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I’ve been lucky enough to attend all but one — there was other pressing UA business this past Monday — as I re-educate myself on all things UA football after missing spring practice while on assignment.

What follows are my initial thoughts on the 2023 Wildcats via personal observations and conversations with players, coaches and program insiders:

Quarterbacks

The hierarchy is clear in the QB room: Jayden de Laura is the undisputed starter, Noah Fifita is No. 2 and freshman Brayden Dorman is No. 3.

Similar to last year’s camp, de Laura seemed to flip a switch late this past week, making better, quicker decisions. He’s never going to play with the surgical precision of a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning; many of de Laura’s best plays come off-platform and out of structure.

The coaches would like him to limit mistakes after he led the Pac-12 in interceptions last season — but they also want him to be himself. That’s the challenge. ... I love the way the ball comes out of Fifita’s hand. No one gets more RPMs on his throws. I’m confident he could fill in for de Laura with little if any drop-off.

Running backs

Again, the depth chart is pretty much set here: Michael Wiley is No. 1, Jonah Coleman is No. 2 and DJ Williams is No. 3. All will play and have roles.

The big question is: What kind of role will sophomore Rayshon “Speedy� Luke have? The former four-star recruit appeared in seven games as a freshman, rushing for 105 yards on 15 attempts. He missed a chunk of time after spraining an ankle and undergoing in-season surgery on it. His explosiveness was evident during the scrimmage when he got to the edge for a 67-yard run. He seems like a natural to return kickoffs. Yet he’s one of several guys in that mix and not necessarily the favorite.

UA coach Jedd Fish cited the need for better ball security, adding that it can’t be too obvious what Arizona’s intentions are when Luke enters the game on offense. He also needs to stay healthy. He’s listed at 5-9, 175 and likely never will have the bulk Coleman and Williams are able to carry.

Receivers/tight ends

Sophomore Tetairoa McMillan is a stud. Period. Full stop. He has expanded his game in multiple ways since last season, benefitting from his own physical maturation; consistent weightlifting and nutrition; and pro-level coaching. His pure talent is off the charts; his skill is approaching that level. ...

Transfer Montana Lemonious-Craig brings size (6-2, 200) and toughness to the receiver room. He’s hard to bring down. If Arizona needs to convert a third-and-4, MLC will be a prime target. ...

I’ve been extremely impressed with redshirt freshman AJ Jones in recent practices. He has tremendous size (6-4, 210), and he’s starting to learn how to use it. Coaches and teammates have said Jones is a much more confident player than a year ago. ...

Sophomore tight end Keyan Burnett is starting to come on. He had a difficult transition from high school to college, but his athleticism has shown in recent practices. The staff loves Burnett’s work ethic; he was still on the field well after the scrimmage ended.

Offensive linemen

The biggest story here is that freshman Raymond Pulido has cracked the starting five at right guard. Barring a setback, it’ll be the second year in a row that Arizona has started a true freshman up front. That’s a rarity, but Pulido is a rare athlete. He easily carries 335 pounds on his 6-6 frame. He’s a couple of inches taller than Jonah Savaiinaea, who started at right guard as a freshman last year and is now playing right tackle.

Like Savaiinaea, Pulido has impressed the staff with how quickly he has picked things up in just two months. Unlike Savaiinaea, Pulido didn’t have the benefit of spring practice. ...

Fisch and the staff have built the line to the point where they can bring along the developmental prospects at a proper pace. Elijha Payne (6-7, 310) and Tylen Gonzalez (6-6, 305) have all the measurables. They aren’t ready for prime time yet. Thanks to the depth Arizona has accumulated and developed, they don’t have to be.

Defensive linemen

I’ve been covering Arizona since the end of 2015 and observed the Wildcats from afar while on the USC beat. They never had this many big, lively bodies along the defensive line during that time. Arizona finally has the makings of a legit rotation. It wouldn’t surprise me to see 8-10 defensive linemen play regular snaps. ...

Springtime transfer Taylor Upshaw is a sneaky-good addition. is a true strong-side end at 6-5, 270, and put up numbers (9.5 TFLs, five sacks) when given the chance at Michigan. ...

In an ideal world, young edge rushers Russell Davis II, Sterling Lane II and Isaiah Ward would’ve spent all of last season working on their bodies and technique. Circumstances forced them onto the field. All three have big-time upside but still need more bulk. Keep an eye on Ward, who was the least heralded of the three but has had the strongest camp.

Linebackers

Sophomore Jacob Manu is ensconced as a starter; transfers Justin Flowe and Daniel Heimuli are battling for the other spot, and it’s likely that both will play. I have no idea what to expect from Flowe, the one-time five-star recruit who couldn’t stay healthy at Oregon and came here in January. The coaches like his energy, competitiveness, athleticism and physicality. As one staffer put it, “He moves at a different clip.� But Flowe still has to prove he can avoid the injury bug and play within Johnny Nansen’s system. Both of those are TBD. ...

Heimuli has excellent instincts that enable him to make plays on the ball. He’s aggressive yet also plays under control. ...

The staff likes all three freshman linebackers: Kamuela Ka’aihue, Leviticus Su’a and Taye Brown. Like most of the linemen in their class, they’ll be able to develop at their own pace (barring injuries to the vets).

Defensive backs

Sophomore Ephesians Prysock is the clear-cut No. 1 corner and an all-conference player in the making. Classmate Tacario Davis likely will start opposite Prysock but has competition for the job. Redshirt freshman Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine has made his mark in recent practices on defense and special teams; he ran stride for stride down the field with Jacob Cowing earlier this week, preventing a completion, and nearly took a kickoff the distance Saturday. Transfer Dylan Wyatt has been better than advertised. ...

Arizona has two viable options at nickel between holdover Treydan Stukes and transfer Martell Irby. Stukes is showing he can play in the box and make plays downfield; Irby is a sparkplug who made some quality open-field tackles during the scrimmage. ...

The two safety spots remain in flux. More likely than not, veterans Isaiah Taylor, Dalton Johnson and Gunner Maldonado will get the most playing time early in the season. Freshman Genesis Smith has ideal size (6-2, 200) and athleticism for a free safety, but it would take a leap of faith to trust a true freshman in that last-line-of-defense position. Pencil him in as a certain starter and potential star down the road.