Arizona's players would much rather be playing games already, but one group in the program you won't find complaining about the extra time the Wildcats have been given this offseason is the coaching staff.

If not for the COVID-19 pandemic the team would be getting ready for the seventh game of the season this week. Instead, the Wildcats are barely opening up their first full week of fall practices with the season opener still over three weeks away.

The extra time the staff has had the last few months to work with players, even if done virtually, has helped the team become a bit more efficient to open official practices.

"We did not want to be out there very long," UA head coach Kevin Sumlin said after the team's first practice Friday night. "We want it to be quality, we want to get the reps in, we want to teach, but I think because of the individual drills and walk-throughs and the Zoom meetings I was pleased with how we aligned for pretty much the first time our defense has lined up against an offense."

Sumlin said last week he believes the unique offseason that was a result of the coronavirus pandemic shouldn't impact young players either. The newcomers to UA's roster arrived on campus not long after they normally would in any other year and because the season didn't start on time they have had more time to work with the coaching staff than they normally would.

Individually, the coaches have grown to appreciate the extra time especially coming off a spring that was altered greatly because of the pandemic. The Wildcats, for example, were only able to have four practices in March before the shutdown of college sports and feel fortunate to have even had that amount of time.