Arizona will have no shortage of tight ends in 2026.Â
Among the several additions in the transfer portal, which is transitioning in the final week of the open period, the Wildcats have added three tight ends. The latest: San Diego State tight end Arthur Ban, who has three years of eligibility.
The 6-5, 220-pound Ban, who prepped at Evergreen High School in Vancouver, Washington, had a limited role in his first season at San Diego State in 2025. Ban was primarily used as a run-blocking tight end and logged 33 run-blocking snaps in his 38 offensive plays this past season. Â
Ban joins Illinois transfer Cole Rusk and Southern Miss transfer Shane King as tight endsÂ
The 6-5, 230-pound King, who's a Gainesville, Georgia native, played one season at Southern Miss before entering the transfer portal. King caught two passes for 24 yards in four games and redshirted.
King signed with Marshall to play for Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege and UA tight ends coach Josh Miller, who both held the same positions for the Thundering Herd. After Marshall head coach Charles Huff took the same job at Southern Miss, King followed Huff for one season.Â
Rusk started his college career at Eastern Michigan 2021 before transferring to Murray State for a year and Illinois, where he played the last two seasons. Rusk had 19 catches for 217 yards and a touchdown last season at Illinois.Â
Ruski, King and Ban join an Arizona tight ends room that returns redshirt junior Tyler Powell, who suffered a season-ending leg injury on the first play from scrimmage in the Wildcats' season-opening win over Hawaii this past season. The Wildcats also return redshirt freshman Kellan Ford. Arizona signed four-star Seattle-area tight end Henry Gabalis for 2026.Â
The Wildcats are losing Cameron Barmore, Sam Olson and Keyan Burnett, who left the program midseason.
Find out the latest updates on Arizona football's activity in the transfer portal with the Star's tracker on Tucson.com.
