Orlando Vargas looks at his sparkling white practice jersey and smiles approvingly.
"I like it," he said. "It's clean."
Vargas has worn many different hats — and jerseys — during his one season-plus as Arizona Wildcats do-everything player.
Now, he's going to give offense a try.
The 5-foot-11-inch, 220-pound sophomore has been playing H-back in practice for the last two weeks. Vargas is expected to be a part of some running formations when the UA (3-1) travels to Washington on Saturday for a key Pac-10 Conference game.
Vargas, a career special teams player, is loving his foray into offense — from learning the plays to receiving new practice duds.
Two weeks ago, Vargas ditched the navy-blue practice jersey worn by defensive players for the white one worn by the offense.
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"Who knows? Maybe I can catch a touchdown," he said. "The thought of me catching a ball in a game is really exciting. It makes me want to learn more. It makes me want to work more."
Work has never been a problem for Vargas, a 22-year-old transfer from Oklahoma Panhandle State University.
Vargas wowed coaches with his work ethic shortly after enrolling at the UA in the spring of 2008. By last fall, Vargas — along with Tito Foster — was a special teams sensation.
Vargas' teammates refer to him as a "special teams guru," a role he embraces. For the second straight season, Vargas is part of the kickoff, kickoff return, punt, punt return and "hands" teams.
"If he was bigger, we'd make him a wing on field goal, too," special teams coach Jeff Hammerschmidt said. "Orlando's tough. He's a hard-nosed guy, and just a good football player. We put him in positions where he can just run down and be physical. He has a great attitude and desire to get to the ball."
Coach Mike Stoops said Vargas "has really embraced that role" on special teams.
"Orlando got here 1 1/2 years ago, and fitting into a particular position was hard. … But he was a guy that hustled and made plays and found his niche," Stoops said. "Those guys are very valuable to a team."
While special teams came easily, Vargas has struggled to find a more permanent place on the team. He started his UA career as a safety, then was moved to linebacker in spring drills because of depth issues.
Rob Gronkowski's season-ending back surgery prompted Vargas to be moved again.
Offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes asked Vargas two weeks ago to move to H-back, a combination fullback/tight end position that is key to the Wildcats' ground attack, so he could put starter Chris Gronkowski into some passing formations.
Vargas jumped at the chance to contribute on offense.
"I wasn't playing on 'D' at the moment, so I was like, 'Yeah, I'll try something different,'" Vargas said. "Coach Dykes told me I could contribute and might be able to do something."
Vargas will continue to play on special teams while he learns the UA's scheme. Whether he knows the plays, Vargas knows he can bring something important to the Wildcats.
"Heart," he said. "I go hard on every play. It's all-heart. And I can catch the ball, too."
UP NEXT
• What: Arizona at Washington
• When: 7:20 p.m. Saturday
• TV: FSAZ
• Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM
