Arizona LB Riley Wilson sparking U of A defense after overcoming 'mental stuff'

Following a productive spring, Arizona linebacker Riley Wilson was expected to be one of the Wildcats' top playmakers on defense. 

The Montana transfer was labeled a "tough sucker" by Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales. 

“Riley Wilson is going to be a household name in Tucson by the end of the season,” Gonzales said in August. “He’s got some dynamic things he can do both on and off the football field and he’s smart." 

Wilson's involvement in the defense took a pause during training camp and the early parts of the season because the linebacker endured "some mental stuff that I was dealing with," Wilson said.

"That's it," he added. 

Battling mental health struggles "was difficult, but I'm a firm believer in my faith in God," Wilson said.

"Whenever you're hurt, you get to see the game from a different perspective," Wilson said. "(God) taught me a lot about patience and just staying patient through the process. Seeing the game from the sideline, you learn a lot. ... Yeah, it was definitely hard, but I grew a lot of with my faith in God and just trusting the process." 

Even though Wilson wasn't practicing for weeks, he focused on "getting some extra meeting time with the coaches."

"I was plugged in the whole time, so it wasn't like I took a step back," Wilson said. "Just got some extra meeting time and stayed on top of the schematics, so whenever my opportunity was called to get in the game, I could make an impact." 

Wilson made his debut in the second half of Arizona's 48-3 win over Weber State, where he had six tackles and combined for a tackle for loss. Wilson has 13 tackles, three stops for loss and two sacks in 71 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

“We’re excited about Riley,” Brennan said after Wilson's two-sack performance in Arizona's loss at No. 14 Iowa State. “Riley is a guy that we’re excited to have healthy and ready to rock and roll. You started to see him get in the mix tonight and be effective when he was in there. The linebacker group is a good group for us. The good thing is to have good players, depth and high-level competition at as many positions as we can possibly have.”

Wilson has played the fifth-most defensive snaps among Arizona's linebackers. Wilson is behind Max Harris (244), Taye Brown (240), Chase Kennedy (153) and redshirt freshman Jabari Mann (73). Freshman linebacker Myron Robinson recorded his first-career sack in Arizona's win over Oklahoma State on Saturday. 

"Our linebacker room has a lot of depth and we have a lot of guys that can play different positions, and it's super exciting," Wilson said. "We have a group of guys that are willing to go out there and play fast, play physical and I'm blessed to be a part of this group." 

With Wilson back in the mix, Arizona has used four linebacker lineups this season. 

"Having all the things and the versatility in the room, it just makes us better as a defense and I’m glad we got it," Harris said on Saturday. "I’ve been around a bunch of different defense and philosophies, and I think Coach G is probably the most unique that I’ve had.”

Wilson said Arizona's loss to Iowa State two weeks ago "was definitely a setback, but our response was resilient and we showed the type of team we can be" against Oklahoma State.

"I still don't think we've played our best game on all three phases, so I think there's a tremendous opportunity to show that this week," Wilson said. "We're excited for it." 

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Burnett redshirts, parts ways with program

Arizona Wildcats senior tight end Keyan Burnett is redshirting and will miss the remainder of the season, sources told the Star Tuesday. 

Burnett played in four games this season and will exercise his redshirt to preserve an additional year of eligibility. Burnett will be away from the team this season and is expected to enter the transfer portal. Burnett's departure is a mutual parting of ways, per sources. 

Burnett suffered a hamstring injury in training camp and never fully recovered. In four games this season, Burnett recorded two receptions for 11 yards. Burnett will have one more season of eligibility. 

Burnett is the son of former Arizona linebacker and “Desert Swarm” member Chester Burnett, who was a Second-Team All-Pac-10 selection in 1996. 

The younger Burnett signed with Arizona as a four-star prospect in 2022 out of Servite High School in Anaheim, California. The 6-6, 248-pound Burnett was one of four Servite players to sign with Arizona in '22, along with wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, quarterback Noah Fifita and linebacker Jacob Manu. Burnett was the highest-rated tight end to sign with Arizona since Rob Gronkowski in 2007. 

Burnett played his first two seasons behind tight end Tanner McLachlan, who was Arizona’s most productive tight end since Gronkowski. After McLachlan was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals last year, Burnett had a productive spring and fall training camp and appeared due for a breakout junior season, but injuries hindered Burnett throughout the season. 

Burnett's career at Arizona was highlighted by a game-sealing touchdown catch in Arizona's upset win over 10th-ranked Utah in Salt Lake City last season. Burnett has 26 catches for 272 yards and a touchdown. Burnett played for three tight end coaches at Arizona: Jordan Paopao, Matt Adkins and Josh Miller.  

Following the 2024 season, Burnett transferred to Kansas in December, but after a few months in Lawrence, Burnett re-entered the transfer portal and returned to Arizona in the spring. 

Burnett's redshirt year thins Arizona's tight end group that lost starter Tyler Powell, who suffered a season-ending leg injury in the season opener against Hawaii. Freshman Kellan Ford is injured and hasn't played this season. Arizona's available tight ends include sixth-year senior and starter Sam Olson, Mercyhurst transfer Cameron Barmore and walk-ons Tyler Mustain and Kayden Luke. 

'Bear' Anderson no longer with Arizona football

Arizona defensive lineman Jarra "Bear" Anderson is no longer with the program, the Star learned on Tuesday. 

Anderson leaves as a redshirt sophomore and will have two years of eligibility. 

The 6-2, 271-pound Anderson was expected to be a part of Arizona's defensive line rotation after playing several snaps with the Wildcats' second-team defense, but he only played in one game this season. 

Anderson, a Katy, Texas, native, transferred to Arizona and was one of the Wildcats' first additions in the transfer portal after Brennan was hired. Anderson played one season at Memphis and had 10 tackles, two stops for loss and 1.5 sacks in 11 games, and was named to Pro Football Focus’ All-Freshman Team in 2023.

Anderson missed last season with a season-ending leg injury. He suffered a stress fracture in his shin during training camp and underwent surgery. Anderson played four snaps in Arizona's win over Weber State.