The role as an interior defensive lineman for the Arizona Wildcats is simple: Be a “dancing bear.”
The job description for a “dancing bear,” as UA defensive tackle Sio Nofoagatoto’a explains it: “We want to be big, but we also want to be light on our feet, just being able to change things up.
“We want to take up double-teams, free up the (linebackers), but also at the same time impact the game any way possible and just being smart enough to know when to make plays and do the right thing,” he said.
Nofoagatoto’a has already changed up one big thing this year: As a transfer from Indiana, he’s part of the overhaul of defenders for the Wildcats in 2023 and is one of five defensive linemen to join Arizona through the transfer portal. He’s joined by fellow 300-plus-pounders Bill Norton (Georgia) and Tyler Manoa (UCLA), and edge rushers Taylor Upshaw (Michigan) and Orin Patu (Cal). Manoa, Norton and Nofoagatoto’a, among others, are a part of the “dancing bears” unit looking to assist a Wildcats’ rushing defense that was a weakness last season.
Arizona defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen spoke to reporters following the Wildcats' training camp practice on Tuesday.
“I was blessed with an opportunity and I’m just grateful for Coach (Jedd) Fisch, (defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen and defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi) for having me here and giving me this opportunity,” Nofoagatoto’a said.
Added Nofoagatoto’a: “The knowledge that they have is a blessing for me to come in and take everything in.”
The 6-3, 330-pound Nofoagatoto’a, an Ili’ili, American Samoa native, logged 52 tackles and four stops for loss in four seasons at Indiana and started all 12 games for the Hoosiers last season. In the spring, Nofoagatoto’a stayed in Bloomington, Indiana, “and just did drills on my own,” before transferring to the UA.
Now at Arizona, Nofoagatoto’a is “just coming in and making an impact as a run-stopper and being an asset to the team in any way possible; just win games,” he said.
“I hope the team knows that I can help them in the run, but it also challenges me to work on my pass-rushing skills and just hone in on things that might be my weaknesses and try to make them my strengths,” he added.
Kaufusi said Nofoagatoto’a is “another guy who played in the Big Ten, great conference ... whether you want to consider it a running league, a physical league.”
“He started two years over there, so he brings that experience — that veteran leadership — that we need with some of our younger guys,” he said.
Nofoagatoto’a said transferring to a program that embraces Polynesian culture — Arizona’s roster has quite a few Polynesian players — is “pretty big, just coming from somewhere where there weren’t a lot of Polynesians” at Indiana.
“The team has adapted to the Aloha mindset, bringing everybody in and loving everybody,” Nofoagatoto’a said.
Unlike his defensive line cohorts, Nofoagatoto’a doesn’t wear gloves while playing. That’s a new development where he pays homage to former Polynesian Pac-12 defensive tackles Danny Shelton and Vita Vea, both known for not wearing gloves. Vea and Shelton were “two defensive linemen I looked up to as a kid,” said Nofoagatoto’a.
“They wore no gloves in the Pac-12,” he said. “It’s always good just to get a feel on the O-line.”
During Arizona’s scrimmage Saturday, Nofoagatoto’a was among the defensive linemen rotating every several plays on one drive. Shuttling as many fresh (larger) bodies on the field to keep defensive linemen fresh is a major focal point for Arizona on defense. Norton, Manoa, Nofoagatoto’a, sophomore Tai’ta’i Uiagalelei, junior-college transfer Keanu Mailoto, sophomore Jacob Kongaika and Tiaoalii Savea, who’s missed several training camp practices for an undisclosed injury, are among the most rotated interior defensive linemen. Edge rushers and defensive ends, also with a blend of transfer portal prospects and rising underclassmen, provide Arizona depth it didn’t have a season ago.
“We’re subbing,” Nansen said. “Like I told the guys, ‘If we’re playing more than four snaps, then we’re not doing our jobs as coaches, especially up front.’ The back end of it, I understand they have to stay because it’s a rhythm thing back there.
“But up front we got to rotate. It’s a long game, especially now in college football, you average anywhere from 85-90 plays and you have to keep those guys fresh.”
Kaufusi said the defensive line rotation “just depends on the series, how the plays are going on the drive.”
“We like to keep everybody fresh and get a good rotation with guys in and out,” he said.
Finding the ideal blend of players is a recipe Arizona’s coaching is still trying to figure out.
“Bottom line is, we’re just trying to build trust and chemistry,” Kaufusi said. “We still got this week and next week, then we’ll make some decisions and narrow things down.”
Extra points:
Kaufusi said redshirt freshman Isaiah Ward‘s athleticism and length has elevated him in the Wildcats’ rotation at defensive end. The 6-5, 225-pound Los Angeles-area native has batted down passes in the backfield during team period throughout training camp. Ward received first-team reps on Thursday, alongside Norton, Manoa and Upshaw. Said Kaufusi, on Ward: “If you look at his pass-rush skillset, that’s what he brings. At the same time, we’re looking for effort, trust, team chemistry.”
Arizona receiver Jacob Cowing was selected at No. 38 in ESPN’s list of top 100 players entering the college football season.
The Wildcats added former Scottsdale Saguaro wide receiver Deric English. The 6-4, 210-pound English was a part of the 2023 recruiting cycle and held offers from Louisville, Penn State, Oregon, Michigan State, Florida State and Utah, among others. English, who hasn’t participated in training camp, is a walk-on for the Wildcats.
Former Arizona wide receiver Stanley Berryhill III was in attendance for Arizona’s practice on Thursday; he also spoke to the team following practice. Berryhill, who spent his rookie season with the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions, was waived by Detroit in the wake of his six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy for placing bets on non-NFL games at the Lions facility. Berryhill was Detroit’s “gunner” on punt coverage, a role he carved out in his final season at Arizona.
