Johnny Nansen just completed his first season as the defense coordinator at Arizona. It was also his first season as a defense coordinator for anyone.
It was a bumpy ride at times. The Wildcats ranked in the bottom three of the Pac-12 in total defense (11th), run defense (10th) and points allowed (11th).
That wasnโt unfamiliar territory for Arizona, which has struggled on defense for years. But Nansen made some critical adjustments along the way, ushered in a youth movement and provided hope late in the season that better times are ahead.
We take stock of the defense here in the second part of our 2022 season wrap-up series.
Part 2: Defense.
PERSONNEL BREAKDOWN
Key departures: DE Hunter Echols, DE Jalen Harris, S Christian Young
Possible departures: DT Kyon Barrs, CB Christian Roland-Wallace, S Jaxen Turner
Key returnees: DT Taโitaโi Uiagalelei, DE Russell Davis II, LB Jerry Roberts, LB Jacob Manu, CB Ephesians Prysock, CB Tacario Davis, CB Treydan Stukes
2022 AWARDS
MVP: Hunter Echols
The transfer from USC was one of Arizonaโs most consistent and productive defenders. He paced the team in sacks (4.5), total tackles for losses (8.5) and QB pressures (32, per Pro Football Focus). Echols also mentored the Wildcatsโ young edge rushers.
Most improved: Jaxen Turner
Turner upped his PFF grade nearly 30 points. Arizonaโs leading tackler became a difference maker by forcing turnovers. He had half of the teamโs four interceptions and two forced fumbles where he ripped the ball away and recovered it himself.
Unsung hero: Christian Roland-Wallace
The blemish on Roland-Wallaceโs rรฉsumรฉ is that he rarely makes interceptions; he has only two in 41 career games. But he became a legit shutdown corner this season, limiting QBs to a 56.5% completion rate when they threw into his coverage area.
Top transfer: Hunter Echols
Echols was far and away Arizonaโs most impactful transfer on defense, starting every game and racking up 54 tackles. A 2022 transfer to watch in โ23 is DT Tiaoalii Savea, who made an impact when healthy but missed almost half the season.
Top freshman: Jacob Manu
The undersized linebacker became a full-time starter halfway through the season and made Arizonaโs defense better. He generated 22 QB pressures in only 84 pass-rush snaps, per PFF, including two in the fourth quarter vs. Arizona State that helped the Wildcats win back the Territorial Cup.
Arizona defensive linemen Russell Davis II (99) and Paris Shand (95) and safety Christian Young (5) sack Colorado quarterback Owen McCown (7) during the first half of their Oct. 1 game.
2022 REPORT CARD
Defensive linemen: C
Weโve touched on Echols. Fellow DE Harris trailed him with 7.5 TFLs, including 3.5 sacks, and had one of his best games vs. ASU. Barrs failed to record a sack after notching a team-high five in 2021 but did a lot of dirty work inside. DT Paris Shand seemed poised for a breakout that never came (2.5 TFLs, none in his final four appearances).
Linebackers: C-
Manu replaced Kolbe Cage, who had the highest missed-tackle rate (25.7%) on the team, per PFF (minimum 10 attempts). Roberts had the third-worst rate (23%). He did provide production (78 tackles) and leadership. All three players struggled in coverage, allowing a combined completion rate of 82.4%.
Cornerbacks: C+
Roland-Wallace led the team with six pass breakups. He also forced two fumbles. Tacario Davis nearly matched him in completion rate allowed at 54.5%, albeit with fewer targets (11). Stukes never quite looked right after missing much of August because of a knee injury. His completion rate allowed rose from 45.9% in 2021 to 67.3% in โ22.
Safeties: C
Turner was the standout here, and his possible successor, Isaiah Taylor, showed promise as a hitter and playmaker. Young ranked second behind Barrs in PFFโs defensive-stop stat but also ranked second behind Roberts in missed tackles. Gunner Maldonado had a team-high three forced fumbles but was a liability in coverage (88.9% completion rate allowed).
Coaching: C-
The defense started the season promisingly before an extended rough patch in Pac-12 play, including an inexplicably poor outing at Cal. But Nansen showed he could make adjustments. He played more freshmen and implemented a new dollar package. Arizonaโs final four opponents averaged 6.1 or fewer yards per play. And the Wildcats more than doubled their takeaway total, going from six to 16.
LINGERING QUESTION
What are the biggest reasons for optimism heading into Nansenโs second season as DC?
First of all, Nansen will have more experience. He conceded during the season that, in some respects, he was learning on the job. That curve will be easier to navigate in Year 2.
Second, the defense improved down the stretch. The Wildcats allowed 5.73 yards per play in their final four games. That was more than 2 yards lower than in the first five games of Pac-12 play, when Arizona was gashed for 7.88 yards per snap.
Finally โ and most significantly โ the Wildcats leaned heavily on true freshmen after their Oct. 22 bye. Our list of key returnees isnโt all-encompassing. But among the seven players we selected, five are true freshmen.
Most werenโt physically ready to play. They all need to put on good weight. But they gained invaluable experience playing important snaps. This wasnโt a situation where the freshmen got a chance to play at the end of blowouts; they dove into the deep end of the pool.
Seven true freshmen played at least 50 defensive snaps, per PFF. Five played more than 100. Hereโs that list:
- Manu 585
- Uiagalelei 290
- Prysock 223
- R. Davis 222
- DT Jacob Kongaika 112
- T. Davis 75
- DE Sterling Lane II 50
Add in defensive end Isaiah Wardโs 33 snaps, and the total for true-freshman defenders reaches 1,557. We donโt have the data available to see where that number ranks nationally. But we feel very confident in saying itโs a lot.
If those players can get a little bigger and a little better โ and Arizona can supplement them with portal transfers and another recruiting class โ the entire defense will benefit.
Can the unit make a leap thatโs on par with what the offense did this past season? Probably not. Itโs easier to turn around an offense if you get the right quarterback. The Wildcats did that by adding Jayden de Laura.
But if the defense can move from the bottom third of the Pac-12 to somewhere in the middle โ and the offense can remain just as potent, or even improve a bit โ Arizonaโs chances of making a bowl game in 2023 improve greatly.
From the coordinator to the kiddie corps, the foundation is set.
