Arizona Wildcats Spring Football Preview, Part II: Defense

Main traffic (year): Defensive End Tre Smith (R-SR.), Defensive Tackle Chubba Ma'ae (R-SR.), Defensive End Chase Kennedy (R-Jr.), Defensive Tackle Isaiah Johnson (R-Jr.), Defensive End Sterling Lane II (R-Jr.), Defensive End Dominic Lolesio (R-SO.), Defensive Tackle Julian Savaiinaea (R-SO.), Defensive Tackle Jarra Anderson (R-SO.), Defensive end Eduwa Okundaye (R-Fr.)

Important departures: Defensive end Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei, defensive tackle stanley ta'ufo'ou, defensive tackle kevon darton, defensive end lance keneley, defensive tackle keanu mailoto

Important additions (previous school): Defensive Tackle Tiaoalii Savea (Texas), Defensive End Malachi Bailey (Alcorn State), Defensive Chancellor Owens (Northwestern State), Leroy Palu (Cerritos College)

The overview: Arizona's run defensive line in 2023 played a central role in the gymnastics and historic 10-win season of the program.

The UA defensive line also played a role in the 2024 4: 8 season of Wildcats, where it had the second worst rush defense in the Big 12 and allowed 175.3 rushing yards per game. The wildcats allowed five opponents to rush over 200 yards, including a 308-yard excursion against UCF, as she experienced injuries throughout the season.

Although Arizona returned a lion's share of last season, including Smith, the team leader in Sacken (4.5), he signed 10 defensive lines for his recruitment class 2025 -a Potpourri of high school players and transfers from FBS, FCS and Junior College levels. The wildcats also hired Salave'a, a member of the “Desert Swarm” and a well -known defensive trainer who replaced Joe Seumalo.

Arizona will be fully invited in the summer of the defense, but the depth and rotation of returnees and newcomers under Salave'a will be one of the most remarkable action strands in spring and training camps.

Salave'a said that Arizona's line of defense will “learn how to master the basics of equating great technology”.

“Physicality that run to the ball and everyone is responsible, take care of their responsibility are some of the things they will see from this group,” said Salave'a. “I think we have enough in this room to give ourselves a chance. It is easier to say than done, but I am excited that I go to the spring ball.

“The system is one thing, but you have to re -program and restart the mentality. This is one thing in which we will work hard in the defense area, our mentality and our approach to the game. Injuries, these things happen, but we have to build depth and thus create and increase the competition. … I'm looking forward to the opportunity to prove people. We had a history of successful defense units and we look forward to returning to this phase of the program and putting together a product that people are proud of. “

Trainer: Josh Bringuel, defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales, defender Ronnie Palmer

Main traffic (year): Taye Brown (Jr.), Justin Fure (R-Sr.), Leviticus Su'a (R-SO.), Stacy Bey (R-Fr.), Jabari Mann (R-Fr.)

Important departures: Jacob Manu, Kamuela Ka'aihue, Jared Small

Important additions (previous school): Blake Gotcher (Northwestern State), Max Harris (Texas State), Riley Wilson (Montana), Carter Jones (Create Luthern High School in Irvine, California)

The overview: The wildcats are without their ring guide in Manu, who suffered an injury to Colorado at the end of the season and moved to Washington to combine with head coach Jedd Fisch again.

Brown became a main support in Arizona's defense in the second year and had 69 duels and 2.5 sacks last season.

After four games in Arizona's Special team units, a former, raised recruit, redshirt. Despite the flash of pass-rushing and run-toping potential, Fure did not play in defense in 2024.

Gotcher had 162 duels, 10.5 stops for losses, 4.5 sacks, two fumbles and a intercept in the winlos season of the North Western State (0-12) in 2024.

Gotcher, Harris and Wilson, who was a consecutive selection of the All-Big Sky Conference Conference, were Arizona's additions to linebackers in the transfer portal. The Wildcats also add the Texas Linebacker Myron Robinson, who recently played in the Navy All-American Bowl in San Antonio.

Since Gonzales Duane Akina, which is today in Texas Defensive Backs Assistant, may use the Wildcats a 3-3-5 defense, a program that Gonzales used as a defensive player in the US state of San Diego and Arizona. The UA uses a 4-2-5 scheme for its basic defense.

Trainer: Chip viney (cornerbacks), Brett Arce (safety precautions and nickel back), gonzales (safety precautions))

Main traffic (year): Nickel Back Treydan Stukes (R-SR.), Security Dalton Johnson (R-SR.), Safety Genesis Smith (Jr.), Cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew (R-Jr.), Safety Jack Luttrell (R-SO.), Safety Gavin Hunter (R-SO.)

Important departures: Cornerback Tacario Davis, security shooter Maldonado, Security Owen Goss, Cornerback Emmanuel Karnley

Important additions (previous school): Cornerback Jay'vion Cole (Texas), Cornerback Michael Dansby (San Jose State), Safety JShawn Frausto-Ramos (Stanford), Cornerback Ayden Garnes (West Virginia), Cornerback Dajon Hinton (Chandler Hamilton High School), Cornerback Elijah Brown (El Camino College),

The overview: The transfer portal did not weaken Arizona's defensive secondary level, but it was tight.

Davis (Washington) and Maldonado (state of Kansas) were two-year-old starters who decided to spend their last college year at various goals. The current core of Arizona's defensive secondary class-Johnson, Smith and Stukes, who suffered an ACL injury at the end of the season and kept in the transfer portal with a redefine, but returned to Tucson for another season.

“There were opportunities – for these three people especially – financially better for them somewhere else,” said Gonzales about Stukes, Johnson and Smith. “You made the choice to come here to find what we build and what they belonged to.”

It is important to return the trio mentioned “because they have the experience (and) they have the talent,” said Gonzales.

“It doesn't matter how good these boys are when (defensive linemen) does not get to the quarterback and give them the chance to be great,” said Gonzales. It is not a wholesale in what we do so that the language is already there. Now we just make it towards being elite. “

This coming season could be a outbreak year for Smith who replaced Stukes in Nickel Back after his injury. Luttrell played free security instead of Smith and both had the most interceptions (3) last season. Due to injuries in the secondary level, Smith starts three positions in 2024: nickel, free security and strong security.

The 6: 2, 203-pound Smith was in the team with 63 Tackles. He was appointed the Big 12-Co defensive player of the week, at seven duels, a interception and a fiddly recovery in the 27:3 win of Arizona against Houston.

Smith and Johnson, who led the wildcats in Tackles (94) last season, could be back in the security of Arizona with Stukes near Nickel in the coming season.

The cornerback is one of the top positions. The Wildcats are returning to Grove-Killebrew, which begins with Karnley last season, but Arizona has signed three cornerbacks with starter experience at the FBS level: Cole, Dansby and Garnes. Stukes also spent the first three seasons of his UA career at Cornerback.

Arizona signed seven scholarship corners in his 2025 recruitment class. The wildcats have 10 newcomer defensive back for '25.