Shoulder surgery will keep Arizona QB Will Plummer out for several months
The spring game has come and gone for Arizona giving the coaching staff one last opportunity to evaluate its new-look quarterback room before the summer. However, one familiar player was notably absent Saturday.
Quarterback Will Plummer did not dress for the Wildcats’ spring game after undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder that will keep him out more than four months and potentially closer to six months from now.
“Will had to get his shoulder fixed from probably back in the Cal game,” head coach Jedd Fisch said Saturday. “We tried to go through a more conservative approach early on, because it’s his throwing shoulder not something that you necessarily want to have to fix. Made the decision this past week to fix it, yesterday.
“From all accounts it was successful but now we just have to wait and see.”
Plummer participated in practice throughout spring camp but his reps were not coming at a high volume. His recovery process after Friday’s surgery will keep him for most of training camp later this summer. Though, the third-year sophomore might have to miss part of the season based on how quickly he can reach 100% health.
“Do expect him back some time probably end of August through end of September; somewhere in that range,” Fisch said about a timetable for Plummer’s return to the field.
Plummer experienced a fair share of injury trouble last season but played in ten games and earned starts in the final six contests.
After initially injuring his shoulder against Cal, Plummer managed to play through the injury the rest of the season with UA in a difficult spot at the position. Both Gunner Cruz and Jordan McCloud suffered season-ending injuries earlier in the season resulting in Plummer being the only scholarship quarterback available in the second half of the schedule.
Before the surgery, Plummer was projected to be behind both transfer Jayden de Laura and McCloud on the depth chart.
In his absence, the other Arizona quarterbacks had some up-and-down moments in the spring game. McCloud, who guided the losing Blue team Saturday, threw an interception in the first quarter right after de Laura threw an interception for the Red team trying to go down the field to Jacob Cowing on the previous drive.
Noah Fifita managed to shine when he had the opportunity to go in for the Red team later in the game. The freshman tossed two interceptions in the game after waiting until the second half to get on the field.
“I think they’ve both done a great job of learning the system,” Fisch said about newcomers Fifita and de Laura. “I think what they’ve done is they’ve really embraced it. We haven’t cut anything back. We’ve been able to kind of try to find some of their strengths and play to their strengths. But I think in general, I think they did a really nice job of picking things up. We didn’t have to hold anything back.”
Going into the summer, the Wildcats will have five healthy quarterbacks that include McCloud, de Laura, Fifita, Cruz and walk-on Brayden Zermano. Zermano did not play during the spring game while Cruz saw some limited action ending his day with a touchdown pass to freshman receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
Fisch has yet to name a starter for the upcoming season, but de Laura and McCloud earned the starts for their respective teams Saturday.
The Wildcats now shift their focus to fall camp which will start the preparations for their Sept. 3 opening game on the road against San Diego State.
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