Arizona's Jordan Morgan, Jacob Cowing, Michael Wiley, Tanner McLachlan to participate in NFL Draft combine

Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan, running back Michael Wiley, wide receiver Jacob Cowing and tight end Tanner McLachlan will head to Indianapolis later this month to show their stuff for NFL coaches, scouts and general managers at the NFL Draft Combine.

The UA quartet are part of the 321-player combine, which spans from Feb. 26-March 4, and features the top college football players preparing for the NFL Draft in Detroit in April.

Morgan, a potential first-round choice, recently played in the Senior Bowl along with Cowing and Wiley — albeit Morgan was the only player to receive snaps. Wiley was voted top running back by linebackers during Senior Bowl practices.

Following a season-ending knee injury in 2022, Morgan returned to the Wildcats for his final season of eligibility and became an All-Pac-12 first-team and Associated Press All-Pac-12 first-team honors, before opting out of Arizona’s win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl to prep for his NFL future.

Morgan started all 12 regular-season games and only allowed two sacks in 787 snaps. Morgan had the eighth-best pass-blocking grade (86.2) in college football for tackles with at least 700 snaps played, according to Pro Football Focus.

Morgan is in position to become the next Tucson-area prospect taken in the first round. In April, the Atlanta Falcons selected Tucson-raised running back and former Salpointe Catholic star Bijan Robinson at No. 8 overall. Robinson, offensive lineman John Fina and defensive lineman Mike Dawson are the only Tucson NFL first-rounders. Fina, who was drafted in 1992, is the last UA offensive lineman taken in the first round. Morgan is a lock to become the first UA offensive lineman drafted since Eben Britton in 2009.

“Morgan is one of my favorite pass-protectors in this class,” said ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., who projected Morgan to land at No. 24 to the Dallas Cowboys. “I love the way he moves his feet and handles twists and stunts. He started 35 games at left tackle in college, which would make him a perfect fit to replace Tyron Smith.”

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Wiley, a member of Arizona’s 2019 recruiting class and a three-year starter, is the Wildcats’ all-time receiving leader for a running back (1,150 yards and 12 touchdowns). He finished his UA career with 1,712 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.

Wiley scored eight touchdowns in the Territorial Cup game over his five-year career; he was named the Territorial Cup MVP in 2022 for his 214-yard, three-touchdown performance. Wiley scored the only touchdown in Arizona’s 70-7 loss to Arizona State in the pandemic-influenced 2020 season.

Wiley scored a touchdown in the final five games of the 2021 season, then scored in seven of 11 appearances in ‘22; he scored in four contests this season, however missed three games with an ankle injury.

Cowing, who suffered a right leg injury during Senior Bowl practices, ended his career seventh all time in college football’s bowl subdivision (former Division I-A) with 4,477 career yards and ninth with 316 receptions. The slot receiver’s two touchdowns in the Alamo Bowl earned him the game’s MVP honors and made him first in program history in single-season touchdowns (13). Cowing’s 175 catches in two seasons at the UA places him fifth on the school’s all-time receptions list.

“It’s super exciting. I’ve dreamt about (the NFL Draft) ever since I was 8 years old and put them cleats on for the first time,” Cowing told the Star before the Alamo Bowl. “Now that everything is happening, it’s so exciting but I’m also very humbled by the whole situation. All the hard work that I put in for years and years and years, it’s paying off but at the same time, I’m still not satisfied with where I’m at, so I still have more to do.”

McLachlan, a 6-5, 245-pound native of Alberta, Canada, played two seasons for the Wildcats after starting his college career at Southern Utah. McLachlan emerged as a mainstay in Arizona’s offense during the 2022 season and caught 79 passes in two seasons, the most receptions by an Arizona tight end, passing Rob Gronkowski. McLachlan accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl, but a lingering undisclosed injury from this past season kept him from playing; he’s currently training in Nashville, Tennessee.

McLachlan, Cowing and Wiley are projected as Day 3 (rounds 4-7) prospects for the NFL Draft.

Coverage for the NFL Draft Combine begins on Thursday, Feb. 29 at 1 p.m. on NFL Network. Tight ends and defensive backs start on March 1 at 1 p.m. Quarterbacks, running backs and receivers are slated for Saturday, March 2 at 11 a.m., and offensive linemen are scheduled for Sunday, March 3 at 11 a.m.