For the first time in over three months, the Arizona Wildcats are hitting the practice field.
Arizona’s first practice of its month-long preseason training camp will have 35 new scholarship players who weren’t a part of the Wildcats’ 10-3 season that was capped by the come-from-behind win over Oklahoma at the Alamo Bowl.
Although the Wildcats will have dozens of new faces on the roster, mostly due to the transfer portal, Arizona returns a nucleus of players who galvanized a majority of the roster to stay at the UA for the program’s inaugural season in the Big 12 — and the first under new head coach Brent Brennan.
With most of its starters returning, coupled with a batch of impactful transfer portal additions, the Wildcats have aspirations to make a splash in the first year of a new conference and vie for a bid in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
First-year Arizona football coach Brent Brennan answers questions during a media luncheon Tuesday at Arizona Stadium ahead of the start of the Wildcats’ fall 2024 preseason training camp.
As Arizona training camp kicks off this week, here are five keys to keep an eye on:
Defensive line rotation
Once again, Arizona’s defensive line is the biggest question mark for the Wildcats entering the season after another overhaul of players. After losing nine scholarship defensive linemen from the 2023 team, including all four starters, the Wildcats signed seven scholarship defensive linemen in the transfer portal this offseason.
Defensive lineman Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei gets tangled up by offensive lineman Joseph Borjon during an Arizona’s spring practice session at Arizona Stadium on April 2.
The most notable defensive linemen additions from the 2024 recruiting cycle include Tre Smith (San Jose State), Stanley Ta’ufo’ou (USC), Kevon Darton (Syracuse), Lance Keneley (Stanford), Chubba Ma’ae (UC Davis), Chase Kennedy (Utah), Jarra Anderson (Memphis) and Cyrus Durham (College of San Mateo).
Smith, an All-Mountain West edge rusher, emerged as a potential breakout star for Arizona in the spring and could step into a role similar to Taylor Upshaw, who led the Wildcats in sacks last season. Ta’ufo’ou (6-2, 275 pounds) and Darton (5-11, 271 pounds) are Arizona’s most experienced defensive linemen and are both entering their sixth season playing college football. Keneley, who played at Stanford while UA defensive coordinator Duane Akina was a defensive backs assistant coach for the Cardinal, played in 32 games over four years at defensive end.
The 6-2, 347-pound Ma’ae, who weighed nearly 400 pounds before he transferred, took over at nose tackle in the spring once former standout Bill Norton transferred to Texas. Kennedy, a 6-3, 231-pound Dallas native, played in six games for the Utes last season as a redshirt freshman, while the versatile Anderson totaled 10 tackles in 11 games.
Besides the transfer portal players, Arizona has a cast of emerging talent, including Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, who has been among the most productive role players on the UA defensive line, with 35 tackles, 5.5 stops for loss and two sacks in two seasons. The 6-4, 285-pound Uiagalelei could either play three-technique at defensive tackle or edge rusher. Additionally, redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Isaiah Johnson, who made his debut last season against Washington, defensive ends Dominic Lolesio and Sterling Lane II, who both played meaningful snaps in the second half of Arizona’s 38-35 win over Colorado in Boulder, are ascending Arizona’s depth chart.
Arizona rotated roughly eight or nine defensive linemen during games last season, which preserved their energy in the fourth quarter and kept them fresh, a key component to the turnaround in stopping the run from 2022 to ‘23.
The mainstays in Arizona’s defensive line could be determined during training camp or in the early stages of the season.
Quarterback Noah Fifita steps up in a collapsing pocket during the University of Arizona’s spring game back in April.
Battle for right guard, left tackle
Although four starters return on Arizona’s offensive line, three of them have solidified their spot: right tackle and potential first-round NFL Draft pick Jonah Savaiinaea, center Josh Baker and left guard Wendell Moe.
Sophomore Raymond Pulido, a former four-star recruit and one-time Alabama commit from Apple Valley, California, played tackle in high school and took over for longtime starter and first-round pick Jordan Morgan, who’s now with the Green Bay Packers, in the Alamo Bowl. In his debut, after playing most of last season at right guard, the 6-6, 335-pound Pulido surrendered three sacks and six pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF also gave Pulido a 33.3 pass-blocking grade for his performance in the Alamo Bowl.
Pulido has the frame and potential to become a productive successor to Morgan, albeit he has struggled to stay healthy. Between an on-campus bicycle accident leading up to the season opener, a midseason ankle injury and a leg injury that sidelined him during the spring, Pulido’s health hasn’t been consistent. At left tackle, availability is the best ability. Pulido could start the season opener at left tackle, but the Wildcats also signed Oregon transfer and redshirt sophomore Michael Wooten, redshirt freshman Jonah Rodriguez from San Diego State, San Jose State transfer Ryan Stewart and freshman Matthew Lado, and return second-year tackle Rhino Tapa’toutai, who took second-team reps in the spring.
Besides left tackle, right guard will be among the most competitive position battles in training camp between redshirt junior Leif Magnuson, New Mexico transfer Shancco Matautia and Northwestern transfer Alexander Doost, among others. The 6-2, 346-pound Matautia — who was teammates with UA quarterback Noah Fifita, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, linebacker Jacob Manu and tight end Keyan Burnett at Servite High School in Anaheim, California — started 20 games at guard for the Lobos from 2021-23. Magnuson appeared in 11 games for the Wildcats at right guard last season and has an opportunity to take over a right guard spot that was previously manned by Pulido and Savaiinaea over the last two seasons.
Arizona linebacker Justin Flowe stands on the field during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Washington State on Oct. 14, 2023, in Pullman, Washington.
Brown is the new ‘Mike’
Preseason All-Big 12 weak-side linebacker Jacob Manu enters this season as “the best linebacker in the Big 12,” said Arizona linebackers coach Danny Gonzales on Tuesday.
Manu’s counterpart at “Mike” linebacker, “the guy who is going to be lining up next to him is Taye Brown,” Gonzales revealed. Brown, a 6-2, 230-pound sophomore and former Chandler Hamilton product, consistently started alongside Manu in the spring, but sophomore Kamuela Ka’aihue, who started against Utah last season, and former highly-touted recruit Justin Flowe were sprinkled in.
Brown appeared in every game last season for Arizona, mostly as a special teams contributor. He recorded six tackles, one quarterback hurry and one pass breakup in 2023.
“Taye has to match Manu’s level, if we want to be dominant on defense,” Gonzales said.
Added Gonzales: “Schematically, he knows what to do and how to do it. I think what he did from spring until where we’re at right now, physically, both in the weight room and athletically — I give him and (Ka’aihue) a lot of credit for where they came from when I first got here to where they’re at now, those guys have really improved themselves as football players.”
Although Flowe, who starred against run-heavy opponents last season, wasn’t selected as a starter, the redshirt junior — now donning zero as his jersey number — could have a blitzing, see ball-get ball role. Former UA edge rusher and outside linebacker Jeremy Mercier was used as a rover and quarterback spy in Arizona’s double-eagle flex defense, which was used after the opening possession in Arizona’s 38-point win over Washington State. Flowe’s explosive tackling and athleticism should find him a role.
Arizona cornerback Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine makes a celebratory confetti angel after the Wildcats defeated Oklahoma 38-24 in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio on Dec. 28, 2023.
Fifth defensive back
Good news for Arizona star cornerback Tacario Davis: his starting job is solidified, which wasn’t the case last year when Cal Poly transfer Dylan Wyatt started over him to begin the season. But like last year, Arizona is looking for a second starting cornerback with Ephesians Prysock transferring to Washington.
Arizona added cornerbacks Marquis Groves-Killebrew, who played at Louisville and Texas A&M, transfers Demetrius Freeney (Miami), Owen Goss (Colgate), Johno Price (College of San Mateo), and it returns redshirt sophomore Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine and redshirt freshman Emmanuel Karnley. The Wildcats could conceivably move Treydan Stukes, who’s currently starting at “Star,” back to cornerback, where he started his UA career, and start rising sophomore Genesis Smith at “Star.”
Stukes, safeties Gunner Maldonado and Dalton Johnson and Davis will all start Week 1, but the other defensive back in Arizona’s 4-2-5 defense could be determined before then.
Arizona running backs Rayshon Luke (21) and Anthony Wilhite (28) stay hydrated during spring football practice on April 23.
Running back hierarchy
After losing its top three rushers from last season, Arizona bolstered its running backs room by adding transfers Jacory Croskey-Merritt (New Mexico), Quali Conley (San Jose State) and Kedrick Reescano (Ole Miss) to a unit that returns 5-9, 175-pound junior Rayshon “Speedy” Luke, who is looking to have an elevated role this season, and redshirt freshman Brandon Johnson.
Croskey-Merritt, who rushed for 17 touchdowns last season, and Conley combined for 2,032 rushing yards last season and — in no particular order — will likely be the first two running backs on Arizona’s depth chart. Croskey-Merritt, Conley, Luke, Reescano, Johnson and walk-on Anthony Wilhite, a Tucson native, create a formidable rotation for an Arizona offense that has arguably the best quarterback-receiver tandem in college football in Fifita and McMillan.
