Arizona football continues to address positions of need in the transfer portal and the recruiting trail.
The Wildcats landed several prospects from the transfer portal and added to their 2026 recruiting class.
Arizona's weekend was kickstarted by the first offensive lineman to sign with the Wildcats this transfer portal cycle, which closes for new entries on Friday. UA picked up former Washington center Zachary Henning on Friday.
Henning will be in line to start at center for the Wildcats, with Ka'ena Decambra, who started all 13 games for Arizona this past season, graduating. Henning will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Unlike Decambra, who played guard and tackle at Hawaii prior to transferring to Arizona, Henning has experience playing center.
The 6-5, 310-pound Centennial, Colorado native signed with Washington as a three-star prospect in 2023 and played three seasons for the Huskies — one under former head coach Kalen DeBoer and the last two under former UA head coach Jedd Fisch. Henning's first year at UW resulted in the Huskies finishing as national runner-ups in the College Football Playoff.
Washington offensive lineman Zachary Henning (58) during practice, Aug. 2, 2023, in Seattle.
Henning appeared in 13 games in 2024, but primarily played special teams for the Huskies. Henning played in 13 games this past season and recorded 333 offensive snaps.
Henning took over starting duties in November after starter Landen Hatchett broke his hand. Hatchett is returning to Washington next season.
If Henning is named Arizona's starter in 2026, he'll be the third center since quarterback Noah Fifita became the starter in 2023, joining longtime starter Josh Baker and Decambra.
Henning bolsters an offensive line that is losing four starters: Decambra, left guard Chubba Maae, left tackle Ty Buchanan and right tackle Tristan Bounds. Arizona returns right guard Alexander Doost and tackles Rhino Tapa'atoutai and Matthew Lado.
Safeties
Arizona bolstered its secondary with the additions of safeties Malcolm Hartzog (Nebraska) and Cam Chapa (Northern Colorado). The first defensive back added to Arizona's 2026 transfer class was Wyoming cornerback Tyrese Boss.
Nebraska defensive back Malcolm Hartzog runs after an interception against Ohio State, Oct. 26, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio.
The 5-9, 185-pound Hartzog signed with Nebraska in 2022 as a three-star prospect out of Jefferson David County High School in Prentiss, Mississippi.
Hartzog was a three-year starter for the Cornhuskers and started 32 games in three-plus seasons before suffering a season-ending lower-body injury after two games in 2025. He had two pass deflections and an interception in Nebraska's season-opening win over Cincinnati in Kansas City.
Hartzog recorded 108 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 21 pass deflections and eight interceptions during his four-year career at Nebraska. Hartzog played multiple positions in Nebraska's secondary, including 909 snaps at cornerback, 474 snaps at slot cornerback, 237 snaps at strong safety and 67 at free safety.
Chapa, an Aurora, Colorado native, has two years of eligibility remaining after two productive seasons at Northern Colorado.
In 23 games, the 6-1, 193-pound safety logged 171 tackles, eight interceptions, 12 pass deflections, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Chapa, who was a first-team All-Big Sky selection in 2025, led the conference with 63 solo tackles.
Northern Colorado safety Cam Chapa committed to the Arizona Wildcats following two highly productive seasons in the Big Sky.
Chapa is the latest FCS player to sign with the Wildcats, joining Georgetown linebacker transfer Cooper Blomstrom.
The Wildcats tapped into the FCS market last offseason and signed multiple standouts, including wide receiver Javin Whatley, defensive tackle Deshawn McKnight and linebacker Riley Wilson.
With Arizona losing multi-year starters in Genesis Smith and Dalton Johnson, along with outgoing transfer Jack Luttrell, Chapa and Hartzog could potentially start at both safety spots for the Wildcats in 2026. Hartzog and Chapa have a combined 3,195 defensive snaps in their careers.
Chapa and Hartzog will join a position group that includes redshirt junior Gavin Hunter, redshirt freshman Kason Brown and sophomore Coleman Patmon, who started Arizona's 24-19 loss to SMU in the Holiday Bowl. Arizona signed three-star Georgia safety Hannibal Navies for its 2026 high school recruiting class.
Wide receivers
Arizona signed its second wide receiver in the transfer portal: West Virginia's Rodney Gallagher III, who played three seasons for the Mountaineers and will have a year of eligibility.
West Virginia wide receiver Rodney Gallagher III (24) in action against Iowa State on Oct. 12, 2024, in Morgantown W.Va. Iowa State won 28-16.
Gallagher grew up in Uniontown, Pennsylvania — a small town near the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border — and signed with the Mountaineers in 2023 following a productive career at Laurel Highlands High School.
Gallagher was a four-star prospect and was recruited as a receiver and defensive back. The 5-10, 180-pound Gallagher signed with WVU over Michigan, Oregon, Cincinnati, Nebraska, Penn State and Texas, among others.
In three years at West Virginia, Gallagher had 64 receptions for 605 yards and three touchdowns. Gallagher had the second-most receptions (28) for the Mountaineers this past season.
When West Virginia beat Arizona, 31-16, in Tucson in 2024, Gallagher had two catches for 14 yards and had a season-high 21 rushing yards.
Gallagher and USC's DJ Jordan are Arizona's two additions at wide receiver in the transfer portal. Jordan was also a highly touted recruited as a Los Angeles-area and Sierra Canyon High School product.
After redshirting his freshman season, the 5-11, 175-pound Jordan had five catches for 38 yards in his second season at USC.
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.
The Wildcats are losing their top two receivers in Kris Hutson and Whatley, who combined for 1,250 yards and nine touchdowns, to graduation. Arizona is also losing veteran wide receiver Luke Wysong.
Arizona returns its third-leading receiver in redshirt junior Tre Spivey, along with redshirt senior Chris Hunter, sophomores Gio Richardson and Isaiah Mizell and third-year receiver Brandon Phelps.
Arizona signed four-star Northern California wide receiver RJ Mosley, who is the Wildcats' highest-rated recruit in the 2026 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.com.
The WVU connection
Gallagher is the third Mountaineer to sign with the Wildcats in the last two seasons. Former WVU defensive back Ayden Garnes was a mainstay in Arizona's defense in 2025, and the Wildcats recently added Australian punter Chase Ridley.
The 6-2, 233-pound Perth, Australia native initially signed to play for former Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia, but was granted release from WVU and signed with the Wildcats. Ridley, who is the third Australian punter to play for Arizona in as many years, will start his UA career as a true freshman.
Arizona football head coach Brent Brennan works his way through his players at preseason training camp on Aug. 12, 2025.
Arizona had Australia native Isaac Lovison at punter last season. Lovison, who's out of eligibility, was ninth in the Big 12 in punting average (42.6) during his lone season in Tucson. The Wildcats also had Lachlan Bruce on the 2024 roster, but the Aussie didn't appear in any games.
Ridley joins Arizona via ProKick Australia, a program that has produced several NFL punters, including Mitch Wishnowsky, Michael Dickson, Cameron Johnston and Lou Hedley, among others. Lovison, who was one of the first additions since the hiring of Arizona special teams coordinator Craig Naivar last year, was also a part of the ProKick Australia program as an Aussie rules football player.
The Wildcats trek to Morgantown for Big 12 play in 2026, which is also their first game against Rodriguez since he was fired following the 2017 season.
Home stretch
Arizona is approaching 15 additions in the transfer portal entering the final week. Other transfers strongly considering Arizona include USC linebacker Matai Togoa'i, San Jose State offensive tackle Nate Hale, BYU offensive tackle Jake Griffin and Appalachian State cornerback Emory Floyd, among others.
Arizona added a player from the junior college ranks: Fresno College (California) transfer cornerback Brandon Holmes.
Holmes took an official visit to the UA on Saturday. The Tempe native, who prepped at Corona del Sol High School, will have three years of eligibility at Arizona.
Holmes is the second player from the junior college levels to sign with the Wildcats this recruiting cycle, along with Hutchinson Community College (Kansas) defensive lineman Kevin Moorer.
The 6-1, 180-pound Holmes had 54 tackles, five interceptions and a fumble recovery in 19 games over two seasons at Fresno College.
In addition to Holmes, Boss is the other addition at cornerback for Arizona this offseason. Boss played in two games as a freshman in 2024 and appeared in 12 games this past season, recording 39 tackles and no interceptions.
The 5-11, 190-pound Boss signed with Wyoming's 2024 recruiting class as a two-star recruit from Chino Hills High School (California).
Wyoming cornerback Tyrese Boss tackles Colorado wide receiver Omarion Miller in the second half, Sept. 20, 2025, in Boulder, Colo.
Boss and Holmes will be among the multiple cornerbacks available for Arizona in 2026, with the Wildcats losing Treydan Stukes, Michael Dansby and Ayden Garnes to graduation. Arizona also lost freshman Gianni Edwards and former starter Marquis Groves-Killebrew to the transfer portal. Groves-Killebrew is about to play for his fourth school in five seasons.
Arizona returns starter Jay'Vion Cole, who's entering his senior season. Cole was second in the Big 12 with four interceptions. Cole had a pick-six in Arizona's 48-3 win over Weber State. Other returners include freshmen Swayde Griffin and Dajon Hinton, who started in place of Stukes in the Holiday Bowl and suffered a leg injury. Redshirt junior Johno Price, who played 81 defensive snaps in 2025, is expected to return.
The Wildcats signed four-star cornerback Xaier Hiler, a 6-4, 180-pound Dallas-area product, and Chandler Hamilton cornerback Kingston Spivey, the younger brother of Tre Spivey and son of former Tucson Sidewinders star Junior Spivey. The youngest Spivey is joining Arizona as a preferred walk-on.
Arizona has a 20-player 2026 recruiting class (high school players and junior college transfers), which ranks sixth in the Big 12 and No. 42 nationally, per 247Sports.com.
Find out the latest updates on Arizona football's activity in the transfer portal with the Star's tracker on Tucson.com and The Wildcaster mobile app.
Extra points
— Stephen F. Austin transfer tackle Chimdia Nwaiwu signed with Florida State over Arizona and UCLA. The 6-5, 310-pound Nwaiwu was among the first wave of visitors when the transfer portal opened on Jan. 2.
— Former Arizona defensive Jshawn Frausto-Ramos signed with Washington State. Frausto-Ramos and former UA edge rusher Eduwa Okundaye are both transferring to WSU after playing at Arizona last season. The Wildcats face their old Pac-12 foe in Pullman on Sept. 26 for a home-and-home series. The Cougars visit Tucson in 2027.
— With the Carolina Panthers losing to the Los Angeles Rams, 34-31, in the wildcard round of the NFL playoffs, former Wildcat Tetairoa McMillan's rookie season has come to an end. His final season stats are 75 receptions for 1,095 yards and seven touchdowns. McMillan, who had five catches for 81 yards on Saturday, is the only rookie receiver to finish with more than 1,000 receiving yards this season.
