To say that Arizona quarterback Will Plummer was experienced coming into the spring would be overstating the reality. The sophomore from Gilbert did play in his first season for the Wildcats, making one start, but he has only appeared in three college games so far in his career. He was thrown into the first last year when then-starter Grant Gunnell was injured on the first play of a road game against UCLA.
Plummer's first snap would come inside the Rose Bowl. He took the ball and ran 26 yards allowing the team the breathe a sigh of relief that he would be able to shoulder some of the load should Gunnell ever not be on the field.
A coaching change later and Gunnell is now at Memphis leaving Plummer as the most experienced signal caller on Arizona's roster this spring.
Plummer opened up the first couple days of spring ball looking sharp and more confident than any other member of the group. However, things started to change for Plummer shortly after that as the mistakes started to pile up as new head coach Jedd Fisch continued to add to his playbook over 15 practices.
About three weeks into the schedule, however, things took another turn for Plummer. He looked sharp again and he started to play the game with a bit more confidence. His ability to complete more passes and limit his mistakes started to shine.
The separation between Plummer and Washington State transfer Gunner Cruz began to blur a bit by the time the spring game arrived.
"This has been like a massive immersion of football thrown into their heads, and we’ve tried to give them as many reps as possible to get them in this competition to see if there is a separation," Fisch said last week. "Currently there’s not much. Currently they’re just battling back and forth. ... I’ll reevaluate it all this summer."
Like the other players on both sides of the ball there was a lot to learn over the course of the spring for Plummer. He was not used to running a system that includes taking snaps from under center or extensive huddling. There were plenty of new concepts to learn with Fisch coming to Arizona from the NFL.
It took some time for him to feel completely comfortable, but there was certainly a clear shift when things began to click for the UA quarterback.
“I feel like I came a long way since the first day,” Plummer said last week. “Came in with a new offense with new coaches, and I feel like I’m starting to get the offense under my belt. Still a lot of work to do. Still a lot of work to do before the fall, but can’t get too upset with it. So, I’ve been pretty pleased with what’s been happening the past couple weeks.”
The Arizona coaching staff certainly hoped to see the offense running on all cylinders by the the time Saturday's spring game arrived. The reality is that was going to be difficult. Still, the staff has been pleased by the progress overall and by the progress Plummer has made working in a new system in just his second spring at Arizona.
“He’s taken a big leap,” quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Jimmie Dougherty said of Plummer ahead of last week's spring game. “I think it goes back to that ownership of knowing exactly what to do. Owning it and just trying to find that consistency, and he’s doing that right now. If he does what we ask him and just operate the play, you’re one of 11 guys, and just run the play.
"Make your read and trust your feet and your eyes and make the throw. He’s a talented kid. He can make all the throws that we ask of him.”
Plummer's 21 passes were more than any other quarterback on the roster during Saturday's spring game. He finished with 140 yards and a touchdown to running back Bam Smith.
The job is not yet done by any stretch for Plummer, but his surge to end the spring will certainly have him as part of the conversation when it does come time for Fisch to eventually name his starting quarterback this fall.
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