Rhino Tapa'atoutai charges back as 'inspirational leader' for Arizona Wildcats

FRISCO, Texas — Injuries played a significant role in Arizona’s 4-8 season in 2024, especially on defense and the offensive line.

No position group was impacted by injuries more than Arizona’s offensive line.

The Wildcats had seven different starting offensive lines and started 11 different players last season. The most impactful one was left tackle Rhino Tapa’atoutai’s season-ending knee injury against Colorado.

Arizona’s Alamo Bowl team in 2023 had six different starting offensive lines, but it was mostly due to changes at right guard between Raymond Pulido and Leif Magnuson — and left tackle Jordan Morgan opting out of the postseason to prepare for the NFL Draft game.

The final hit to Arizona’s offensive line last season was star tackle Jonah Savaiinaea, who played the previous 36 games, missing the Territorial Cup due to an injury he suffered against TCU. Even the most durable and talented offensive lineman at Arizona went down with a serious injury.

As a result, Arizona tied with UCF for the third-most sacks allowed (28) in the Big 12, however the Knights led the conference in rushing yards, while the Wildcats had the second-worst rushing offense in the Big 12. Arizona also surrendered 114 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

“Last year, that was a place that got bit by the injury bug pretty significantly and it impacted our ability to protect (quarterback Noah Fifita) and our ability to run the football,” said Arizona head coach Brent Brennan at Big 12 Media Days.

Since the season ended, Arizona added 14 scholarship offensive linemen, including six from the transfer portal. Arizona offensive line coach Josh Oglesby “is an outstanding O-Line coach and he’s done a good job of putting some pieces there from the portal and through high school,” Brennan said.

Even though the Wildcats lost a combined 7,371 snaps of experience on the offensive line in Savaiinaea, a second-round draft choice by the Miami Dolphins, center Josh Baker and guard Wendell Moe Jr., who transferred to Tennessee, Brennan said the Wildcats “are in a good spot” on the offensive line.

“Some of those guys haven’t practiced with us yet, and they will start (on July 30), so it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out,” Brennan said. “With that being said, you can never have enough O-Linemen, and you can’t ever have enough D-Linemen.

“Sometimes you have enough and you play the same five all year and it’s a fortunate way it goes. ... It’s better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.”

Broadened perspective

Arizona’s most experienced returners on the offensive line are Tapa’atoutai and Alexander Doost, a 6-7, 331-pound redshirt sophomore, who started the final nine games of the season at right guard and was named a Freshman All-American by PFF.

Tapa’atoutai, who was the only other UA offensive representative besides Fifita at Big 12 Media Days at Ford Center this week, “has probably been our most vocal leader and our most inspirational leader” this offseason, as he continues to rehabilitate his knee injury, Brennan said.

“In football, you train and practice so much and then you only get 12, 13, 14 games,” Brennan said. “The training part of it, you need someone to step out in front and inspire and drive and push the group every day. Every day in the offseason, that’s been Rhino and Noah.”

Added Fifita: “Even though he’s still in the rehab process, he’s in our warmups and is in our huddles. He’s been a loud voice for us and a great vocal leader. It’s been amazing to see how far he’s come since he’s shown up. ... You can see the confidence he walks around with. He’s been our leader for our offensive line and he deserves the right to be here (at Big 12 Media Days) to represent our offense and our team.”

Tapa’atoutai said the season-ending knee injury against Colorado “was the first major injury of my whole career.” The worst injury he endured was a fractured collarbone playing rugby in junior high in West Valley City, Utah.

Tapa’atoutai’s injury last season “was probably one of the most difficult moments of my life,” he said.

“But with every storm, there’s always a rainbow,” Tapa’atoutai said. “Nothing comes easy in life, and I learned that the hard way. It definitely gave me perspective. It helped me grow as a human and as a player. It’s been a great journey so far. ... I thought I was unstoppable. Injuries happen to everybody, but I thought it’d never happen to me.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

“It happened to me and it broadened my perspective on life and the game of football, to never take it for granted. It helped give me an edge and grow up faster.”

Before he was sidelined with a knee injury, Tapa’atoutai showed promise as a mainstay in the starting lineup. Then a redshirt freshman, he succeeded Morgan after Pulido, who started at left tackle for Morgan in the Alamo Bowl, left the team for personal reasons. Tapa’atouti manifested an opportunity to protect Fifita’s blindside in the pocket.

Although the redshirt freshman allowed a team-high 16 quarterback pressures, Tapa’atoutai only gave up two sacks. In Tapa’atoutai’s homecoming in Salt Lake City, the left tackle didn’t give up a sack in Arizona’s road win over No. 10 Utah last season.

“I actually prayed on it because as an early enrollee (in 2023), I was the only O-Linemen,” Tapa’atoutai said. “I know that Arizona had high expectations for me. At the time, I didn’t exceed them, but now that preparation and hard work has paid off. I’m definitely not done and it’s a part of the journey, so I’m going to keep grinding and working.”

Tapa’atoutai played in six games and was unable to redshirt, but he gained valuable in-game experience. It took Morgan three seasons before he was in the conversation to become an NFL player — and he took lumps along the way. Tapa’atoutai is no different.

“You’re not going to learn unless you’re thrown out there,” he said. “We didn’t do the best last year, but it definitely helped me grow to become better as a player. Playing in our conference, we’ve got a lot of tough teams, so it forced me out of my box and my bubble. I can say with full confidence that this year will be a whole different year and it’ll be better.”

Tapa’atoutai missed the entirety of Arizona’s spring practice schedule in March and April and went through “lots of recovery, lots of work and making sure I’m at the correct weight and muscle-to-bone ratio,” he said. Tapa’atoutai said he worked with Arizona’s strength and conditioning staff “daily to help me get right and get ready for the season.”

While Tapa’atoutai recovered in the spring, Arizona’s tackles consisted of Texas Tech transfer Ty Buchanan, Michigan transfer Tristan Bounds, redshirt junior Michael Wooten and redshirt freshman Matthew Lado.

Nine of the 14 newcomers on Arizona’s offensive line will practice for the first time in preseason training camp. In total, Arizona is adding 4,216 pounds to its offensive line this season — a literal rhinoceros. It’s a group that likely won’t get sorted until closer to Arizona’s season opener against Hawaii on Aug. 30 — or even during the season.

“We’re actually the position group with the most new faces in the room,” Tapa’atoutai said. “We know how important this is for us to buy into the program and buy into each other.”

Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege didn’t rule out the possibility of Tapa’atoutai moving inside to guard, but “it hasn’t” been discussed, Tapa’atoutai said.

“But I’ll play wherever the coach puts me,” he added. “I’ll be the best teammate that I can.”

Different in a good way

Tapa’atoutai is expected to participate and practice in training camp in just over two weeks. It’ll be Tapa’atoutai’s first experience in Doege’s uptempo system, but the left tackle immersed himself in the offense during practices and studied his responsibilities while observing team periods.

“It’s different — different as in good,” Tapa’atoutai said of Doege’s offense. “It’s probably the best offense I’ve ever been around and learned. The mentality, we’re coming in with is a different mentality this year. Our offensive philosophy is to play with violence, expect to score and trust in one another; that’s it.”

With Tapa’atoutai as the ringleader of the offensive line, “you can see their work ethic and their discipline,” Fifita said.

“They take last year personal,” said Arizona’s quarterback. “Even though a lot of them weren’t here last year, they take it personal every time someone talks about the hits that I’ve taken. I take it personal, as well, because as much as they protect me, I have to protect them by getting the ball out quick and getting them right. ... To see them working and have that chip on their shoulder, it’s been great.”

Tapa’atoutai is “excited for the future” and to represent “a small city with a big heart and a small school with a big heart,” he said.

“The good thing about us is that we have an edge,” Tapa’atoutai said. “We’re all working towards that Big 12 championship. I’m confident in the guys, and we’re all coming together.

“It’s just different this year. Everyone is buying into the program. It’s a process, but there’s no doubt that we’ll be solid this year.”