Transfer Orin Patu looks to be 'radiant light' for UA defense; 'Deuces' seek larger role in 2023

The word "Orin" has several meanings and definitions depending on what language it's used in. In spiritual terms, Orin translates to "radiant light."

Orin Patu, Arizona's newest edge rusher addition through the transfer portal from Cal, has "radiant light" tattooed on his right bicep.

"It's because I keep getting brighter, I guess," Patu said with a smirk. "I gotta ask (my parents) that. But I'm happy with it.

"It's a unique name. I don't meet a lot of Orins, but it's special." 

Patu said he has met "probably two (Orins) in my life," so he's not one of one. And he's certainly not the only player of his type to transfer to Arizona from another Pac-12 school under third-year coach Jedd Fisch with an objective to pile up enough reps to showcase to NFL scouts.

Like former edge rusher Hunter Echols, who came from USC to Arizona as a graduate transfer to take over a larger and more impactful role on the Wildcats defense, Patu will take over the "Kat" position — a defensive end-outside linebacker hybrid. 

"It fits me well just with my experience playing a hybrid D-end and dropping back into coverage," Patu said.

Just like Echols, who is now preparing for the NFL draft next month, the 6-4, 235-pound Patu is expected to be among Arizona's leaders on defense despite not having the numbers to warrant those expectations.

In four seasons at Cal, Patu logged 13 tackles, two sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.

"The film is their résumé, so we take a look at their film. If they have what we're looking for — I mean, he's someone who can fit into our scheme and our system — then we want to bring them here," said Arizona assistant coach Jason Kaufusi, who coaches the team's edge rushers. 

Kaufusi and the Wildcats caught a glimpse of Patu's potential in Arizona's loss to Cal in Berkeley, when Patu strip-sacked UA quarterback Jayden de Laura in the second half and generated a turnover for the Golden Bears. 

"That was what I feel like won us the game, because Arizona was about to win, and then we turned it around after that luckily," Patu said. "We came out with the 'dub,' but I'm on the other side now, so I'm trying to win with Arizona."   

Said Kaufusi: "That's one play, yes, but in general you want to take a look at his whole film and see what skills that he has and then go from there."

By season's end, Patu had entered the portal. The Wildcats were in the market for a veteran edge rusher, especially with the departures of Echols and longtime starter Jalen Harris.

When he was a defensive assistant for UCLA, Kaufusi recruited Patu out of Rainier Beach High School in Seattle for the 2019 recruiting class. Four years later, the two reconvened. Then Patu visited Tucson, and it was a done deal.  

"Just feeling their energy, it was something I wanted to check out and possibly be a part of, so I took a visit and they got me on the visit," Patu said. "I committed on the second day, and since then it's felt like home. ... It felt natural. Everyone around me wanted to win, and I like that."

If all goes according to plan, Patu's play could become an Orin for Arizona's rebuilding defense. 

"I'm feeling great," Patu said. "This is the spot for me, and I can't wait to win with this team.

"We're all trying to play to and make plays and help this defense win, so as long as we have fresh bodies out there, I feel like we'll be in a position to win." 

'Deuces' give 'D' depth

Patience is a virtue. It's something Sterling Lane II learned quickly in his freshman season at the UA.

Lane — nicknamed "Deuce" — was a Los Angeles-area four-star recruit who signed with the Wildcats over Oregon, Michigan, LSU and Tennessee, among others. 

"The future I saw the program going into, I wanted to be a part of it," he said. 

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The recruiting rankings forecasted Lane as a possible starter in his first year at the UA, but Lane didn't play as many snaps as some of his freshman defensive cohorts. "Take things slow" was the biggest lesson for the freshman, who recorded eight tackles in five games. 

"It's OK to not get everything, as long as you learned and improve on it, then that's the best thing that's going to happen," Lane said. "You're not going to pick up things off the rip, because we've never been here before. Learning all of that, it's a better thing for me.

"I just had to learn about how the game goes, watching it. Now that I've watched it and I'm doing it, it's a much better transition for me."  

The 6-3, 235-pound Lane isn't the only "Deuce" on Arizona's defensive line: Russell Davis II, a second-year edge rusher from Chandler, ascended up the defensive depth chart during preseason training camp and appeared in all 12 games last season. 

"A lot of it was me not overthinking and just going out and playing," Davis said. "I got used to the speed of the game pretty quickly, and I adapted pretty quickly." 

Davis wears No. 99 on his jersey in honor of his father, Super Bowl-winning defensive lineman Russell Davis, who was on the New York Giants team that took down the undefeated New England Patriots in the first-ever Super Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, when the younger Davis was a 5-year old. 

"He had a big influence on me, he helped my game, and he's probably one of the biggest reasons why I'm here right now," Davis said of his father.  

In his final season at Chandler Hamilton High School, Davis led the state in sacks (17.5).

"Those guys who can get to the quarterback and disrupt the game and can get the quarterback out of rhythm, (NFL teams) pay those guys a lot of money," Kaufusi said. "For him to do that at the high school level, he's doing something right." 

Once he became a Wildcat, Davis quickly learned that getting to the quarterback at the Power Five level isn't the same as getting to the quarterback against a local Phoenix-area team.

"It was definitely different than high school," Davis said. "The biggest difference between high school and Power Five is the strength, so that was something I had to overcome." 

Davis' toughest challenge as a first-year contributor: stopping plays with a 210-pound frame. For comparison, de Laura was just five pounds lighter than Davis last season, and running back Michael Wiley was also 210 pounds. 

"It's hard to play the run when you're skinny and undersized," said Davis, who's now up to 230 pounds. 

But Davis never let it deter him from offering a helping hand to a defense that utilized several true freshmen, especially on the defensive line, last season. 

"A lot of it is knowing what you're good at and not trying to do what you can't do. If you've never been a power rusher, then don't ... start power-rushing these big, 360-pound linemen — it's just not going to happen," Davis said. "A lot of it is knowing you and working with the gifts God gave you." 

With an additional 20 pounds since Arizona's Territorial Cup win, Davis is "confident things will be a lot easier for me" in his second season. He totaled 12 tackles, including two for losses, as a freshman.

Davis — who has consistently started on Arizona's defensive line alongside Patu, UCLA transfer Tyler Manoa and sophomore Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei this spring — and Lane, with one year of experience and weightlifting under their belts, are expected to bolster a defensive front that ranked 11th in the Pac-12 in sacks. 

"They were with us this (past) fall, so you got to see a glimpse of what they could bring to the table," Kaufusi said. "My job is to continue to enhance their skill sets as far as what they bring to the table right now." 

Extra points 

• Arizona's "Be a P.R.O." coaching clinic is set to begin on Friday and conclude on Saturday. The two-day clinic will feature speakers such as Super Bowl-winning coaches Brian Billick and Mike Smith, along with current Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and former NFL executive Michael Lombardi, among others. 

• Arizona star left tackle Jordan Morgan continued rehab for the knee injury he suffered against UCLA in November. In shorts, T-shirt and cleats, Morgan did high-knees and resistance knee workouts on the sidelines during the UA's spring practice Tuesday. 

• Arizona 2023 offensive line signee Raymond Pulido, a 6-6, 345-pounder who flipped from Alabama, attended practice Tuesday.