Welcome back for this week’s Gold Nuggets, Saturday Out West columnist Jon Gold’s weekly trip around the Pac-12 … or what remains of it after the craziest week in conference history.

We’ll spare you more realignment sadness. Instead, read below for on-the-field news, notes and quotes from the first week of August …

Arizona: It’s nice to have reserves, even among coaches

Talk about a loaded depth chart. With defensive line coach Ricky Hunley recovering from knee surgery, Wildcats defensive analyst and one-time former defensive coordinator Duane Akina will step into an on-field coaching role. The Arizona Daily Star’s Justin Spears is reporting that Akina will coach alongside safeties coach Chuck Cecil and first-year cornerbacks coach John Richardson to essentially man the “back end” of the defense, while outside linebackers and defensive ends coach Jason Kaufusi will handle the Wildcats’ entire defensive front along with defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen.

Hunley will stay on staff in an off-field, recruiting and analyst role.

“We thought it was going to be a huge advantage — kind of initially the reason we brought in Coach Akina, a real experienced guy,” Fisch told Spears. “(Hunley) will come in and help not just the D-line, but he has a linebacker perspective as a former linebacker. He’s a former coordinator, so he gives us perspective there, and he can dip into the community. We can use him at events and opportunities to connect with all members of the community. He can almost free up all of his time. He’s also been very involved in our camps and academics, so he’s doing a good job of monitoring and mentoring certain areas.”

Arizona State: Transfer RB Cameron Skattebo getting his look

One of the Pac-12’s more intriguing transfers this season is former Sacramento State 1,300-yard rusher Cameron Skattebo, who was the feature back for new Stanford coach Troy Taylor with the Hornets. Both have since moved on, with Skattebo vying to take over the backfield in Tempe coming off a huge year.

“When we saw him in high school, it was a slam dunk,” Taylor told the Sacramento Bee’s Joe Davidson last fall. “I couldn’t believe everyone wasn’t offering a scholarship. He has a great spirit, talent, a real zest for life and football. This was a no-brainer to get him. We’ve got to get this guy. Now he’s returning kickoffs for touchdowns.”

He could blossom into a similar Swiss Army Knife for the Sun Devils this year, too.

“He’s a guy with a chip on his shoulder that I think can play at this level and be effective at this level,” ASU running backs coach Shaun Aguano told the Arizona Republic’s Jenna Ortiz this week. “He showed that in the spring. He needs to get better in the fall, as well as the whole room. I’m very pleased with the production he had in the spring and his ability to play at this level. He’ll be a good running back.”

Cal: Camp opens with question mark at quarterback

It was the kind of game that can last a lifetime, or at least linger for a season or two. When NC State fourth-stringer Ben Finley, who started the season on the Wolfpack scout team, outdueled Drake Maye in a classic double-overtime, 30-27 win over Tobacco Road rival North Carolina, it sent Finley’s career in an entirely different direction. Finley was 27-40 for 271 yards and 2 scores in his first collegiate start, and even though he flopped in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, it made Finley a coveted transfer portal option.

Landing at Cal after spring practice completed, he’ll duke it out with TCU transfer Sam Jackson IV in fall camp, which kicked off Wednesday.

Jackson has the edge heading into fall, but his youth is a concern for coach Justin Wilcox.

“Sam is a dynamic athlete,” Wilcox said at Pac-12 Media Day. “He is a very, very athletic guy. Sometimes when you say the quarterback is athletic, they think all they can do is run. That’s not the case. Sam can throw the ball, he can spin it. He doesn’t have a ton of experience, okay? He’s still a young player.”

Colorado: Alton McCaskill IV details his transfer journey

Given the fact he missed all of last season because of a torn ACL, Pac-12 fans might not exactly know what Colorado has in Houston transfer running back Alton McCaskill IV. But the 2021 American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year could make a major impact in Year 1.

McCaskill opened up about his transfer to Colorado on his YouTube channel in a revealing post.

“I chose Colorado because of the opportunities coming from the popularity around the school,” McCaskill said. “How many eyes are going to be on the school is going to be a really good thing for people who are trying to get to the next level, which is something I’m obviously trying to do. On top of that, Coach Prime (Deion Sanders) and all of his staff, from the trainers to the strength coaches, everybody is very genuine.”

Oregon: Dan Lanning expecting big things out of Traeshon Holden

Despite a terrific year from Bo Nix last year, the Oregon passing game is ready to make a big jump in 2023, particularly because of the addition of a key transfer.

During his press conference at Oregon’s Media Day this week, Lanning singled out Alabama transfer Traeshon Holden as a key offensive piece this year.

“What I’m excited about with Traeshon, he’s got great size,” Lanning said, according to the Oregonian’s James Crepea. “He (has) a big catch radius. He’s picking up our system well, I think he’s proven he can play at a high level at other places. I’m excited to have him play at a high level here.”

Oregon State: Beavers boast special return game

Anthony Gould is not one to shy away from a challenge. That was evident in his 2 punt returns for touchdowns last year, one that went for 80 yards (against Montana) and one for 76 (Cal). But he’s not the only talented Beavers returner. Silas Bolden, brother of Beaver great Victor, will man kickoffs for Oregon State, giving the Beavs a threat throughout the return game.

Stanford: Troy Taylor bumping some significant elbows

New Stanford head coach Troy Taylor is starting to understand the cache that Stanford carries on the recruiting trail. In fact, he’s starting to feel it himself.

“Dr. Condoleezza Rice is on campus, the kindness and intelligence she brings,” he said at Pac-12 Media Day. “A guy like Andrew Luck, who just finished up graduate school is on campus. You meet the people that you’ve kind of admired from a distance, you find out some of their best qualities are kindness, empathy, them wanting you to be successful. That was a very pleasant surprise.”

UCLA: Bruins, Trojans come together for McGovern

This is one can’t-miss feature from Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, who wrote a touching story on the bond that both Los Angeles programs shared over the untimely passing of former Bruins defensive coordinator Bill McGovern.

Coaches from both staffs rallied around McGovern’s family during his brief battle with cancer and since his passing.

“Listen, we all compete against each other and all that,” USC coach Lincoln Riley told Bolch, “but we’re kind of our own little community of coaches and we all know what each other goes through, the challenges that this job brings not only for us, the coaches, but even more so for our families and so you kind of felt like you were just kind of right there with them the whole way.”

USC: Trojans shuffling the chairs up front

Before fall camp even kicked off, USC offensive line coach Josh Henson and coach Lincoln Riley did some tinkering, moving right tackle Jonah Monheim to the left side, ensuring a brand new unit up front. No Trojans starter will be returning to his previous position, though USC should feel pretty good about its new additions in former Washington State tackle Jarrett Kingston, who slides inside for USC, and former Florida tackle Michael Tarquin.

“You can turn on the film and watch a guy playing at this level versus projecting a high school guy that you think can do it, but you don’t know that for sure,” Henson told the Los Angeles Times’ Ryan Kartje. “Those (transfer) guys bring in a certain level of experience. They’ve all played. They’ve all been starters, and they’ve played pretty dang well.”

Utah: Good luck filling Clark Phillips III’s shoes

There aren’t many vacancies in the Pac-12 more daunting to fill than Clark Phillips III. The former Utah star cornerback led the conference with 6 interceptions last year, and Kyle Whittingham knows his absence will be felt.

“We feel we have a lot of depth at that position, even with Clark’s departure,” Whittingham said, according to UteZone’s Steve Bartle. “We didn’t really lose anyone else and we added a few guys. Smith Snowden, who we think is going to be a really good player for us. Miles Battle, who was here with us during spring, is going to be a good player for us. We feel there are a lot of guys who are ready and on the verge of having a breakthrough.”

Washington: Huskies hoping to hunker down in secondary

Coming off a season in which several key members of the secondary were injured, leading to unenviable results — Washington ranked second-worst in the nation in passes defended per game (2.54) — the Huskies will spend fall camp trying to build depth in the defensive backfield.

“We may not have the depth still that we ultimately want, but we’re in a much better place if something like last year were to happen again this year,” DeBoer told the Seattle Times’ Mike Vorel. “We could get through it. Meesh (Mishael Powell) hasn’t really taken any corner reps since we moved him (to “husky”) in the winter, but he’s a guy who understands our defense now on a much greater level. Dom Hampton played the husky position last year and is now playing safety. Asa Turner’s got all these reps now banked.

“You just go down the line and you have more guys with more snaps at the college level, whether here or somewhere else. It makes you feel more secure about the direction we’re going.”

Washington State: Wideouts take center stage in camp

The Cougars open fall camp looking to solidify one important positional group. Asked which unit he’ll focus on during camp, coach Jake Dickert answered quickly.

“Yeah, wide receiver,” Dickert said, according to the Spokesman-Review’s Greg Woods.

Wazzu loses a combined 1,985 yards and 14 touchdowns in bidding goodbye to De’Zhaun Stribling, Robert Ferrel, Renard Bell and Donovan Ollie. They’ll turn to Kyle Williams (UNLV), Josh Kelly (Fresno State) and DT Sheffield (NW Mississippi CC).