Rod Smith鈥檚 room is practically overflowing these days.
The Arizona Wildcats assistant has four scholarship quarterbacks to work with, plus ballyhooed walk-on Donavan Tate. They ask so many questions, Smith sometimes doesn鈥檛 have time to catch his breath.
鈥淏ut that鈥檚 how eager they are,鈥 Smith said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good thing. It鈥檚 a good problem to have.鈥
Smith spoke to reporters Wednesday night for the first time since training camp opened. Here鈥檚 some of what he had to say about Arizona鈥檚 multitude of quarterbacks:
(on returning starter Brandon Dawkins鈥 progress)
鈥淗e鈥檚 got a better grasp of what we鈥檙e doing offensively. He looks more comfortable. We鈥檝e tried to tighten his motion down a little bit; that鈥檚 helped. There鈥檚 (still) some more work that needs to be done. At the same time, he鈥檚 kind of an elongated kid naturally. So you try to work the kinks out without screwing him up.
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鈥淚 think he鈥檚 a lot more comfortable offensively as far as knowing where guys are at, knowing where to go with the football. But we鈥檝e got to keep getting better at being more instinctive in terms of anticipating throws, anticipating windows, things like that. That鈥檚 the next phase we鈥檝e got to get to.鈥
(on sophomore Khalil Tate鈥檚 development)
鈥淜halil鈥檚 gotten better mentally as well. He鈥檚 not ready, but he鈥檚 a lot further along than what he was. He鈥檚 throwing the ball much better. He鈥檚 throwing with velocity, throwing with touch. He鈥檚 always had touch, but he鈥檚 throwing the ball with a lot more accuracy this fall.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited about him. The kid鈥檚 got a world of talent. We鈥檝e just got to keep progressing mentally. The lights will kick on here sometime real soon, hopefully.鈥
(on Donavan Tate through nine days of training camp)
鈥淰ery talented kid. He鈥檚 not a kid; he鈥檚 a man. Very talented guy. He鈥檚 into it. He鈥檚 trying to grasp everything. When you鈥檙e away from football as long as he was, obviously there鈥檚 going to be some rustiness, some kinks you鈥檝e got to get worked out. He鈥檚 in the process of doing that.
鈥淏ut the kid is very conscientious. Comes to work every day. Has a great attitude towards it in terms of trying to learn this thing. He鈥檚 going to be good by the time he鈥檚 sharpened up and ready to go.鈥
(on freshman K鈥橦ari Lane鈥檚 skill set)
鈥淗e can throw the ball, man. He鈥檚 got a live arm. He鈥檚 gotta get in better shape, obviously. He knows that. He鈥檚 still learning, still trying to grasp the offense.鈥
(on the freshman QBs as a whole)
鈥淲hen it鈥檚 your first time, it can be overwhelming. The good part is, those guys haven鈥檛 let it overwhelm them mentally. I鈥檓 not saying they鈥檙e ready to play, but you can tell they鈥檝e got a grasp of what we鈥檙e trying to do. They鈥檙e not lost. It鈥檚 a developmental phase they鈥檒l go through, but they鈥檙e all working at it.鈥
