Arizona football linebacker Kennedy has the strength to the match the speed

When Arizona linebacker Chase Kennedy started 10 games at defensive end last season, "he had an innate ability to make people miss," said UA defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales.

Then 220 pounds, Kennedy relied on his athleticism and speed in one-on-one matchups with 300-pound offensive tackles instead of strength. 

"But often times it was compromising the ability to stop a running quarterback, because you're opening up lanes," Gonzales said.

After gaining 12 pounds in the offseason and moving to an off-the-ball role at linebacker, "he's strong enough now that he can long-arm jab and collapse pockets," Gonzales said. Kennedy, who can power clean over 300 pounds, has the strength to match the speed. 

"Now that he has that in his arsenal, as quick and as twitchy as he is, those guys have to be prepared for both, where last year, they would open up the path to see if Chase Kennedy can beat them with speed and run around them," Gonzales said. "Often times, he did. Often times, he didn't." 

Kennedy's edge-rushing experience and talents, along with his athletic 6-3, 232-pound frame, has turned Kennedy into an ideal linebacker for Gonzales' 2-4-5 or 3-3-5 defense. Kennedy has the fifth-highest defensive grade (76.5) in Arizona's defense this season (minimum 50 snaps played).  

Kennedy has been one of Arizona's most productive defenders this season with eight tackles, three stops for loss, a team-high two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

"If you come watch us practice, Chase is just one of those guys that has really good energy," said Arizona head coach Brent Brennan. "That part has been fun, to see him continue his developmental process and his maturing process since he got here a year ago. You're seeing him embrace his role and attack it. ... His willingness to adjust and attack that new role and excel at it is what we're excited about. I think he's going to continue to improve. I think there's more there for Chase." 

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Against Kansas State, Arizona used a four-linebacker lineup with Kennedy, Taye Brown, Max Harris and redshirt freshman Jabari Mann. Arizona's linebacker quartet could look different in the future once Riley Wilson, who has only played in the second half against Weber State, returns from injury; the Montana transfer wasn't on the UA-Iowa State availability report this week. Freshman Myron Robinson, who played in the Navy All-American Bowl earlier this year, is healthy after rehabbing an injury, according to Gonzales on Tuesday.  

Arizona's 2-4-5 defense "gave us an opportunity to chase their speed if (Kansas State quarterback) Avery Johnson was going to try and run the ball," Gonzales said. Arizona corralled K-State to 105 rushing yards — 75 of those yards are from the first play of the second half. 

The UA's four-linebacker set could be implemented once again this week to stop Iowa State's run game on first and second downs to force third-and-longs — and match the physicality of the Cyclones' tight ends. Kennedy said he factors Iowa State's "size and speed" in pass coverage, "so you have to play it a little different."

"I think the biggest challenge in guarding them is their size," Kennedy said. "We're big, too. We'll handle it."

Against a team like Iowa State, "we're going to have to have 11 (players) playing good defense, not just Chase," Brennan said.

"We're going to need massive population at the football and have great eye discipline and we're going to have to be sound tacklers," said the UA coach. "The best thing Chase can do is play to the standard of redline every single play in this game, doing his job."