Arizona football training camp preview: defensive backs

Arizona officially begins preparation for its second season under head coach Brent Brennan when the Wildcats kick off fall training camp on Wednesday.

Leading up to training camp, the Star is providing a position-by-position preview. Last up: defensive backs.

Position coach: Chip Viney (cornerbacks), Brett Arce (safeties)

Returners: NB Treydan Stukes (R-Sr.), S Dalton Johnson (R-Sr.), S Genesis Smith (Jr.), CB Marquis Groves-Killebrew (R-Jr.), S Jack Luttrell (R-So.), S Gavin Hunter (R-So.), CB Johno Price (R-So.), DB Devin Dunn (R-Jr.), DB Nela Taliauli (R-Fr.), DB Quinn Olson (R-Fr.)

Departures: Tacario Davis, Gunner Maldonado, Owen Goss, Demetrius Freeney, Emmanuel Karnley, Elijah Brown, Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine

Transfer portal additions (previous school): CB Jay’Vion Cole (Texas), CB Michael Dansby (San Jose State), S JShawn Frausto-Ramos (Stanford), CB Ayden Garnes (West Virginia)

Other newcomers: CB Dajon Hinton (Fr.), S Kason Brown (Fr.), S Coleman Patmon (Fr.), CB Swayde Griffin (Fr.), CB Gianni Edwards (Fr.)

The rundown: The heart and soul of Arizona’s defense is a trio in the secondary: Stukes, Johnson and Smith.

They’re the only scholarship defensive backs at Arizona with at least two seasons under their belts at the UA, and they’re the Wildcats’ most experienced with a combined 11 seasons — nine from Stukes and Johnson.

Stukes, Johnson and Smith have combined for 431 tackles, eight interceptions, eight forced fumbles and 29 pass deflections in a combined 4,550 defensive snaps. Stukes said, “We take our roles as leaders seriously and be role models any way we can, just trying to make sure everyone is on the same page and holding everyone accountable.”

Entering last season, Stukes was called college football’s “best-kept secret” by former UA defensive coordinator and defensive backs guru Duane Akina, but Stukes’ would-be final season at Arizona was cut short due to a season-ending knee injury. Stukes medically redshirted and returned to the Wildcats for his last hurrah as a college player.

Stukes, Johnson and Smith briefly entered the transfer portal in December, but opted to return for another season at Arizona.

“They believe in what we’re doing because they had a bunch of people try to get them to escape Tucson and they wouldn’t leave,” said Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales. “They believe in what we’re doing.”

Stukes said he didn’t enter the transfer portal “looking for a place to go.”

“I was just kind of protecting myself in a way, just so that I wouldn’t be trapped here, trapped somewhere else if, heaven forbid, something went wrong,” Stukes added. “I was in constant communication with all my guys. We were all talking about what’s going on, what we were thinking.

“I was talking to (head coach Brent Brennan) and Coach G the entire time and they did a great job just re-recruiting. They just reset it, laid out what they got planned. I trust them.”

Stukes, who has experience at nickel back and cornerback, wasn’t the only devastating injury in Arizona’s secondary last season. The Wildcats also lost Maldonado, a multi-year starter who’s now at Kansas State, to a season-ending knee injury. Arizona’s injury-riddled defense was mostly depleted in the secondary after playing 13 defensive backs last season.

Even Davis, who transferred to Washington, was impacted by injuries throughout the season despite playing in 11 games.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

The injuries thrust other defensive backs into more prominent roles; “the race to maturity,” as Brennan called it. Like Smith, who started at three different positions in Arizona’s secondary last season and had the third-most tackles (63) for the Wildcats, along with six pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Smith earned Co-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors following Arizona’s win over Houston.

“Once Gunner Maldonado went down, it meant Genesis had to step up,” Johnson said. “I think he did a great job at that. Now, after getting that experience, one thing I noticed in spring ball was his voice and his energy. If I had a bad day mentally, Gen was the one lifting me up and vice versa. He’s young, but I can count on him as a vet.”

The 6-2, 202-pound Smith “has grown as a player and as a man,” Stukes said.

“I think that’ll be evident,” Stukes said. “The game is going to slow down for him. If you haven’t heard of the name yet, you will this year.”

In the spring, Smith was among the top playmakers on defense for the Wildcats and consistently produced interceptions and tackles near or behind the line of scrimmage. Smith “could be the best defensive football player in the league this year if he does the things he did in spring ball,” Gonzales said.

Johnson (strong safety), Stukes (nickel back) and Smith (free safety) are the seasoned veterans that headline Arizona’s secondary, however, the Wildcats have other players who benefitted from injuries and earned playing time, like Groves-Killebrew, who started six games for the Wildcats last season after transferring from Louisville. Luttrell, a Tennessee transfer, played nearly 400 defensive snaps and tied Smith for a team-high three interceptions last season.

“We have a lot of ballhawks, dudes making plays on the ball each and every play in the spring,” Smith said. “We just gotta continue to pursue the ball and be physical.”

Still, the Wildcats needed to bolster their secondary after losing two starters (Davis and Maldonado) and several other depth pieces, after having the 12th-best passing defense in the Big 12 — and the 14th-most interceptions. Arizona added nine defensive backs in the offseason, including four from the portal — who are all expected to have significant roles.

The aforementioned transfers have played a combined 4,630 defensive snaps in their college careers, according to Pro Football Focus.

Cole, who previously played for Brennan and Viney at San Jose State before his lone season at Texas, could conceivably start at cornerback opposite of Groves-Killebrew. Cole, who Viney called “Steady Eddie,” was consistently a starter during team periods in the spring.

“He’s a young man that shows up every day and is always ready to work,” Viney said. “Jay’Vion has grown tremendously not just physically, but the mental capacity and football IQ part of the game. He’s a young man that we’re really pleased with thus far.”

Stukes, Johnson and Smith are bona fide starters, but determining other spots in the secondary will be decided in training camp and the days leading up to the season.

The Wildcats could also turn to their five freshmen at defensive back. Four of those defensive backs hail from Texas; Hinton, the son of former UA defensive back David Hinton, was an early enrollee in the spring after a standout career at Chandler Hamilton.

Gonzales said, “With all of the injuries we went through last year, we weren’t deep enough on either side of the ball.”

“Those guys that came in (last season), they gained some experience, but they were obviously not good enough to compete at a high level in the Big 12,” said Arizona’s defensive coordinator. “The Big 12, from top to bottom, is a very competitive league. If you can stay healthy, you have a chance to make a run like those guys up north (Arizona State) did.

“We addressed that issue and we’re significantly deeper across the board. ... I’m really excited about what we did in the portal on our side of the ball. We’ve got a little bit more depth than we had last year. We need a little bit of luck to stay healthy, which every good football team has, and that’s the direction we’re headed.”

Gonzales is known to have an aggressive style of defense from his days as a defensive play-caller at Arizona State and San Diego State. The Gonzales-led defense will have some new elements this season, whether it’s disguised blitzes or a 3-3-5 scheme.

“Coach G is a super smart guy,” Stukes said. “He’s got a couple of different things that we’re going to work in this year. We’ll have some similar stuff from last year, but as far as how our style is going to look, he puts people in positions to showcase their ability and make the most out of their talent. ...

“As long as everyone is on the same page and playing at a high level, we’re going to have the chance to be pretty good.”