Arizona star cornerback Tacario Davis, nickel back Treydan Stukes, strong safety Dalton Johnson and free safety Gunner Maldonado became the latest notable names to enter the transfer portal and explore other options.
Johnson and Davis entered the transfer portal Wednesday morning, while Maldonado went in Tuesday night.
In addition to linebacker Jacob Manu and defensive lineman Taβitaβi Uiagalelei, five defensive starters from this past season entered the transfer portal following the Wildcatsβ 4-8 season in Brent Brennanβs first year as head coach.
Since Monday, 26 scholarship players from the UA entered the transfer portal, which is currently the most in the Big 12, according to On3βs transfer portal tracker. Utah has the second-most departures with 17.
After the season-ending loss to Arizona State in the Territorial Cup, Brennan said the Wildcats βwill be in a good spot with (player) retentionβ during the transfer portal period, which officially started on Monday.
βI do feel like we have a great relationship with these players. I do think that is strong. I think the culture is healthy,β Brennan said then. βI think if you want to be a part of building something, great. If you want to try and jump on a bandwagon somewhere else, if thatβs who you are, go.
βIβm confident that everything thatβs going on within the program, the coaches, the players, where weβre at with our administration, and the (revenue share), all those things, those are all part of the conversation right now.
βIβm confident with where weβre at. β¦ This was a really hard year. Hard year for everyone associated with the program, but Iβm optimistic for the future.β
Davis, a Long Beach, California, native, was a part of Arizonaβs culture-shaping 2022 recruiting class, but didnβt blossom until his sophomore season last year.
Davis grew into one of the top defensive backs nationally and led the Pac-12 in pass breakups (16) and received an 87.5 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus. Davis was Arizonaβs highest-graded (85.5) defensive Wildcat on PFF for the β23 season. He also had 25 tackles and one interception during his breakout season and was named an Associated Press All-Pac-12 Second-Team selection.
Davis submitted his name into the transfer portal last season, but practiced with the Wildcats in the spring. Davis withdrew his name after the spring transfer portal window in April.
Davis, an All-Big 12 Second-Team selection, logged a career-high 43 tackles β 28 solo tackles β and six pass deflections this season. Davis was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after his five-pass breakup performance in Arizonaβs upset win over 10th-ranked Utah in Salt Lake City.
The 6-4, 190-pound Davis received NFL Draft attention and was projected by multiple websites as a late first-round pick, but is now exploring other options for his final year of eligibility.
Johnson was one of few players to sign with Arizona in December 2020 after former head coach Kevin Sumlin was fired. Johnson and offensive lineman JT Hand were the only players from Arizonaβs 2021 recruiting class on roster this season.
Johnson, a Katy, Texas, product, mostly played special teams in his first two seasons, but ascended to starter status in Arizonaβs defensive secondary alongside Maldonado last season.
After injuries to Manu and others in Arizonaβs defense, the Wildcats shifted to a dime defense with Johnson as a linebacker-safety hybrid. The 5-11, 202-pound Johnson led the Wildcats in tackles (94) this season.
Stukes, a Litchfield Park native, joined Arizona as a walk-on under Sumlin during the pandemic-influenced season in 2020. After former UA head coach Jedd Fisch was hired for the 2021 season, Stukes received a scholarship and became a mainstay in the Wildcatsβ secondary.
In 43 games over his UA career, with 28 starts, Stukes recorded 154 tackles, three interceptions and 25 pass deflections.
Stukes initially started his collegiate career as a boundary cornerback but moved to nickel back, also called βStar,β last season. Arizona defensive coordinator Duane Akina referred to the 6-2, 198-pound Stukes as βone of the best-kept secrets in college football right now.β
In Arizonaβs Big 12 opener at Utah, Stukes suffered a season-ending knee injury and missed the final eight games of the season.
Maldonado was a key component to Arizonaβs defense the last three seasons after transferring from Northwestern in 2021. The Chandler product started 31 games in four years for the Wildcats and had 175 tackles, four interceptions, eight pass deflections, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Maldonado transferred to Arizona just after Fisch was hired by the Wildcats and went through 1-11 and 5-7 seasons before the 10-3 season and a win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, the best three-season turnaround in program history.
Maldonadoβs 87-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the Alamo Bowl sparked the Wildcatsβ comeback to beat Oklahoma β a play thatβs one of the best in program history along with Chuck Cecilβs pick-six against Arizona State in 1986 and Ortege Jenkinsβ βLeap by the Lakeβ against Washington in 1998. Maldonado earned Alamo Bowl Defensive MVP honors.
Maldonado went from 48 tackles and three forced fumbles in 2022 to 81 tackles (third-best on the team), three fumble recoveries and two interceptions in β23.
Maldonadoβs missed-tackle percentage dropped from 24.2% in β22 to 11.2% in β23, according to Pro Football Focus. Receiversβ yards after catch (YAC), with Maldonado in coverage, dipped from 283 yards to 166, per Pro Football Focus. Maldonadoβs overall PFF grade rose from 50.9 to 77.1, and his tackling grade improved from 38.1 to 76.4.
Despite Fisch leaving for Washington, Maldonado, Stukes and Johnson announced their decisions to return to Arizona and play for first-year head coach Brent Brennan.
Maldonado played in four games for the Wildcats this season before he suffered a season-ending leg injury against Texas Tech. Both Stukes and Maldonado played in four games and medically redshirted to preserve a year of eligibility.
If the aforementioned defensive backs sign with another school, with cornerback Ephesians Prysock at Washington, the Wildcats will have lost every starting member of the defensive secondary from 2023.
The transfer portal closes on Dec. 28.
