Arizona Football: Wildcats' Biggest Offseason Goals for 2015

With spring practice in the books and fall training camp still months away, Arizona is in a bit of a holding pattern when it comes to preparing for the 2015 season. There were some positive developments that came out of the just-completed session, but far more must be done before the Wildcats can feel confident that they'll be able to match or improve upon last year's 10-4 record and Pac-12 South Division title.

"We know what we have, but we also know what we don't have," Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez said after the April 10 spring game.

With that in mind, here are a few things Arizona will look to work on between now and the Sept. 4 season opener against UTSA.

Improve the pass rush

Arizona ranked 105th in the nation in total defense last season, and while five of the six starters from the defensive line and linebacker corps will return (including star linebacker Scooby Wright) this season, that area is still a major concern for the Wildcats. That's because if Wright were to be taken out of the equation, there'd be little to no pass rush to speak of, according to Daniel Berk of the Arizona Daily Star:

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Arizona had 38 sacks last season, but 14 came from Wright, who often lined up at defensive end on third downs because of the UA's lack of a pass rush. But this year, [head coach Rich] Rodriguez and [defensive coordinator Jeff] Casteel would like to use Wright more in coverage on third downs and be able to rely on other players to get in the backfield. Sacks are nice, but Rodriguez would like to just see enough pressure to help out the back eight on defense.

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The return of fifth-year senior Reggie Gilbert at defensive end will be huge, but Arizona needs strong development and contributions from the likes of Boise State transfer Calvin Allen, junior college transfer Luca Bruno and redshirt freshman Marcus Griffin.

Develop multidimensional roles

Young stars at quarterback (Anu Solomon) and running back (Nick Wilson) are expected to handle the bulk of their duties, while an incredibly deep receiving unit will allow Arizona to spread the ball all over the field again this year. But head coach Rich Rodriguez has expressed the desire to be more diverse on offense, utilizing his most skilled and athletic players in as many ways as possible.

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This will lead to receivers Samajie Grant and Tyrell Johnson lining up in the backfield on occasion, while 5'6" redshirt freshman scatback Jonathan Haden will sometimes go into the slot. The Wildcats also want to create a package for backup quarterback Jerrard Randall, whose mobility and strong arm are just too valuable to keep on the bench.

Randall, a senior who began his career at LSU before playing at the junior college level, ran for 104 yards with a touchdown last season for Arizona.

Continue recruiting for 2016

It's been an up-and-down past week for Arizona on the recruiting front, as it picked up two huge commitments but also lost what would have been a solid piece of its 2016 class.

Trevor Speights, a 3-star running back from Texas, decommitted from the Wildcats on Saturday, the same day unrated Georgia running back Russell Halimon committed. That came three days after Arizona landed its biggest prospect of 2016, 4-star pro-style quarterback Devon Modster.

The 6'2", 215-pound Modster, from Rancho Santa Margarita, California, picked Arizona over Boise State and UCLA. He's rated by 247Sports as the No. 289 overall prospect in 2016 and the nation's 10th-best pro-style passer, and he gives Arizona two quarterbacks in that class along with 3-star athlete Khalil Tate.

Arizona only has five commits for 2016 at this point, and only one is on the defensive side.

All quotes obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.