Among Arizona’s few starting positions up for grabs with preseason training camp starting up later this month, slot receiver will be among the most competitive.
Big shoes to fill, though.
Arizona is replacing one of the most productive receivers in program history in Jacob Cowing, who is now an NFL rookie with the San Francisco 49ers, after producing 1,882 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns in two seasons in Tucson; his 13 touchdowns in 2023 is a single-season school record.
Receivers Rex Haynes, left, and Malachi Riley celebrate Haynes scoring catch during the Arizona football program’s 2024 spring game in late April.
Kevin Green Jr. was a likely candidate to replace Cowing until he transferred to Washington.
Arizona head coach Brent Brennan is optimistic someone from Arizona’s “pretty deep group” of wideouts can complement preseason All-American and All-Big 12 selection Tetairoa McMillan and senior Montana Lemonious-Craig, who is entering his second season at Arizona.
Defensive backs Gunner Maldonado, left, and Emmanuel Karnley tie up receiver Malachi Riley breaking up a flea-flicker play that kicked off the Arizona football program’s 2024 spring game back in late April.
Brennan said 6-2, 180-pound sophomore Malachi Riley “had a great spring, but there’s a lot of guys in that room that can compete.”
Arizona wide receiver Malachi Riley catches the ball as defensive back Devin Dunn puts him under pressure during spring football practice on April 4 on the UA campus.
Brennan said “there’s plenty in that (receiver) room” between Chris Hunter, who dazzled in spring practices, along with third-year receiver A.J. Jones and freshman Brandon Phelps, among others.
“I saw a lot of growth,” McMillan said. “They stepped up big time.
“They’re showing light,” he added. “They proved that (Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita) can trust them and make a play. I’m definitely looking forward to what this receiver room can do.”
In the transfer portal, the Wildcats added Old Dominion transfer Reymello Murphy after the 6-foot, 185-pound slot led ODU with 502 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Murphy was 27th in college football last season in yards per catch (17.9). Arizona also added junior-college transfer Jeremiah Patterson, who had 90 receptions for 1,118 yards and 15 touchdowns in two seasons at College of San Mateo in Northern California.
Reymello Murphy, left, averaged 17.9 yards per catch for Old Dominion in 2023. Murphy has joined Arizona’s receiving corps through the transfer portal for 2024.
“The additions are going to be helpful,” Brennan said, specifically citing Murphy and Patterson. “With that position, there’s three guys that have established that they’re a little bit out in front, but I think that next group is going to be interesting to watch.”
Added Fifita: “Coach Brennan and his staff, a lot of props to them for the guys they brought in.
“They did a really good job in the transfer portal offensively, and we’re excited to get into fall camp.”
Although Murphy is new to Arizona, his connection with Fifita and McMillan goes back to high school. Due to pandemic-influenced local mandates in the Bay Area during the 2020-21 season, Murphy played his senior season at Santa Margarita Catholic in Southern California, where he met Fifita and McMillan at camps and 7-on-7 events. With Murphy joining the Wildcats, “it’s full-circle and he’s in Tucson,” Fifita said.
Former Old Dominion wide receiver Reymello Murphy is one of several additions the Arizona Wildcats made through the transfer portal this spring.
Riley and Murphy will be among the several players in contention to start at slot receiver in Arizona’s offense this season.
“We’ve got work to do there in training camp, but we got plenty of practice. I like where that group is at. There’s plenty there — plenty there. It’s going to be somebody taking it over,” Brennan said. “It’s a matter of someone tweaking an ankle and then this guy gets to play and takes over. That happens.”
Arizona defensive lineman Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei (46) takes Oregon State wide receiver Silas Bolden completely off his feet in the backfield on a busted play in the second quarter of the Wildcats’ Pac-12 victory over the Beavers on Oct. 28, 2023, at Arizona Stadium.
Arizona ‘starting to look good up front’ on ‘D’
Arizona linebacker Jacob Manu knows how important an effective defensive line can be for linebackers and defensive backs.
Following an offseason with an influx of defensive linemen, Arizona’s rushing defense and quarterback pressure significantly improved.
“They were the reason I led the Pac-12 in tackles, for sure,” Manu said.
With a new coaching regime, Arizona had to replicate its transfer portal strategy after losing nine scholarship defensive linemen from last season, including all four starters. The Wildcats added seven defensive linemen and return rising talent in junior Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, who was a mainstay in Arizona’s defense over the last two seasons but hasn’t been a consistent starter, and defensive tackle Isaiah Johnson. Johnson played in spurts last season, but the 6-1, 305-pound Chandler product rose up the depth chart in the spring. Brennan dubbed Uiagalelei “a big-time football player.”
Defensive lineman Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei gets tangled up by offensive lineman Joseph Borjon during an Arizona’s spring practice session at Arizona Stadium on April 2.
“We have some hidden gems,” Manu said. “I feel like a lot of guys who didn’t get time last year are starting to shine. It’s starting to look good up front.”
In the transfer portal, the Wildcats added sixth-year defensive tackles Stanley Ta’ufo’ou (USC) and Kevon Darton (Syracuse), along with veteran Chubba Ma’ae, who practiced in the spring. Memphis transfer Jarra Anderson, a 6-2, 260-pound second-year player, can also play interior defensive line. Newly-added edge rushers include former All-Mountain West selection and San Jose State transfer Tre Smith, Lance Keneley (Stanford) and Chase Kennedy (Utah).
Arizona defensive lineman Tre Smith hits a padded teammate as the defensive unit works out in during a spring practice session in early April at Arizona Stadium.
The on-field production between the transfers is a mixed bag. Some, like Ta’ufo’ou, Darton, Keneley, Ma’ae and Smith, have dozens of games under their belts over multiple years. Others, like Kennedy and Anderson, are still young enough to develop at Arizona over the next three seasons.
“I’m excited about that group,” Brennan said. “I think that’s going to be a lot of fun. There’s going to be some transfers that come in and impact it.”
Added Brennan: “(Defensive line coach Joe Seumalo), every place I’ve been with him, he’s always consistently developed the best defensive lines in the conference. Every place I’ve ever been at. ... I believe in him.”
Extra points
The amount of time Arizona will work on tackling during training will be “a little bit of a feel,” Brennan said. “Sometimes it’s a conversation with the coaching staff, and sometimes it’s a conversation with the players. One of the hardest things to do in sports is to tackle somebody, and I think you need to practice it, but you need to be smart when you practice. The last thing any of us want to do is play without a good player for something stupid in practice.”
Brennan, on Arizona’s backup quarterbacks between redshirt freshman Brayden Dorman, Northern Arizona transfer Adam Damante, San Jose State transfer Anthony Garcia and returning walk-on Cole Tannenbaum: “Brayden is a good, young player. You just don’t know yet. So it’s a good problem to have that many people there that can play. The challenge with that is the rep management and all that, just making sure Noah gets as much as he can. We’ll have to be creative with the double 7-on-7s, split team reps on that stuff so everyone is getting turns.”
The Fiesta Bowl announced its preseason All-Arizona high school team on Friday. UA 2025 commits in Gilbert Higley quarterback Luke Haugo, Phoenix Mountain Pointe defensive tackle Kaleb Jones and Chandler Basha wide receiver Gio Richardson, who was added as a kick returner, made the team. Salpointe Catholic defensive back Nathan Spivey and offensive lineman Roman Fina, Walden Grove linebacker Carlos Montoya and Marana receiver Dezmen Roebuck were the Tucson-area representatives on the all-state team. Fina has committed to play college football for Duke; Roebuck for Washington.
McMillan, Fifita, Manu and Lemonious-Craig played against each other on the newly-released EA Sports College Football 25 video game on the video board at Arizona Stadium. The team of McMillan and Lemonious-Craig beat the Fifita-Manu team 34-28.
