The free agency — err, transfer portal period allows college football players to test the market and see what their value is, especially in the NIL and revenue-sharing era.
Arizona lost several bona fide defensive starters to the transfer portal this offseason with linebacker Jacob Manu, cornerback Tacario Davis and defensive lineman Ta’ita’i Uiagalalei, who all went to Washington, and safety Gunner Maldonado, who is forever a Wildcat with stops at Northwestern, the UA and now Kansas State.
Replacing those four will be a tough task for Arizona, but there’s a silver lining to the Wildcats’ offseason: It could be a whole lot worse.
Central Florida wide receiver Kobe Hudson (2) misses a pass as he is defended by Arizona defensive back Genesis Smith, left, defensive back Jack Luttrell, left middle, and defensive back Dalton Johnson, right, during the first half, Nov. 2, 2024, in Orlando, Fla.
Arizona also nearly lost safety and nickel back Genesis Smith, nickel back Treydan Stukes and strong safety Dalton Johnson; all three entered the transfer portal, but opted to return.
Additionally, the Wildcats return six players who started at least six games in 2024: Smith, Johnson, linebacker Taye Brown, defensive ends Chase Kennedy and Tre Smith and safety Jack Luttrell. Arizona currently has 21 scholarship newcomers on defense for 2025.
New Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales credited “relationships” to getting back Genesis Smith, Stukes and Johnson, especially with longtime defensive backs coach Duane Akina, who has been a defensive assistant with the program since 2023.
“In today’s world, seeing what your value is and seeing what you can get,” Gonzales said, “there were opportunities — for those three individuals specifically — financially better for them somewhere else. They made the choice to come back here for what we’re building and what they’ve been a part of.”
Arizona safety Dalton Johnson (43) and cornerback Treydan Stukes celebrate a stop of Northern Arizona on downs during the first half of the Wildcats’ season-opening win over the Lumberjacks on Sept. 2, 2023, in Tucson.
Stukes, Johnson and Smith have combined for 431 tackles, eight interceptions, eight forced fumbles and 29 pass deflections at Arizona. According to PFF, the veteran trio combined for 4,550 defensive snaps at the UA.
Stukes only appeared in four games last season before suffering a season-ending leg injury, which allowed him to medically redshirt what would’ve been his last season at Arizona. Stukes and Johnson are Arizona’s only two remaining players who were recruited by the Kevin Sumlin regime.
Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes looks for room to run after picking off a pass against New Mexico in the season opener on Aug. 31, 2024.
“He’s been through everything, through a 1-11 season, through a 10-win season, through last year with an injury,” Gonzales said of Stukes, who Akina dubbed “one of the best-kept secrets in college football” last season.
Smith, who played three positions in the UA secondary last season, stepped in for the injured Stukes while Luttrell replaced the injured Maldonado at free safety. Due to so many injuries, Johnson moved to a linebacker-safety role and led the team in tackles (94) in ’24.
As a sophomore, the 6-2, 203-pound Smith tied Luttrell for a team-high three interceptions and was third in tackles (63). Smith earned Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors after a two-takeaway performance in Arizona’s win over Houston.
“It’s significant to get those guys back, because they have the experience, they have the talent,” Gonzales said. “It doesn’t matter how good those guys are if (defensive linemen) can’t get to the quarterback and give them a chance to be great.
“Now that I think we’ve combined both pieces, Genesis, Dalton and Treydan give us a significant advantage on the back end because of their language, communication and where we are. It’s not a wholesale change in what we’re doing, so that language is already there. Now, we just make it go the direction to be elite.”
Arizona added former Texas State linebacker Max Harris in the transfer portal.
Texas State LB Harris transfers to Arizona
Former Texas State linebacker Max Harris committed to the Arizona Wildcats, he announced on social media Saturday morning.
Harris is the second ex-Bobcat to transfer to Arizona, joining running back Ismail Mahdi. The 6-2, 232-pound Harris is entering his final season of eligibility.
Arizona is Harris’ fourth school in as many years.
Harris, a Montgomery, Alabama, native, signed with Incarnate Word, then transferred to Louisiana Monroe for his sophomore season in 2023. After a year at ULM, Harris transferred to Texas State, where he had 44 tackles and a forced fumble.
Harris is the second linebacker for the Wildcats in the transfer portal, along with FCS All-American and former Northwestern State star Blake Gotcher.
Harris and Gotcher join a linebacker room that just lost preseason All-Big 12 linebacker Jacob Manu, who transferred to Washington to reunite with former UA head coach Jedd Fisch. The Wildcats return sophomore starter Brown.
Second-year linebacker Kamuela Ka’aihue entered the transfer portal after the season. The Wildcats also lost Jared Small to graduation but still have former starter Justin Flowe, freshmen Stacy Bey and Jabari Mann and redshirt freshman Levicus Su’a.
Arizona signed Southern California native Carter Jones and three-star Texas linebacker Myron Robinson, who played in the Navy All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Saturday, to its 2025 recruiting class.
Wildcats add Portland State center Perez
With veteran center Josh Baker graduating, the Wildcats are in the market for someone to take over the reins at center for the first time since the 2021 season. Among the candidates will be Portland State transfer Isaac Perez, who committed to the Wildcats on Friday.
Perez is the second PSU player to transfer to Arizona, joining running back Quincy Craig.
The 6-3, 325-pound Perez, a Corona, California native, started five games at left guard as a true freshman at Portland State. Perez played center in his final season at PSU in 2024.
Between high school and junior college prospects, along with additions in the transfer portal, Arizona has 11 newcomers on the offensive line.
The high school additions are Northern California tackle Louis Akpa, Hawaii guard Javian Goo, Los Angeles-area guard Sione Tohi, Bay Area guard Losipini Tupou and in-state tackle Jaxon Griffin.
The Wildcats’ pickups in the transfer portal are Perez, Tucson native and guard Flavio Gonzalez (Oregon State), tackle Tristan Bounds (Michigan), tackle Ty Buchanan (Texas Tech) and tackle-guard hybrids in Ka’ena Decambra (Hawaii) and Jordan Brown (Georgia Tech).
The Wildcats have 25 players in their 2025 transfer portal class. Arizona currently has 49 scholarship newcomers for the ’25 season. Since the first transfer portal window started on Dec. 9, the Wildcats have hosted 57 recruits on official visits. Even though the transfer portal closed for new entries on Dec. 28, Arizona is still building its portal class with commitments. Brennan said recruiting in the transfer portal is “speed-dating, but you’re getting married in the end.”
“I don’t think I can explain to you what this last five weeks has been like in terms of the workload,” said the Arizona head coach. “It has been incredibly intense and it’s because everyone is so motivated. Everybody wants to feel better and build something that we can feel great about, and that’s why everyone has been in here day and night, seven days a week, poring over film, evaluating players and bringing kids in, trying to figure out the best pieces and the best fit for us. ...
“Every recruit that we’re recruiting, we want them to have a relationship with everybody on the staff because the more connected we are, the more committed we become. We want that across all positions.”
Added Brennan: “It’s an interesting time that we’re working in. I feel great about what we’ve done in the portal. We’re excited, and we’ve been super-aggressive.
“The (coaching) staff and the recruiting staff have done an outstanding job and we’re not done.”
Extra points:
- Former Arizona kicker Tyler Loop and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who missed the final 11 games of the 2024 season due to eligibility issues, played in the Hula Bowl at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando on Saturday. The Hula Bowl is collegiate all-star showcase for seniors to perform in front of a plethora of NFL, CFL and UFL scouts and general managers.
