Arizona football notebook: Wildcats update roster with spring additions

Although the Arizona football season is just over two months away, the summer is still a busy period for the program between offseason workouts, camps and roster additions.

The Wildcats will officially begin preseason training camp on Tuesday, July 30, just over a month away from the season opener against New Mexico at Arizona Stadium, which is the inaugural season for the program under head coach Brent Brennan and as a member of the Big 12 conference. 

Here are the latest updates regarding UA football, including notable summer roster takeaways:

Newcomer numbers

The additions acquired in late spring were officially added to the roster this week. Here's a look at their jersey numbers: 

• 0: Reymello Murphy, wide receiver, senior
• 1: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, running back, redshirt senior
• 2: Jeremiah Patterson, wide receiver, junior
• 3: Kedrick Reescano, running back, redshirt freshman
• 7: Demetrius Freeney, cornerback, junior
• 8: Anthony Garcia, quarterback, redshirt freshman
• 10: Quinn Olson, defensive back, freshman
• 11: Chase Kennedy, defensive end, redshirt sophomore
• 15: Adam Damante, quarterback, sophomore
• 15: Jabari Mann, linebacker, freshman
• 19: Michael Salgado-Medina, kicker/punter, freshman
• 27: Owen Goss, defensive back, senior
• 30: Kayden Luke, running back, freshman
• 31: Justin Holloway, long snapper, redshirt senior
• 44: Jarra Anderson, defensive tackle, sophomore
• 45: Kevon Darton, defensive tackle, redshirt senior
• 47: Stanley Ta'ufo'ou, defensive lineman, redshirt senior
• 50: Shancco Matautia, offensive lineman, redshirt junior
• 76: Jonah Rodriguez, offensive lineman, redshirt freshman
• 77: Michael Wooten, offensive tackle, redshirt sophomore
• 84: Sam Olson, tight end, redshirt junior
• 90: Lance Keneley, defensive end, senior

Roster takeaways

Inside the QB room: The Wildcats have five quarterbacks on roster for the upcoming season: Starter Noah Fifita, second-year backup Brayden Dorman and walk-on Cole Tannenbaum, Garcia and Damante. Arizona offensive coordinator Dino Babers said last week, Garcia was a scout-team quarterback at San Jose State last season, "energizing those young men to give the best look to the defense." Babers said Damante, the Gilbert native, "showed a lot of poise in the pocket" during his time at Northern Arizona. The backup quarterback competition will be something to monitor during preseason training camp.

Backfield boost: Reescano, a transfer from Ole Miss, is listed as Arizona's biggest running back at 6-0, 210 pounds. Next in line is Croskey-Merritt (5-11, 204 pounds), the former New Mexico star who returned to the UA after committing to Ole Miss, and San Jose State transfer Quali Conley (5-10, 210 pounds). After losing a productive trio of Michael Wiley, Jonah Coleman and DJ Williams, Arizona bolstered its running back room that also returns undersized slasher Rayshon "Speedy" Luke and redshirt freshman Brandon Johnson. The added size in the transfer portal, coupled with the returning speed, will give Arizona's offense plenty of options in the backfield this season.

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Line change: After losing nine scholarship defensive linemen from the 2023 team, Arizona signed seven defensive linemen in the transfer portal this offseason. Five of them will be added for the first time this preseason training camp: Darton (Syracuse), Ta'ufo'ou (USC), Kennedy (Utah), Anderson (Memphis), and Keneley (Stanford). Darton and Ta'ufo'ou are both sixth-year players who will likely start or have integral roles on the defensive line. 

Summer addition: Freshman linebacker Stacy Bey, a three-star prospect from Rancho Cucamonga, California, is not listed on the roster but will join the team this summer.  

En guard: Potential right guard Matautia, a transfer from New Mexico and Arizona State, is listed at 6-2, 346 pounds. Starting left guard Wendell Moe is 6-2, 340 pounds. Right guard is among the most competitive position right now between Matautia, veteran Leif Magnuson, Northwestern transfer Alexander Doost and San Jose State transfer Ryan Stewart.     

Special competition: Arizona's starting punter job is still open for competition, and Salgado-Medina, a true freshman from Mission Viejo, California could compete for it. In the spring, Arizona used kicker Tyler Loop, Cash Peterman and Jordan Forbes, but none emerged as a consistent starter. Salgado-Medina, Loop's potential successor as Arizona's place kicker, averaged just under 40 yards per punt last season at Mission Viejo High School. Former starter Kyle Ostendorp averaged 45.4 yards per punt over his UA career. 

AZ state of mind: The Wildcats have 29 in-state products on the roster for 2024. 

Polynesian prominence: Arizona will — once again — have a strong Polynesian presence on its roster. The Wildcats have 17 players with Polynesian roots, including Fifita, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, linebacker Jacob Manu, offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea, defensive lineman Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei, defensive tackle Chubba Ma'ae, Matautia and Ta'ufo'ou, among others. 

Extra points

• Arizona posted its highest team GPA in program history with a 3.042 in the spring.

• The Brent Brennan Football Camps are set to conclude in the next week, with a girls flag football session on Saturday, a youth football camp on Monday, followed by a camp for middle-schoolers on Tuesday. The UA hosted "Monday Night Lights" the last two weeks, a 7-on-7 and linemen showcase with Tucson and Phoenix-area high school football teams. With the UA coaching staff in attendance, Scottsdale Desert Mountain High School defeated Chandler Hamilton in the 7-on-7 championship at Arizona Stadium on Monday. Former Arizona offensive coordinator and Kevin Sumlin-era assistant coach Noel Mazzone is the offensive coordinator for Hamilton. Former Arizona quarterback BJ Denker is an offensive coordinator at Scottsdale Saguaro, which also participated in "Monday Night Lights."