Rhino Tapa'atoutai 'a better fit at guard' on Arizona football's offensive line

When Arizona was preparing for the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, the UA coaching staff also began looking ahead to the 2026 season. 

Offensive line was a position group expecting to lose multiple starters, including the entire left side of the line in left guard Chubba Maae and left tackle Ty Buchanan — and center Ka'ena Decambra. 

Arizona's offensive staff approached tackle Rhino Tapa'atoutai about moving inside to play left guard, a position he's now playing this spring. 

"Part of it is recruiting your own roster and making sure they understand that you have a vision for them to get better and to play," said Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege. "We felt like there were times Rhino struggled on the edge last year."

Tapa'atoutai, a 6-5, 316-pound redshirt junior from West Valley City, Utah, succeeded former UA star and Green Bay Packers' Jordan Morgan at left tackle in 2024 and was a serviceable starter for six games as a redshirt freshman, but suffered a season-ending knee injury against Colorado — one of many knee injuries for the Wildcats in head coach Brent Brennan's first season. 

Tapa'atoutai returned to starting tackle duties in 2025, but was limited in the spring and preseason training camp. With Buchanan at left tackle, Tapa'atoutai struggled. He gave up four quarterback pressures in the second game of the season against Weber State. 

In 231 snaps last season, including a season-high 86 snaps in the Holiday Bowl, Tapa'atoutai surrendered 12 quarterback pressures and a team-high three sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Holding penalties were also a common problem with Tapa'atoutai last season. 

"I think a lot of it had to do with his confidence coming back from a knee injury," Doege said. "There were moments where he looked like his old self, and then were moments where he was like, 'Oh, no, am I ready?' That shook his confidence a little bit. Looking at his skill set and how strong he is, how explosive he is, it just seems like he's a better fit at guard.

"We felt like if we moved him to guard, that replaces a need in losing Chubba. We feel really strong about that move. That was something we talked to Rhino about it and Rhino was on board."

It was an easy sell for Tapa'atoutai, considering Arizona found success with Maae — a former defensive tackle — and Decambra — who only played guard and tackle at Hawaii before transferring to Arizona for his last season — switching positions. 

Said Doege: "We recruited KD here to be a swing guard-tackle for us. We realized we had a need at center, so we bring KD in and say, 'Hey, we think you're our best option at center. If you trust us, you might have a chance to get drafted.' Now he's got a chance to get drafted.

"Same thing with Rhino. 'Rhino, you good on the edge? Possibly, if we continue the development. But if we put you inside, you'll have a better chance to play longer and it's probably more of a natural fit for you.' He agreed. He's bought into it and it gives us more depth inside, for sure. Good thing about Rhino is you can always swing him back out, which is huge." 

Moving to left guard has "been really good so far" for Tapa'atoutai, he said.

"Obviously it's new, but it's an easier world compared to tackle," Tapa'atoutai added. "I'm excited for the future moving forward in that spot. You can put me anywhere and I'll do it." 

The biggest difference between tackle and guard is "definitely the timing and the speed of the game," Tapa'atoutai said.

"It's quicker on the inside, the game happens a lot faster and you don't have as much time as you do compared to tackle, because at tackle you're on an island and you're just sitting in the depth of the pocket," he added. "Interior-wise, you get your hands dirty quicker and faster and I'm not really complaining about that. Sign me up."

Tapa'atoutai learned from his growing pains last season and "learned to trust the process and, most importantly, not to rush the process."

"I was trying to be the greatest teammate I could be last year and build towards this year," he said. 

Henning a 'big-time win'

At center, Decambra's likely successor will be Washington transfer Zachary Henning, with redshirt senior Grayson Stovall as another option. 

Henning signed with Washington as a three-star prospect in 2023 and played three seasons for the Huskies — one under former UW head coach Kalen DeBoer and the last two under former UA head coach Jedd Fisch.

The 6-4, 299-pound Henning appeared in 13 games in 2024, but primarily played special teams for the Huskies in his second year. Henning played in 13 games last season and recorded 333 offensive snaps. Henning took over starting duties in November after starter Landen Hatchett broke his hand.

Henning "was a major piece to that and getting him was a big-time win for us because we were competing against some big-time players in that. I think he's going to be really, really special," said Doege. 

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Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita's newest center cohort has "had a lot of success," said Fifita. 

"He's a smart guy because he's been able to play in two systems with Coach DeBoer and Coach Fisch, so we have a lot in common," Fifita said.

The quarterback-center tandem bond over time on the links.

"We golf a lot with each other, and he's probably the best golfer on the team,"  Fifita said of Henning. "Seeing his swing, he's probably the best golfer on the team, so we've been able to connect in that aspect. I love the guy, he's been awesome and I can't wait to build with them."

Offseason development 'huge'

Returning starting right tackle Tristan Bounds is limited this spring after suffering a knee injury against Cincinnati in November. The 6-8, 306-pound sixth-year senior was granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA and is returning for his final year at Arizona. 

Redshirt sophomore Matthew Lado is a candidate at left tackle, "just because Tristan is so comfortable on the right." The 6-6, 318-pound Lado, who was one of the few incoming freshmen who stayed at Arizona during the transition from Fisch to Brennan in 2024, stepped in for the injured Bounds for the final three games of the season. 

"We're excited about what Lado is going to do because he came in and played really good football for us at the end of the season," Brennan said. "Tristan is coming back from injury that he sustained at Cincinnati. We're excited about him and he'll get some work in this spring. How those pieces fit is going to be really interesting." 

Doege said "development part of the offseason is so huge" for any position, especially the offensive line. 

"Lado is the greatest example of that, too," Doege said. "Early in the season last year, the offseason and the spring, summer and fall, you're like, 'If we have to play with Lado, we'll probably have to help him and use tight end (chip blocking) or running back chips.' Now he's taken ownership of 'I am the tackle.'

"You can see a different confidence in him, a different mentality, you can see a different approach, and it gives me a ton of confidence. Let's put him out at left and see if he can go get it. I'd bet a lot of money that he will." 

Added Doege: "The progress Lado made, from the time he started playing games to now, it gave me a little bit of insurance and this guy might have something to him. But I also felt like we needed to add depth pieces or get some guys to come and compete."

Arizona added tackles San Jose State transfer Nate Hale, a former Brennan and offensive line coach Josh Oglesby recruit, "who's played in games," and BYU transfer Jake Griffin, "who didn't play much at BYU, but he practiced in Big 12 practices, so you know he can go into those matchups and he has the practice film to prove it," Doege said. Griffin is also considered a guard-tackle hybrid. He's the older brother of Arizona redshirt freshman Jaxon Griffin. 

The Arizona coaches are also encouraged by the second-year offensive linemen, including tackle Louis Akpa and guards Javian Goo and Sione Tohi.

Early signs suggest Arizona's starting offensive line for the season opener could be (from left) Lado, Tapa'atoutai, Henning, redshirt junior right guard Alexander Doost and Bounds. However, "there's some pieces there that still need to play," Brennan said.

"Walking into it, especially the O-Line, you're like, 'Well, I think it's these five (guys),'" Brennan said.

"Let's go play some football and find out." 

Extra points

– Doege, on his extension that will have him under contract at the UA through the 2028 season: "It's a dream come true. But this is where I want to be the whole time. I truly love Tucson. ... I love it here. I love the people that I work with.

"I absolutely love Coach Brennan and respect him. This guy, they don't make many like him. He allows me to grow, he allows me to be myself, he allows me to do what I want, but he also encourages me during hard situations and hard circumstances. I don't know if I can find a better head coach to work for.

"I'm super excited about being here. With Noah coming back, it's a no-brainer to be here. I want to finish this with him because I think he's going to leave a legacy that's going to be hard to match. I'm excited about the people here in the building, I'm excited about being here, and I'm excited about the potential that this team has."

– In Arizona's second spring practice, the first defensive secondary used in a 7-on-7 segment featured cornerbacks Tyrese Boss and Johno Price, with Nebraska transfer Malcolm Hartzog at slot cornerback and strong safety Gavin Hunter and free safety Quinn Olson. 

– Arizona redshirt junior wide receiver Tre Spivey, who's no stranger to highlight receptions, caught a deep over-the-shoulder pass from Fifita down the left sideline with multiple defenders in coverage. After a seven-touchdown season, the 6-4, 213-pound Spivey looks like a sure-fire starter and a potential leading receiver for the Wildcats.  

– Arizona hosted its UA coaches' clinic on Friday. Former Washington and Boise State head coach Chris Peterson was the keynote speaker. Former Wildcat and NFL coach Antonio Pierce was the guest speaker last year.