Former Arizona DT Tiaoalii Savea returns to Wildcats for final season

Arizona's latest addition in the transfer in the portal is a familiar face.

After a season at Texas, former UA defensive tackle Tiaoalii Savea is returning to the Wildcats for his final season of eligibility, he announced late Tuesday night. 

Savea played at Arizona for the 2022 and '23 seasons and was a key component to the UA defensive line rotation under former head coach Jedd Fisch and defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen, who just finished his first season as co-defensive coordinator at Texas.  

Savea’s health at Arizona was inconsistent, but when he was available, he impacted the UA interior defensive line. Savea had 36 tackles, 7.5 stops for loss, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery — the takeaway was in the 2022 Territorial Cup game.

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Savea also blocked a field goal in Arizona’s upset win over UCLA in 2022. In two seasons, Savea appeared in 19 games and made two starts for the Wildcats. 

Savea, a Las Vegas native and Desert Pines High School product, started his college career at UCLA in 2021, when Nansen was the Bruins' defensive line coach. Savea and former UA defensive tackle Bill Norton transferred to Texas for the 2024 season. Savea played in four games and had two tackles for the Longhorns this past season. 

Savea is joining an interior defensive line group that returns senior Chubba Ma'ae, redshirt sophomore Isaiah Johnson, redshirt freshman Julian Savaiinaea (younger brother of former UA star offensive tackle Jonah Savaiinaea) and former Memphis transfer Jarra Anderson, who suffered a season-ending leg injury at the start of the 2024 season.

Between the portal and the 2025 recruiting class, the Wildcats currently have 10 scholarship newcomers on the defensive line. The Wildcats have added two defensive linemen in the transfer portal since the hiring of associate head coach and defensive line coach Joe Salave'a.