Speaking from experience, in a perfect world, honeymoons would never end.
They are a magical time when not only is everything right in the world, but good. Relaxation isn’t just a possibility, it’s part of the game. You smile, you laugh, you enjoy; Little thought is given to what could go wrong.
Jedd Fish’s Honeymoon to Arizona has officially come to an end. In fact, the coach himself abbreviated.
When Fisch was discontinued in December 2020, everyone knew that rebuilding the Arizona program would take time. Not to get to the top of the division and the Pac-12, but just to be competitive. Years of recruitment and player development struggles left the Wildcats at a serious disadvantage that no coach could immediately fix.
True to his form, Fisch’s first team struggled for a win. They were competitive in most games and just a handful of games away from at least a few more wins, but still, a 1-11 in 2021 didn’t exactly mean greatness in 2022.
Then offseason fish returned and suddenly there is hope. Arizona added an incredible amount of talent both times classic recruiting and the NCAA transfer portal, with the finding that the best overall yield was in the Pac-12, according to 247 Sports.
The Wildcats have even become a bit of a national story, with much praise being heaped on a coaching staff that found a way to capitalize on a crossroads of some fairly unique events.
A lack of stability in the conference contenders meant that more top players were available, and Arizona was able to deliver a vision, an opportunity to compete for game time, and a plan for NIL in a way that was as impressive as it was surprising combine .
It’s not just that Arizona has honed its talent, but that it’s added hitters in positions where they were badly needed. If Fisch had a shopping list, he’d already checked most of it off.
Quarterbacks, playmakers, speed, height, length, depth — Arizona added it all, and that’s why the team should be improved the next time they step on the field.
The question, of course, is how much improvement there will be.
It’s fair to expect returning players to be more comfortable with the system, although defense may see some changes as new coaches come in on that side of the ball. That many of Arizona’s freshmen are enrolling early is tremendous because joining the program now can only help them be better prepared to contribute in the fall.
In many ways things have been going as well as Fisch or anyone had hoped, although there are still obvious holes down the offensive line and, let’s face it, the roster could afford to add talented depth at pretty much any position.
Which brings us back to the honeymoon that ended abruptly and joyfully early.
While few following Arizona expect 22 big, Fisch’s off-season success has inspired a strong belief that better days lie ahead. Unfortunately, the upcoming schedule isn’t particularly lenient, with the first three games each having a chance to see the ‘Cats enter as underdogs.
Therefore, the conference table is no picnic. That said: Arizona’s homecoming game, ideally reserved for a weaker opponent, will be played against USC. This isn’t exactly ideal, but to be fair it can be impossible to find a “weaker” opponent.
Despite Arizona’s off-field victories, it has struggled to earn them on the field. Until that changes, it would be unwise to rely on it. There’s nothing Fisch can do about that for the next eight months, meaning it can only enjoy one of the best recruitment tracks the program has ever seen.
At the same time, how could one not get upset about what happened and wonder what could be? How could you see the kind of players that have been added and the excitement they have for Arizona Football and not believe better days are on the horizon?
This is the problem that fish created. My apologies to Uncle Ben (or Aunt May, if you will), with great recruitment comes great expectations. Now that the talent level has improved, it’s time to show that it can be developed and coached to victory.
Sooner or later fish will have to win games. Around this time a year later – much later – there was more talk and acceptance of the option, and for many it still is.
It should be.
However, the clock has gotten a little faster with each noticeable, highly rated addition, meaning the work for Fisch and his staff is just beginning.