Arizona safety Jarvis McCall Jr. has taken to his new calling

The coaches believed Jarvis McCall Jr. could be one of those 11, although not necessarily at the position he had played previously.

So in spring, as part of the unending tinkering process typical of any scheme change, McCall got switched. Despite 17 career starts at cornerback, McCall’s new calling would be safety.

The move appears to be paying dividends. McCall will start at free safety for Arizona in its season opener against BYU on Saturday in Glendale.

“He’s doing well,” safeties coach Jahmile Addae said Wednesday. “The position’s a little bit different in that he’s playing away from the ball. But he’s doing a really good job adjusting.

“He’s got coverage ability. He’s got length. He’s got size (6-2, 203). We’re excited about turning him loose back there and letting him do his thing.”

McCall is equally enthused about his new challenge, which brings with it a new set of responsibilities.

As the free safety, McCall plays an integral role in making sure the other defensive backs — and especially the other safeties — are lined up properly. That requires quickly diagnosing the offensive formation and relaying that information to his teammates.

“There’s a little more on my plate,” McCall said. “I’m in the middle of the field. I have to see formations and give out the right checks, the right calls, so the corners and the other safeties can all be on the same page.”

Said Addae, a former safety: “There’s more thought process as a safety than there is at corner. Your world’s a little more simple out on the island. As a safety, there’s checks, there’s adjustments, more mathematics associated with the position. So just getting him tuned in — knowing where to lock his eyes, what to see, to read his keys — is probably the biggest difference.”

Addae and McCall have worked together to get him up to speed in those areas. The redshirt junior spends extra time watching film and asking Addae questions about in-play adjustments.

McCall’s current favorite safety to study is Eric Berry of the Kansas City Chiefs. He also admires Ed Reed and Earl Thomas, two of the best center-field safeties of the past 15 years.

But McCall’s all-time favorites can be found within “the whole cover-2 defense” of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his hometown team. His eyes light up when discussing Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice and Dexter Jackson.

Addae also comes from Tampa, Florida, so he and McCall have a unique bond. Addae had intel on McCall before he starting working with him on a daily basis. If Addae rides McCall a little harder than the other safeties, there’s a reason.

“It’s a little bit different with me and Jarvis,” Addae said during training camp. “We’re a little bit tighter in terms of what we’ve known and how familiar we are with each other from the past. So when I had the opportunity to coach him, I was pretty excited.

“Am I giving him anything? No. He’ll be the hardest worker out here. That’s part of the deal. That’s part of getting him right. If you’re coaching your own kid, you probably coach your own kid harder than you do everyone else’s kid.”

McCall has noticed. It’s difficult at times, especially on the practice field, but he has come to appreciate the extra attention.

“Sometimes I’ll be like, ‘Dang, why is he on me extra hard?’ But after practice, I get it,” McCall said. “If he hadn’t been on me about this, I probably wouldn’t have made this play.”

McCall didn’t make nearly as many plays as he had hoped last year. After starting 12 games the previous season, McCall made just five starts in 2015. A groin injury bothered him for much of the season. He also missed valuable training time in the offseason because of other ailments.

Now McCall’s body feels good. His perspective has changed, but his outlook is bright. No matter where McCall came from, Addae likes where he’s headed.

“He’s been a great kid, regardless of whether he’s from Tampa or not,” Addae said. “He has a good personality, a good outlook on things. He’s brought his working hat every day, and that’s all I can ask for at this point in time.”

Extra points

• Arizona will honor deceased offensive lineman Zach Hemmila before the BYU game and throughout the season. Players will have special stickers on their helmets, and the coaches will have patches on their hats. Hemmila and his family will be recognized during a brief pregame ceremony, including a jersey presentation and a moment of silence.

• Arizona unveiled its uniform combination for Week 1: red helmets, red jerseys and white pants.

• Coach Rich Rodriguez said the biggest challenges of playing at University of Phoenix Stadium will be the lighting, especially for the punt returners, and the crowd noise with the roof closed.

Despite its proximity to Tucson and regardless of the crowd composition, Rodriguez views the neutral-site contest in Glendale as a road game from an operational standpoint.

• Rodriguez attended son Rhett’s first high school game of the season last week and will be there Friday for his game at Scottsdale Saguaro. Rhett Rodriguez is the quarterback for Catalina Foothills and a 2017 UA commit.