Jay'Vion Cole out again as Arizona preps for TCU

The Big 12's first availability report for Arizona-TCU dropped Tuesday night, and the headline is the same one Wildcats fans saw last week.

Justin Spears

@JustinESports

First availability report for Arizona-TCU! Arizona cornerback Jay'Vion Cole is out for a second straight game. Arizona safety Cam Chapa, wide receiver Caleb Smith and defensive tackle Zac Siulepa are questionable. Tight end Cole Rusk looks like he's trending towards playing. Linebacker Max Harris and running back Ismail Mahdi are questionable due to their ongoing eligibility battle.

Cole missing time hurts. The senior corner had played in all 7 games before he was ruled out for the trip to Lubbock, and Arizona Sports reported he'd allowed just 15 catches on 31 targets this season. With him out, the expectation last week was that Tyrese Boss and Dwight Bootle would handle the corner spots, and that's the setup again unless something changes. That was a 3-man rotation with Cole in it. Now it's 2 guys and a prayer against a Big 12 passing game.

The questionable tags are where it gets dicey. Cam Chapa is another body in the secondary, so a limited Chapa on top of no Cole would leave the back end thin. Caleb Smith is a receiver and Zac Siulepa plays defensive tackle, so the week's practice reports matter on both sides of the ball. The beat agreed that those are the names to watch as the week goes on.

Michael Lev

@MichaelJLev

No J-Cole again. Other Cole (Rusk) trending in the right direction. Caleb Smith and Cam Chapa are ones to watch as the week goes on.

Justin Spears

@JustinESports

First availability report for Arizona-TCU! Arizona cornerback Jay'Vion Cole is out for a second straight game. Arizona safety Cam Chapa, wide receiver Caleb Smith and defensive tackle Zac Siulepa are questionable. Tight end Cole Rusk looks like he's trending towards playing. Linebacker Max Harris and running back Ismail Mahdi are questionable due to their ongoing eligibility battle.

The good news is the other Cole. Tight end Cole Rusk was listed as doubtful before the Texas Tech game. Now he's trending toward playing, which would be his first appearance since NIU. Getting a tight end back helps an offense that has spent most of the fall plugging holes.

AZ Band Cat Sports

@AZBandCatSports

Arizona CB Jay’Vion Cole will miss his second straight game, while TE Cole Rusk looks set to play in his first since NIU. RB Jon Denman (47 carries, 158 yds, 2 TDs) and S Julius Simms (16 tackles, 1 PD, 1 FR) are the most notable injuries for TCU.

TCU has its own problems. Running back Jon Denman and safety Julius Simms are the Horned Frogs' biggest names on the report. Per the post above, Denman has 47 carries for 158 yards and 2 TDs and Simms has 16 tackles, a pass defensed and a fumble recovery. Those aren't star numbers, but losing a rotation back and a starting-caliber safety still costs a team depth in November.

Then there's the item that isn't an injury. Linebacker Max Harris and running back Ismail Mahdi are still listed questionable because of their eligibility fight with the NCAA. It's the same tag they carried into the Texas Tech week, and it has followed them since a federal appeals court stayed the ruling that had cleared them to play. Until that gets settled, consider them off the field on Saturday.

What to watch: updated reports come out later in the week, and the 2 that matter most are Chapa and Smith. If Chapa can't go, the Arizona secondary will have 2 key players out. If Rusk plays, that helps the offense. Cole's absence is already decided.