Arizona to play both Gunner Cruz, Will Plummer in opener vs. BYU

The Arizona Wildcats have their quarterback. Two, actually.

Head coach Jedd Fisch announced Tuesday that freshmen Gunner Cruz and Will Plummer will both play in the 2021 season opener against BYU on Sept. 4 in Las Vegas.

“‘Gunner will be out there first, and we’ll take it from there,” Fisch said.

Therefore Cruz will be making his first career start when the Wildcats face BYU at Allegiant Stadium in what will also be Fisch’s coaching debut. It will be Cruz’s second college appearance, having played for Washington State last December in a loss at USC in which he was 5 of 7 for 74 yards and a touchdown.

A native of Queen Creek, Ariz., Cruz was the most consistent of the three QB candidates during the preseason. In Saturday’s scrimmage he played with the first-team offense and was 10 of 14 for 149 yards that included a 45-yard TD pass to Boobie Curry on his first series.

Plummer, in his second year at the UA, has appeared in two games with the Wildcats. He came on in relief of Grant Gunnell one play into a November loss at UCLA then started against Colorado at home in December.

The third quarterback will be redshirt sophomore Jordan McCloud, a South Florida transfer who has 17 career starts. Fisch said McCloud remains a viable option for this fall but his absence in the spring—he arrived in June after completing his undergraduate degree at USF—impacted his ability to win the starting job.