Arizona landed a commitment from Cal Poly defensive end transfer Victory Johnson.
Johnson, who received interest from Washington and Mississippi State, is Arizona's first addition on the defensive line in the transfer portal.
Johnson was in Tucson on Monday for an official visit and attended UA men's basketball's win over sixth-ranked Iowa State for the Big 12 championship at McKale Center.
The 6-4, 250-pound Johnson is a former three-star recruit from San Diego and started his career at Colorado in 2023 following a productive career at Cathedral Catholic. Johnson transferred to Cal Poly and logged 26 tackles, three sacks, two pass deflections and an interception this past season.
Johnson was named a second-team All-Big Sky selection this past season.
Entering its second season under defensive line coach and UA great Joe Salave'a, defensive line wasn't a position of focus for Arizona in the transfer portal.
Even though the Wildcats lost 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, 6-6, 382-pound defensive tackle Zac Siulepa and 6-7, 259-pound redshirt freshman Porter Patton.
Former Cal Poly defensive end Victory Johnson, who started his career at Colorado, is transferring to Arizona.
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.
The Wildcats are also adding freshman Prince Williams, a standout defensive end from Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman, along with freshmen defensive tackles Keytrin Harris, Manoah Faupusa and Kaisi Lafitaga. Junior college transfer defensive end Kevin Moorer is expected to join the Wildcats in the summer.
Defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales often used linebackers as edge rushers last season. Notably, Chase Kennedy and Riley Wilson were edge-rushing linebackers in Gonzales' scheme. Kennedy, who converted from defensive end last year, is returning to Arizona for his final season of eligibility. Georgetown transfer linebacker Cooper Blomstrom and Memphis transfer linebacker Everett Roussaw are expected to have edge-rushing roles.
Arizona begins spring practices on March 24, and the annual spring showcase will be on Saturday, April 25, at Casino Del Sol Stadium. The Wildcats open the 2026 season against Northern Arizona on Sept. 5 in Tucson.
