Exactly three weeks before Arizona football kicks off its spring practice schedule, the Wildcats announced their updated version of the roster.
The Wildcats have 34 newcomers for spring practices, which officially begin on Tuesday, March 24, at the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center and Dick Tomey Practice Fields.
Here's how the newcomer class breaks down:
– 14 offensive players
– 17 defensive players
– 3 special teams players
Thirteen of Arizona's 34 newcomers are early enrollees from the 2026 recruiting class. The special teams players, who will complement kicker Michael Salgado-Medina, are freshman punter and Australia native Chase Ridley, Louisville transfer punter Carter Schwartz and Western Kentucky transfer long snapper Drew Nicolson.
After losing most of its defensive secondary from last season — including veteran All-Big 12 defensive backs Treydan Stukes, Dalton Johnson and Genesis Smith — the Wildcats have nine newcomer defensive backs.
Arizona has seven newcomers in the defensive secondary via the transfer portal: safety Daylen Austin (Oregon), safety Malcolm Hartzog (Nebraska), safety Cam Chapa (Northern Colorado), safety Lee Molette III (UConn), cornerback Tyrese Boss (Wyoming), cornerback Zuri Watson (Howard) and cornerback Dwight Bootle (Charlotte).
Nebraska defensive back Malcolm Hartzog runs after making an interception against Ohio State, Oct. 26, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio.
The Wildcats also added 6-2, 203-pound freshman safety Hannibal Navies and freshman cornerback Xaier Hiler, a 6-3, 174-pounder from the Dallas area.
Between Hartzog (1,700 defensive snaps), Chapa (1,495), Molette (1,354), Boss (643), Watson (598), Bootle (461) and Austin (248), Arizona is adding a combined 6,499 defensive snaps of experience to its defensive secondary via the transfer portal, according to Pro Football Focus.
Arizona has just as many returners in the defensive secondary. Notable returners include cornerback Jay'Vion Cole, who was second in the Big 12 with four interceptions last season, along with redshirt junior safety Gavin Hunter, slot cornerback Dajon Hinton and safety Coleman Patmon. Hunter, Hinton and Patmon started in place of Stukes, Johnson and Smith in the Wildcats' loss to SMU in the Holiday Bowl.
Other returners at cornerback include redshirt freshman Swayde Griffin and redshirt junior Johno Price, who played 81 defensive snaps in 2025.
Arizona also added five wide receivers to its current corps, headlined by Tre Spivey, Gio Richardson, Chris Hunter and Isaiah Mizell. The Wildcats signed highly touted freshman R.J. Mosley, a 6-3, 199-pound receiver from Pittsburg, California, along with Caleb Smith, a 5-8, 166-pound slot receiver from Allen, Texas.
Arizona wide receiver Tre Spivey runs for a touchdown after pulling in a pass in the first half against Colorado, Nov. 1, 2025, in Boulder, Colo.
Spivey, Hunter and Richardson combined for 1,052 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns this past season — and could conceivably be Arizona's starting trio at receiver for quarterback Noah Fifita's last season at Arizona.
Arizona signed three wide receivers in the transfer portal: Rodney Gallagher (West Virginia), Jordan Ross (Colorado State) and DJ Jordan (USC), who is donning the No. 4 jersey this season — a number worn by Arizona's last two leading receivers in Tetairoa McMillan and Kris Hutson.
Gallagher grew up in Uniontown, Pennsylvania — a small town near the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border — and signed with the Mountaineers in 2023.
The 5-10, 180-pound Gallagher was a four-star prospect and was recruited as a receiver and defensive back. Gallagher signed with nearby WVU over Michigan, Oregon, Cincinnati, Nebraska, Penn State and Texas, among others.
West Virginia wide receiver Rodney Gallagher III runs the ball between Arizona defensive lineman Kevon Darton and defensive back Genesis Smith (12) in the first half, Oct. 26, 2024, in Tucson.
In three years at West Virginia, Gallagher had 64 receptions for 605 yards and three touchdowns. He had the second-most receptions (28) for the Mountaineers this past season.
Jordan was also a highly touted recruit as a Los Angeles-area native and Sierra Canyon High School product. After redshirting his freshman season, the 5-11, 175-pounder had five catches for 38 yards in his second season at USC.
Ross, who's also from L.A., had 26 catches for 302 yards and a touchdown during his two-year career with the Rams.
Ross, who played in Snoop Dogg's youth football league in Los Angeles, was a part of the CSU team that lost to Miami (Ohio) in the 2024 Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop. Ross had four catches for 58 yards in his first performance at what is now called Casino Del Sol Stadium.
The Wildcats also have four newcomers at tight end, including three from the transfer portal: Cole Rusk (Illinois), Shane King (Southern Miss) and Arthur Ban (San Diego State). Four-star Seattle-area tight end Henry Gabalis is also joining the Wildcats as an early enrollee this spring.
Washington offensive lineman Zachary Henning (58) during practice, Aug. 2, 2023, in Seattle.
Arizona will have 15 offensive linemen for the spring, including transfer tackle Nathan Hale (San Jose State), Zachary Henning (Washington) and tackle Jake Griffin (BYU). Freshman tackle and Dallas-area product Khalil Sanogo enters his first season at 6-4, 328 pounds.
With right tackle Tristan Bounds — who is recovering from a knee injury — and right guard Alexander Doost — who's now 6-7, 340 pounds — returning, the Wildcats have to replace three starters on the offensive line, albeit Henning is expected to start at center.
Four-star quarterback Oscar Rios is among the lightest players on the roster at 170 pounds. Smith (166 pounds) and Hinton (169 pounds) are the only players who weigh less than Rios, who joins a quarterback room led by a multi-year starter in Fifita, along with redshirt freshmen Sawyer Anderson and Luke Haugo and redshirt sophomore Mason Bray. Rios will be in competition for the backup spot behind Fifita this season.
Here's a complete look at Arizona's newcomers for spring practices, which will be capped with the annual spring showcase on Saturday, April 25, at Casino Del Sol Stadium:
0: Dash Fifita, linebacker (Fr.; 5-7, 186 pounds)
2: Daylen Austin, safety (R-Jr.; 6-0, 194 pounds)
2: R.J. Mosley, wide receiver (Fr.; 6-3, 199 pounds)
4: DJ Jordan, wide receiver (So.; 5-11, 178 pounds
4: Matai Tagoa'i, linebacker (So.; 6-4, 200 pounds)
9: Tyrese Boss, cornerback (R-So; 5-11, 181 pounds)
9: Oscar Rios, quarterback (Fr.; 6-3, 170 pounds)
10: Jordan Ross, wide receiver (Jr.; 5-10, 171 pounds)
12: Dwight Bootle, cornerback (R-Jr.; 5-9, 174 pounds)
13: Cam Chapa, safety (Jr.; 5-11, 190 pounds)
14: Hannibal Navies II, safety (Fr.; 6-2, 203 pounds)
15: Malcolm Hartzog, safety (R-Sr.; 5-8, 184 pounds)
16: Everett Roussaw Jr., linebacker (Sr.; 6-2, 235 pounds)
17: Lee Molette III, safety (Sr.; 6-1, 192 pounds)
20: Caleb Smith, wide receiver (Fr.; 5-8, 166 pounds)
25: Zuri Watson, cornerback (So.; 5-10, 188 pounds)
27: Keytrin Harris, defensive tackle (Fr.; 6-6, 318 pounds)
30: Xaier Hiler, cornerback (Fr.; 6-3, 174 pounds)
34: Carter Schwartz, punter (Jr.; 6-3, 232 pounds)
37: Chase Ridley, punter (Fr.; 6-3, 238 pounds)
43: Drew Nicolson, long snapper (R-Jr.; 5-11, 233 pounds)
44: Antwan Roberts, running back (R-Sr.; 6-0, 204 pounds)
44: Prince Williams, defensive end (Fr.; 6-3, 264 pounds)
48: Cooper Blomstrom, linebacker (Sr.; 6-2, 245 pounds)
55: Nathan Hale, offensive tackle (R-Jr.; 6-4, 307 pounds)
58: Zach Henning, center (R-Jr.; 6-4, 299 pounds)
58: Kaisi Lafitaga, defensive line (Fr.; 6-2, 301 pounds)
76: Khalil Sanogo, offensive tackle (Fr.; 6-4, 328 pounds)
77: Jake Griffin, offensive tackle (R-Jr.; 6-5, 309 pounds)
78: Manoah Faupusa, defensive tackle (6-0, 381 pounds)
80: Shane King, tight end (Fr.; 6-3, 236 pounds)
84: Rodney Gallagher, wide receiver (Sr.; 5-10, 177 pounds)
86: Arthur Ban, tight end (R-So.; 6-4, 245 pounds)
88: Henry Gabalis, tight end (Fr.; 6-6, 232 pounds)
Arizona begins spring practices on March 24. The Wildcats open the 2026 season against Northern Arizona on Sept. 5 in Tucson.
