Arizona CB Michael Dansby 'excited to build the brotherhood' in UA defense

After Brent Brennan left his head coaching post at San Jose State for the same position at Arizona and took a handful of his SJSU staffers to Tucson, Spartans players transferring to the UA was bound to happen.

Arizona hauled in five transfers from San Jose State last year, including defensive end Tre Smith, running back Quali Conley and tight end Sam Olson.

This season, the Wildcats inked two ex-Spartans: cornerbacks Michael Dansby and cornerback Jay’Vion Cole, who spent this past season at Texas before transferring to Arizona. Dansby and Cole were teammates at McClymonds High School in Oakland, California.

The 6-foot, 179-pound Dansby signed with San Jose State in 2022 to play for Brennan and current Arizona cornerbacks coach Chip Viney.

Dansby ended his three-year career at SJSU with 68 career tackles, 14 pass deflections, five interceptions and a touchdown. He surrendered seven touchdowns in three seasons, according to Pro Football Focus.

Dansby will be among the list of cornerbacks looking to start in Arizona’s defensive secondary, which returns starting cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew, who briefly transferred to Nebraska but made an about-face for his second season in Tucson after starting his collegiate career at Texas A&M and Louisville.

The Wildcats also return nickel back Treydan Stukes, strong safety Dalton Johnson and safety and nickel back Genesis Smith. Stukes, Johnson and Smith — who all entered the transfer portal after the ‘24 season and withdrew their names — have combined for 431 tackles, eight interceptions, eight forced fumbles and 29 pass deflections at Arizona. The trio has combined for 4,550 defensive snaps at the UA, per PFF. Redshirt freshman safety and former Tennessee transfer Jack Luttrell, after recording 39 tackles and a team-high three interceptions in 2024, is back at Arizona.

The only multi-game starters in Arizona’s secondary to transfer were cornerbacks Tacario Davis (Washington) and Emmanuel Karnley (Miami).

Arizona signed seven scholarship newcomers at cornerback in 2025, including Dansby, Cole and Ayden Garnes (West Virginia) in the transfer portal.

Arizona signed four cornerbacks in its 2025 recruiting class: El Camino College transfer Elijah Brown, Gianni Edwards (Forney, Texas), Swayde Griffin (Lago Vista, Texas) and Dajon Hinton (Chandler). Arizona has 10 newcomer scholarship defensive backs for 2025.

A unit that was trending towards depletion now has a few familiar faces and a plethora of new ones, including Dansby.

Dansby joined “Spears & Ali” on ESPN Tucson to talk about signing with Arizona and the importance of the upcoming UA football season.

Why is Brennan a coach you want to play for?

A: “Coach Brennan gets the best out of his players. The way he pushes his players, the way he approaches his players with conversations and approaches people, he’s a very good person. He was a very good coach for those first two years I was with him. He knew what he was doing.”

What stood out about San Jose State’s culture with Brennan at the helm?

A: “He built a family culture. Everyone was intertwined with each other and everybody was getting along with each other. During that seven-win stretch (in 2022 and ’23), we really got close with each other and he made us get closer to each other. It was more of a family culture.”

Viney is one of many coaches to follow Brennan from San Jose State to Arizona. What kind of coach is Viney?

A: “Me and Chip have a really good relationship, for sure. He has more of an aggressive coaching style, which I like. He gets the best out of you. He’s going to get the best out of you every day and he’s going to put on the cleats and do the work himself and show you; he’s really interactive. He’s still young and moves well. He gets on the field and pushes us. Chip Viney is going to push you to be the best. He’s going to demand the best out of you. That’s the type of person I always want to play under.”

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Arizona defensive backs coach and former defensive coordinator Duane Akina is a renowned defensive backs coach. What are your first impressions of Akina?

A: “I’ve seen his résumé. He’s a Hall of Fame coach in my opinion. He also demands the best out of you. ... In the conversations we’ve had, he just wants me to be me. He wants what’s best for his players and he’s a down-to-earth kind of guy. I still need to have more conversations with him, but his résumé and what he’s done speaks for itself. I’m excited to play under him, as well.”

UA running backs coach Alonzo Carter used to coach McClymonds in Oakland. How much did he influence your decision to transfer to Arizona?

A: “He’s one of the closest people I know. I knew Alonzo Carter before San Jose State and Arizona. He’s well-known in the Bay Area and he’s a beloved coach. My decision to come here, he influenced it a little bit. Just having a familiar face around, I knew I’d be good with Alonzo Carter here. He had an influence, for sure, like a lot of other coaches.”

How do you think you and Cole will impact Arizona’s defensive secondary?

A: “Just like how we impacted San Jose State. We had a pretty good run and Chip Viney made us better that year. We know how to play ball and we play good together. We should bring that to the Tucson community, for sure.”

What are the messages Arizona coaches have relayed to transfer portal recruits regarding the importance of the 2025 season?

A: “We’re just currently listening right now. Everything is detailed and more up tempo. We know what’s on the line and we know what to expect. We know we have to turn things around this year. Everyone knows what to hone in on and everyone knows what their job is this year.”

How much are you looking forward to matching up with Stukes, Johnson and Smith in Arizona’s defensive secondary?

A: “I’m very excited and very blessed to play alongside these guys. They’re incredible people and I’ve met them. I’m excited to build the brotherhood and bond with them. I know they’re incredible talents, so when you put that together, we should be good and it should be an exciting season, for sure.”

What do you like to do away from football?

A: “I’m not too big on hobbies. If it’s not eating or doing homework, I’m either on the (video) game or hanging out with teammates and watching film.”

What’s your favorite video game at the moment?

A: “College Football 25, especially ‘Road to Glory.’”

Have you transferred to Arizona in the video game, or are you still at SJSU?

A: “I wish I was the U of A, but I’m still on San Jose’s roster at the moment, but hopefully that changes soon.”

Extra points

• Former Arizona wide receiver
  • Tetairoa McMillan was honored at the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame ceremony in Hawaii on Saturday for receiving Polynesian College Football Player of the Year honors. McMillan now has a shrine at the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. Other players to win Polynesian College Football Player of the Year include
    • Marcus Mariota, Tua Tagovailoa, Penei Sewell, Ronnie Stanley and Hercules Mata’afa, among others. Alongside Heisman Trophy winner
      • Travis Hunter, McMillan was also an honorary captain at the Polynesian Bowl on Friday.
      • The Arizona coaching staff, after traveling around Arizona for in-state recruiting, is out of the state this week. Brennan was in Houston on Tuesday, while offensive coordinator
        • Seth Doege was in Dallas with UA receivers coach
          • Bobby Wade. Viney and defensive coordinator
            • Danny Gonzales were in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday, while defensive line coach
              • Joe Salave’a was in the Bay Area. New tight ends coach Josh Miller was in Denver.
              • Arizona hired former Texas Tech fullback Stanton Keane as an analyst and assistant coach. Keane worked with Doege at USC and Purdue under former Texas Tech star quarterback
                • Graham Harrell. UA promoted student assistant
                  • Jamie Feldermann to a similar role. Arizona hired
                    • DeMontae Haigler as a strength and conditioning assistant coach.
                    • UA defensive graduate assistant coach Ty Nichols, who coached at Arizona from 2021-24, announced that he’s joining Bill Belichick’s staff at North Carolina.
                    • The UA football team held a 3.116 team GPA for the fall semester, which is the highest GPA in team history, according to the program.
                    • McMillan and former UA right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea were named two of 87 finalists for EA Sports’ College Football 25 “Stars of the Season,” the game’s version of an All-American team. Voting ends on Thursday. Fans can cast their votes at tucne.ws/eacfs.