Every football team needs two key ingredients to be successful, according to Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales.
One, a high-level quarterback, which Arizona has in Noah Fifita, who is arguably the best quarterback in UA history and is returning for his senior season after becoming the third all-time Arizona quarterback to receive first-team all-conference honors — the first in 50 years.
The other component to winning football is a productive and reliable defense.
"If you have a good quarterback and a good defense, you should compete for conference championships," Gonzales said.
The Wildcats had both in their 2025 season, which resulted in a 9-4 record and a loss to SMU in the Holiday Bowl.
Arizona finished seventh in college football in passing defense and first in turnover margin. The Wildcats had more takeaways (31) than touchdowns allowed (28) and led the Big 12 in interceptions. The "turnover sword" was often unsheathed this season.
Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales watches as players execute drills during a morning practice session on Dec. 16, 2025, before the team heads to the Jan. 2 Holiday Bowl.
Arizona was tops in college football in passing defense efficiency and had multiple first-team all-conference defensive backs in Treydan Stukes and Dalton Johnson, which hadn't been done at the UA since 1972. The NFL-bound Stukes, Johnson and Genesis Smith — arguably the Wildcats' three best defenders — leave a serious void in Arizona's defense after combining for 6,700 defensive snaps at the UA.
Additionally, Arizona is losing starting cornerbacks Ayden Garnes and Michael Dansby to graduation — and several other defensive backs to the transfer portal.
"If you look at Team 122, we're losing the best secondary in the nation," Gonzales said. "Losing those guys in the secondary between Genesis, Dalton and Treydan, and then you lose guys on the outside in Michael Dansby and Ayden Garnes, those are five players who did a phenomenal job for our football team, so we had to address that — and I thought we did an outstanding job of what we brought in."
Arizona signed 10 defensive players from the transfer portal, and seven of them were defensive backs.
Howard defensive back Zuri Watson (1) celebrates after Howard defeated Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic, Aug. 30, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Arizona added eight defensive backs since the season ended: Oregon safety Daylen Austin, Nebraska safety Malcolm Hartzog, Wyoming cornerback Tyrese Boss, Northern Colorado safety Cam Chapa, Fresno City College cornerback transfer Brandon Holmes, UConn safety Lee Molette III, Charlotte cornerback Dwight Bootle II and Howard cornerback Zuri Watson.
Nebraska defensive back Malcolm Hartzog runs after an interception against Ohio State, Oct. 26, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio.
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.
Hartzog and Austin, "those guys have played at the Power 4 level and have significant snaps," Gonzales said.
Boss, Holmes, Bootle and Watson will be in the mix at cornerback, a position group that returns starter Jay'Vion Cole, who's entering his senior season. Cole was second in the Big 12 with four interceptions.
"Those guys at corner, we think we have a group that can athletically challenge what we did (last season)," Gonzales said. "Stukes, Gen and Dalton, all three of those guys will be in an NFL camp this fall and have an opportunity to play at that level. Did we replace them with guys that are that quality? We'll find out. I'm really excited about that group."
Arizona added three linebackers in the transfer portal: Matai Tagoa'i (USC), Everett Roussaw Jr. (Memphis) and Cooper Blomstrom (Georgetown), who will complement returners in Taye Brown, Chase Kennedy, Jabari Mann and Myron Robinson, among others.
Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales hands out fives to his unit after a stand against Weber State, Sept. 6, 2025, at Arizona Stadium.
"I think we've done a phenomenal job in the transfer portal, reloading for Team 123 and addressing the needs," Gonzales said.
Even though Arizona is losing defensive linemen Tiaoalii Savea, Deshawn McKnight, and Malachi Bailey, Arizona returns defensive captain and edge rusher Tre Smith, who went down with a season-ending shoulder injury, along with defensive tackles Leroy Palu and Mays Pese, defensive end Dominic Lolesio, defensive tackle Julian Savaiinaea and 6-6, 389-pound defensive tackle Zac Siulepa and 6-7, 274-pound redshirt freshman Porter Patton.
Smith, Palu, Pese, Lolesio and Savaiinaea have a combined 3,298 defensive snaps in their careers, with Smith owning roughly half of those snaps (1,610). Arizona also has junior college transfer and former Mater Dei (California) star Ezra Funa, who was on Arizona's roster in 2025 but redshirted.
"We have some names that you probably haven't heard of yet, that we're really confident can come in and contribute," Gonzales said.
Gonzales is entering his third season at the UA — second season as Arizona's defensive coordinator. Gonzales and Johnny Nansen, who was at the UA under Jedd Fisch in 2022 and '23, are the only multi-year defensive coordinators at Arizona in the last six years. Since Arizona fired Marcel Yates midway through the 2019 season, the Wildcats have had Chuck Cecil (interim), Paul Rhoads, Don Brown, Nansen, Duane Akina and Gonzales as defensive coordinators.
Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales and the defensive unit watch the big-screen replays during a review on targeting by linebacker Jabari Mann against Weber State in the second quarter on Sept. 6, 2025, at Arizona Stadium. Mann was eventually assessed the penalty and ejected from the game.
Gonzales joined ESPN Tucson's Spears & Ali this week to discuss Arizona's additions in the transfer portal, Holiday Bowl opt-outs and expectations for Team 123 at Arizona:
When you were recruiting defensive backs, were you looking for players with experience at multiple positions, if you have to shuffle players around, similar to the second half in the Holiday Bowl?
A: "Absolutely. Multi-sport players when you're recruiting out of high school — baseball players, basketball players, guys that run track — those are typically better all-around athletes because they do so many things. If you only play football, you become robotic in football movements. We look to see what they've done in their past. If you look at our secondary, we don't necessarily have a nickel (back) in the system, we have two field safeties and a boundary safety. Those guys have to be able to cover like (cornerbacks)."
What's the scouting report on the linebackers Arizona added in the transfer portal?
Linebacker Everett Roussaw is joining Arizona following a productive season at Memphis. The Atlanta native started his career at UAB.
A: "Everett is a 1-4-1 kid from Memphis, and he's got a similar frame — probably a couple pounds heavier than Riley Wilson. Similar athletic abilities and has done the same things on tape at Memphis as we've done with Riley and Chase (Kennedy), so him and Chase will be bookends when we do the four-linebacker stuff.
"Cooper is similar to those two, but he's more comparable to a Dominic Lolesio, Tre Smith. Probably not as much off the ball, but has some pass-rushing skills that (defensive line coach Joe Salave'a and linebackers coach Josh Bringuel) can do some really special things in there.
"Matai Tagoai'i, he's a freak athlete. He's a slimmer version of Mays Pese, as far as there physical and violent nature, except what (Tagoa'i) can do in space. ... He's a freak athlete and when we get to spring ball, this is the mad scientist in me, I get to play with him like a little toy and see where he best fits in, and I love spring ball, because there's no pressure to win games.
"It's about developing your team and getting better the following season. We'll have some fun with those pieces and see how we can develop them to give us the best chance to be successful next fall."
The crowd and Arizona defensive backs Dalton Johnson (43), Treydan Stukes (2) and Michael Dansby (25) celebrate Johnson’s interception in the third quarter against BYU, Oct. 11, 2025, in Tucson.
Stukes, Smith and Johnson opting out of the Holiday Bowl was a hot topic among people who follow Arizona football. What are your thoughts on their decision to sit out of the bowl game, and how do you reflect on their UA careers?
A: "There's two messages that can take place in that: to all of the gamblers and bettors, I apologize that we didn't let you know earlier. If I sat down with one of those guys who bet a lot of money and they asked me, 'Dalton, Gen and Stukes aren't playing, so should we bet (on Arizona)?' I would've said, 'Hell yes.'
"I really thought we were going to win that game regardless if those guys played. We had a chance all the way down the last onside kick of the game. If we played better a little bit earlier in the first half on both sides of the ball, we would've had a better chance in the second half. We didn't, we lost and I'm sorry to those guys.
"The other piece to that is Dajon Hinton, Coleman Patmon had not played a down of defensive football, and if Rhett Lashlee, who is one of the premier offensive minds in the country, has that idea for three weeks, they're going to attack that differently. I didn't think it was fair to (Hinton and Patmon), so I asked those guys to support their teammates and we'll go about it that way.
Arizona defensive back Genesis Smith (12), right, shows off the ball after recovering an Arizona State fumble late during the fourth quarter in the Territorial Cup, Nov. 28, 2025, in Tempe.
"It puts Coach Brennan in a bad spot when people are upset. It puts those kids in a bad spot. I have no bad feelings towards them not playing. The other piece to that is if they had any inkling in their minds about not playing, they shouldn't, because football is a game where if you have any second thoughts, you're going to set yourself up for bad things to happen, whether it's getting injured or getting beat, all of those things.
"When there was any inkling of doubt, it was like, 'Guys, start preparing for your future.' ... Those guys, for the loyalty they have for the 520, I'm so heartfelt and grateful for those kids. ... The love and admiration I have for all three of those families, they'll be Wildcats forever. I don't have any hard feelings for them not playing. I wish we would've won the football game and nobody would've said a damn thing about it.
"They are such an integral part to Team 122 making Team 123 play in the CFP and win a conference championship. Those guys will be Wildcat legends forever for the things they were able to do."
How do you look ahead to the 2026 rendition of Arizona football — or Team 123 — and what do you think about the schedule, which was finalized earlier this week?
A: "Let's go win the Big 12. I walked down to (Brennan's) office and he was out on the road recruiting, so I was just staring at a blank wall, so I got on the phone, 'Hey, let's go win the Big 12.' ... The unicorn of (Indiana's) Curt Cignetti, great. All he's done is build a blueprint for all the other people to copy. I think people are going to get fired in a short time because they won't win a national championship, which is stupid.
"But we're going to compete to win conference championships as an Arizona Wildcat football program; we've only won five in the history of this program. Let's have an opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl. Why not us?"
Extra points
– Johnson is playing in the East-West Shrine Bowl at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Sunday at 5 p.m. on NFL Network. Former UA running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt played in the pre-draft showcase last season and was Offensive MVP of the game.
– Dansby and Garnes played in the American Bowl, a college football all-star showcase held at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida.
– Stukes and Smith are gearing up for the Panini Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 12:30 p.m. on NFL Network. Since 2024, six Wildcats have participated in the Senior Bowl: Stukes, Smith, offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea, offensive lineman Jordan Morgan, running back Michael Wiley and wide receiver Jacob Cowing.
