were in the right spot. We really weren’t going 100 percent sometimes because we didn’t want to not be in the right spot,” Earls said.

“But now that we know what our defense is doing, we’re not thinking as much and we can fly around.”

Jake Fischer

Coach Mike Stoops says that Fischer was showing signs of becoming a potential impact player in the spring, when the junior suffered a torn ACL late in the final scrimmage.

Fischer’s status figures to be updated when Arizona begins camp, but a mid-season return seems to be the most optimistic outlook. Fischer has a redshirt season available.

Fischer, from Oro Valley’s Ironwood Ridge High School, played mostly on special teams as a true freshman before becoming a starter last season. His spot was often replaced by the nickel back, but Fischer saw ample time and made 58 tackles, including 7.5 for loss.

That kind of production put to rest concerns that his height (5-foot-11) would be a detriment.

Bilal Muhammed

Muhammed played on special teams last season after making the team as a walk-on from El Camino Community College in Torrance, Calif. Given the Wildcats’ attrition at the position, he’s in line for key time at linebacker if he can continue to build off a good spring.

His year of experience in the program will help as he tries to hold off freshman newcomers Rob Hankins, Hank Hobson and Domonique Petties (who is working through some NCAA Clearinghouse issues).

Another possibility is SirThomas Jackson, who, according to various reports, is expected to arrive as a walk-on this fall. He was an all-state defensive end at Seattle O’Dea High School, projecting as an outside linebacker in college.

Vuna Tuihalamaka made 72 tackles for the Wildcats as a senior in 2009.
Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Arizona coach Mike Stoops has signed on average five junior college recruits in each of his previous seven recruiting classes.

That’s how many he is expected to sign this year.

Three signed in December and enrolled for the spring semester — tight end Drew Robinson, center Addison Bachman and punter Kyle Dugandzic. Two more are expected to be announced today — defensive end Lamar De Rego and kicker Jaimie Salazar.

Stoops hasn’t signed any superstar from junior college as Dick Tomey did during his Arizona day. Tomey brought in, among others, punter Josh Miller, cornerback Chris McAlister and offensive linemen Glenn Parker, Edwin Mulitalo and Frank Middleton.

That’s a lot of NFL playing time right there.

Stoops hasn’t hit home runs like that but has found a steady stream of important pieces from junior college. The somewhat equal nature of all those transfers makes it tricky to create a beat-of list … but we’ll try.

By the end of next season, linebacker Paul Vassallo could be at the top of the list.

Here goes … best Stoops’ junior college transfers:

1. S Nate Ness
Made 107 tackles and seven interceptions in his career.

2. S Michael Johnson
Made 107 tackles and five interceptions; went on to Super Bowl win with the New York Giants.

3. LB Paul Vassallo
Leds the Wildcats with 102 tackles, including eight for loss, last season.

4. OL Mike Diaz
Started 20 games in two years, including 11 at left tackle in 2009.

5. LB Vuna Tuihalamaka
He and fellow JC transfer linebacker Sterling Lewis were solid contributors.

Other notables include: cornerback Marquis Hundley, running back Chris Jennings (a walk-on), defensive end Louis Holmes (who never lived up to the hype of being the No. 1 JC recruit in the nation), safety Joseph Perkins, offensive tackle Phillip Garcia.

Arizona swarms to the ball to take down Washington running back Chris Polk/Photo by Chris Morrison, US PRESSWIRE

The focus, deservedly so, was on Arizona Wildcats quarterback Matt Scott in the 44-14 victory over Washington, but don’t forget about the standout performance by the defense.

Arizona, as I noted last week, had held four of its first six opponents to their season-low point total and had (in a different combination of teams) held four foes to their season-low yardage total.

How did the Cats do against Washington?

The Huskies’ 14 points tied their season low (against Arizona State) and their 290 yards were their second-lowest total of the year.

“As we keep going,” said senior defensive end Ricky Elmore, “every win gets more satisfying, makes us hungier and makes us want to work harder.”

It helped that Washington quarterback Jake Locker was bothered by a rib injury, which limited what the Huskies could do with him in the running game. He was 17 of 29 passing for 183 yards, and the Cats sacked him four times. He had only two other runs.

“He’s beat up,” said Washington coach Steve Sarkisian. “His ribs are hurting and I didn’t want to expose him.”

Arizona is seventh in total defense (13.43 points per game) and 10th in total defense (285.14 yards per game). Both marks lead the Pac-10.

It would be a quick show of hands from those who saw that coming.

“At the beginning, everyone thought we weren’t going to do good, and all the defensive players knew that,” said linebacker Derek Earls, who, as a junior college transfer, was one of the unknowns.

“We knew everybody was against us and that they thought we would be the downfall of the team. But I knew with the way we looked and the attitude that we had, that we were going to show up and help this team go.”

More numbers: Arizona is seventh nationally in rushing defense, allowing 90.86 yards per game.

It all starts up front, and the Wildcats are getting a winning combination of run-stuffing and quarterback pressure, led by ends Ricky Elmore and Brooks Reed. Arizona is second in the country in sacks with 3.57 per game.

It helped against Washington that the Cats, after falling behind 7-0 then scored 17 consecutive points and played with the lead the rest of the game. That allowed the defense to rev its motor to race after Locker.

“Scoring points, obviously, frees those ends up to do what they do, and that’s a pretty lethal group out there when they are able to rush the quarterback,” Stoops said. “And that is why offense is important to defense.

“We got ahead and made it uncomfortable for them to run what they wanted to run.”

Without starting defensive tackle Justin Washington (knee) against the Huskies, the Wildcats used a combination of players inside, including Sione Tuihalamaka (who started and had a sack), Willie Mobley, Dominique Austin and Chris Merrill, a sophomore who hasn’t been listed on the depth chart this year.

“The worst-case scenario of what could have happened, happened tonight, especially in the second quarter,” Sarkisian said.

“They got out to an early lead and forced us to drop back and throw. Their defensive ends did what we thought they were capable of; they got constant pressure and really disrupted what we wanted to do offensively.”

After seven games for Arizona, that kind of performance no longer seems like a fluke, it’s a trend.

My column at FoxSportsArizona.com: Great Scott: QB dazzles in place of Foles

Javier Morales: Antolin runs over Washington

Was this game-winning TD pass from Nick Foles to Bug Wright against Iowa the Wildcats' Play of the Year so far?/Photo by Chris Morrison, US PRESSWIRE

The Arizona Wildcats have reached the halfway point of their season at 5-1 overall, ranked 15th in the AP poll.

But it’s an uneasy time. Starting quarterback Nick Foles is out indefinitely with a knee injury, and while Mike Stoops said Foles will return this season, no one knows for sure exactly when that will be.

While the first half of the season was challenging — including Iowa — the second half of the schedule is ever more so, with Stanford, USC, Oregon and Arizona State in the final month.

And there’s this little nugget from history: The last time Arizona was 5-1 was the 2000 season … and then the schedule turned tougher, the Wildcats lost some painfully close games, and they ended up losing their final five games, costing coach Dick Tomey his job.

That’s just a reminder that, as is usually the case at this point of the year, anything could happen. The Wildcats’ season could range anywhere from historical splendor to heart-stabbing disappointment.

Let’s take a look at the first half of the season:

Please continue reading my story at FoxSportsArizona.com

Freshman receiver Austin Hill makes a catch over the coverage of freshman Jourdan Grandon/Photo by Brad Allis, WildcatSportsReport.com

The alarm clocks rang early.

“I try to wake up as late as I can, but I woke up at 4:45 to be on the bus at 5:30,” said Arizona senior defensive end Ricky Elmore. “You wake up and stumble into the locker room and try to get to the bus on time.”

The Arizona Wildcats began fall camp Thursday morning at 6:15 a.m., and other than a little to-be-expected rust, coach Mike Stoops liked what he saw physically.

“Overall, I’m pleased with what our guys look like,” Stoops said.

“Our young guys, watching them move around for the first day, there are going to be some guys who are going to help us from the recruiting class of a year ago. I can see that already.”

It was only the first day, so we’ll just have to wait a little bit on exactly who those guys are … but certainly freshman safety Marquis Flowers is one to watch (especially if the Wildcats seem intent on using a lot of nickel coverage).

And, as you can see from the photo snapped by Brad Allis of TucsonCitizen.com Sports Network partner WildcatSportsReport.com, freshman receiver Austin Hill made a couple of nice, difficult catches.

It says something about where Stoops has this program in his seventh season — can you believe that in the Pac-10 only Oregon State’s Mike Riley and Cal’s Jeff Tedford have been at their schools longer? — that there is a sense of stability, even on the first day.

Just jump right into it.

“That’s what we try to do every time — come out at full speed and try to get right into it,” Elmore said. “There is no such thing as rolling into things.”

This doesn’t figure to be a news-heavy camp … barring any major injury problems, of course. There are some position battles, but nothing so exciting or dire that it is going to change the season outlook. Arizona will be fine with either Vaughn Dotsy or Jovon Hayes at right guard. Same thing for Phillip Garcia and Jack Julsing at right tackle.

Priority No. 1 is to continue to develop a young, inexperienced linebacker corps.

A pair of junior college transfers — Derek Earls in the middle, and Paul Vassallo — worked with the first team Thursday, as they did in the spring. Both are 6-foot-3 and are now north of 240 pounds.

“I think our linebackers really increased their strength and size, and that was important for us to get bigger in the middle,” Stoops said.

“You look at Paul Vassallo and Derek Earls, those are two guys over 240 pounds. That gives us a little more size, some range, we haven’t had in there.”

Other first day notes:

• The white helmets from the Holiday Bowl are back. Kind of. These are better. Arizona has added a red stripe and a blue stripe down the middle, making them similar to the version worn through the 1990s and up to the beginning of the Stoops era in 2004.
• Stoops said senior Conan Amituanai, projected as a starting left guard, suffered an apparent knee sprain and could be out for a couple of weeks.
• Backup running back Greg Nwoko, who missed spring ball because of a shoulder injury, was back in action.
• Stoops said a handful of players were still working through eligibility/medical clearance. There was no word on the eligibility status of Dexter Ransom, a junior college receiver who is expected to compete for immediate playing time.

Derek Earls is the new man in the middle for Arizona.
Photo by Brad Allis, WildcatSportsReport.com

Arizona released its post-spring depth chart Wednesday, and the starting linebacker spots came into clearer focus.

“Obviously, it’s the biggest question mark,” said Tim Kish, the linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator.

There’s no experience to speak of, but there are reasons for reasonable optimism.

“That’s the way we always look at it, with the glass half full,” Kish said.

What we know at the end of spring ball that we didn’t at the beginning is that mid-year junior college transfer Derek Earls should be solid at middle linebacker. And that sophomore Jack Fischer, from Ironwood Ridge High School, is a real find. And that … well, maybe that’s about it.

Here’s how Kish breaks it down:

MLB Derek Earls, Jr., 6-3, 235
Kish said Earls is a “little bit behind concepts-wise, but I have never had a guy come in from a juco situation and be able to transition that quickly at that position. He made a few mistakes, but he did them playing fast. If you’re going to make a mistake early, make it playing fast.

“He really has a tremendous upside. I’m really anxious to see how he will progress over the course of the summer and fall camp, and I anticipate him being a leader as well.”

SLB Jake Fischer, So., 5-11, 220
He doesn’t fit the physical profile that the UA coaches would like from their linebackers, but Kish seems to like everything else about Fischer, who mostly played on special teams as a true freshman. Fischer did enough to impress in spring, moving from the weak side to the strong side, even though he was limited with a foot problem. Kish said Fischer underwent surgery Tuesday to remove an extra bone from a foot.

“That’s a guy who is a little bit of a throwback,” Kish said.

“I tell you what, I just think his potential is great because he’s such a tough nut and he can do so many things for you. He can come off the edge. He can be in the gap in the core in run situations. He’s quick enough to help on the perimeter in pass situations. His flexibility and his toughness overshadow any lack of size he might have.”

WLB Paul Vassallo, Jr., 6-3, 240 and WLB R.J. Young, So., 5-11, 232
Vassallo and Young are listed as co-starters heading into the summer.

“Paul probably has not picked it up as quickly as Derek from a concepts standpoint and probably is not playing as fast right now, but I think potentially he could have the same impact as Derek,” Kish said.

“I think R.J. has been fairly steady all spring. I’m not giving either one of those guys the nod right now. I want them to compete all summer and in the offseason program and come out ready to compete again in the fall. Hopefully, the good news will be that both will help us.”

Also on the depth chart are redshirt freshman Trevor Erno and senior C.J. Parish at middle linebacker, and redshirt freshman Cordarius Golston at strong-side linebacker.

On Parish, Kish said: “He is going to play a little bit of defensive end for us. We’re trying to get that fast rush group going, and he could be a factor in that. I’m really pleased in the progression he’s made.”

Arizona has one incoming recruit at the position — freshman Kyle Benson from Tempe Corona del Sol High School — but he is recovering from a knee injury, which limits his chances of contributing in his first year.