TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — There hasn't been a quarterback controversy at fall camp for Arizona this year, as Jayden de Laura is the starter for the Wildcats.
The Honolulu native described his style of play.
"I would say I'm a really energetic guy," said de Laura. "Mobile. Accurate. Yeah, I like to win."
De Laura was all those things for Washington State last year. He led the conference in passing yards and touchdown in Pac-12 games.
However, Washington State hired Jake Dickett as head coach, and transferred in former Incarnate Wood quarterback Cameron Ward to lead the Cougars offense.
"They went in a way that was good for them, and I respect it," said de Laura. "At the end of the day, I had to make a decision that was best for me."
That decision was for de Laura to transfer to Arizona, where he was brought in to be head coach Jedd Fisch's top quarterback.
"I believe Jayden has earned the right to be the quarterback at this point," said Fisch.
He's also earned the respect of his teammates.
"Just how dedicated he is to the game, and how much he's in that film room," said wide receiver Jacob Cowing. "He's like, 'Let's go watch film. Let's try and study as much as we can so when we get to gametime, we get to fall camp, we're prepared as much as we can be. And at that point, we can just go out there and play football.'"
De Laura will transition to an offense where he'll also be under center, as opposed to primarily in the shotgun formation as he was in Washington State.
"And, that was kind of a big pull for me," said de Laura. "Going into an offense where I can step up and be more ready for the next level when the time come."
That time may not come for a while. De Laura has three years of eligibility left, and a chance to stabilize the quarterback position for the Wildcats.
"He's had great success in our conference," said Fisch. "And, he's very young. So, I'm excited to watch him grow."
RELATED: KGUN 9's full streaming sports special, Arizona Football P.R.O.
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Jason Barr is a sports anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. Jason's stories have won KGUN four prestigious regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for sports reporting. He has also won two Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards for sports reporting. Share your story ideas with Jason by emailing jason.barr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
