Vegetarian Ty Buchanan 'pretty proud' to be Arizona's plant-powered O-Lineman

Herbivore football players are taboo, but they exist.

Several NFL players have adopted plant-based diets in recent years, but most of them are on the lighter side — think quarterbacks and wide receivers. Some of the most famous herbivores to play in the NFL include Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick.

The Arizona Wildcats could potentially have a vegetarian starter on the offensive line this season. You read that correctly.

Texas Tech transfer offensive tackle Ty Buchanan “might be one of the only (Power 4) vegetarians in the country and I’m pretty proud of that, as well,” he said.

“I grew up vegetarian, my whole family is vegetarian and it’s all I’ve ever known,” said Buchanan. “It’s not a challenge for me at all and I take a lot of pride in being vegetarian. ... I’m proud that I’m a vegetarian and can compete at this level.”

Buchanan’s vegetarian lifestyle stems from his “soft spot for animals.” Buchanan’s family owns eight dogs and the UA offensive lineman did community service for animal shelters in Calallen, Texas.

To maintain his 6-6, 310-pound frame, Buchanan “eats a lot of grass,” said Arizona offensive line coach Josh Oglesby.

“It’s interesting to see his diet,” Oglesby said. “There are so many things now that are for the vegetarian and vegan lifestyle, you don’t really notice it.”

Growing up in Texas, a hotspot for barbecue, while his friends consumed brisket, burnt ends, ribs and other meats, Buchanan was a “big veggie burger guy,” he said. Other foods Buchanan eats on a daily basis are “veggie chicken,” tofu, beans, lentils, protein shakes, jackfruit and “mushrooms that taste like beef.”

Buchanan’s mother, Dana, instilled the importance of having a plant-based diet at an early age.

“It was easy,” Buchanan said. “I always had my mom around to cook me great food and meals. I could always rely on her.”

After Buchanan transferred to Arizona, Oglesby noticed Buchanan eating what appeared to be chicken at Bear Down Kitchen inside of Lowell-Stevens Football Facility.

“I thought he was eating chicken tenders,” Oglesby said. “I was like, ‘Dude, what are you doing?’ It was cauliflower and he puts buffalo sauce on them. I tried it and, actually, it wasn’t bad. There are so many options for that lifestyle. When you and I think about it, I think of back in the old days when they used to eat salads.

“Being around him and listening to the foods he eats, it has opened my eyes to all of the different culinary things there are for substitutes of meat — not saying I’m going to give it up.”

Added Oglesby: “I’m not well-versed on the vegetarian lifestyle, but I know the elimination of meat has a lot less inflammation in your body. I’m assuming he feels better a lot of the time more than some of us carnivores. He moves and plays like a prototypical offensive lineman, which I think is cool for a guy that doesn’t eat meat.”

Buchanan, who started his college career at USC, had a vegetarian teammate at Texas Tech, but “besides that, I haven’t really met a vegetarian football player at this level,” he said. Arizona offensive tackle Michael Wooten, who transferred from Oregon last year, was briefly a vegetarian before reverting back to the carnivore diet after transferring to the UA.

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Buchanan, the lone herbivore on Arizona’s roster, is one of 12 scholarship newcomers on Arizona’s offensive line this season. In three seasons at Texas Tech, Buchanan logged 681 offensive snaps and allowed two sacks in 487 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Buchanan’s athleticism and length make him “a great swing player,” Oglesby said. The Texas Tech transfer could become the successor to NFL-bound Jonah Savaiinaea at right tackle.

“Getting know him and his acumen and the amount of snaps he’s played, it’s all intriguing,” said Arizona’s offensive line coach. “I think he’s going to be a huge bonus for the room.”

Buchanan signed with Arizona because “I built a good relationship with Coach Oglesby, and I just felt like this would be a good fit for my last year,” he said.

Buchanan is expected to play tackle this season, but “if last year taught us anything, we need to be as well-versed as we can across the offensive line at multiple positions.” The Wildcats had seven different starting lineups on the offensive line and nearly a dozen linemen receive game action.

Buchanan and Michigan transfer Tristan Bounds, among others, will be in contention for one of Arizona’s starting tackle spots. The Wildcats are returning starting left tackle Rhino Tapa’atoutai, who suffered a season-ending leg injury last season.

For now, it’s a long shot for rebuilding Arizona to win the Big 12 championship in 2025, but if the Wildcats win the conference title, Buchanan vows to eat a steak — beef, not mushroom — with Bounds.

“There’s a little bit more on the line with that one,” Oglesby joked.

Even though Buchanan is the only vegetarian on Arizona’s roster, settling into his one year “has been great,” he said. While other linemen eat chicken wings and carne asada tacos during player gatherings, Buchanan eats impossible burgers.

“They all welcomed me immediately as soon as I got here,” added Buchanan. “We’re building relationships and as we get ready for spring ball, I’m learning to play alongside those guys.”

To maintain his caloric and protein needs, Buchanan consults with Arizona’s nutrition staff on a weekly basis. Buchanan’s diet regimen at Arizona consists of tofu, tempeh, beyond meats, beans, nuts, whole grains and plant-based protein supplements.

“They’re doing a great job,” Buchanan said of Arizona’s nutrition staff. “It’s a great staff and the strength and conditioning staff is taking care of me. They accepted me as soon as I joined the team. I’m putting on good weight and getting ready for the season.”

Buchanan said, “there’s a few good spots for vegetarian food” in Tucson, including the vegan-inspired Tumerico, which was named the top place to eat in the U.S. by Yelp last year. The scratch kitchen often changes its menu, but the popular vegan restaurant in Tucson is known to serve items such as jackfruit carnitas, potato tacos and vegan tamales.

While “it’s not normal to be a vegetarian at this level, I’m trying to let people know that it is normal and you can do it,” Buchanan said.

“I would love for people to give it a shot and give it an open mind and don’t be so quick to judge,” Buchanan said. “It’s possible to play (Power 4) football as a vegetarian.”