Spring FB kicks off in just weeks. Everyone is still focused on getting the NC is Basketball and they should be, but this is a run down of where we are on the FB roster as we enter Spring Camp.
Currently there are 96 players on campus and 8 that are coming in the early summer by the schedule. The new roster has been updated on the Arizona website. That means there could still be one additional player added prior to Fall Camp.
The 8 players coming:
4 star OT Justin Morales from El Paso Texas. He is listed at 6'4" 265 lbs. He may need to add some weight/strength his first year, but has the foot speed to cover those quicker edge rushers.
4 star OT Malachi Joyner from Gilbert Arizona. He has good size and ability. He is listed at 6'4" 290 lbs. I could see him playing some his first season on campus, but coming in during the summer rather than the Spring may set him back on that.
3 star LB Jaden Parker from Anna Texas. At 6'1" 225 lbs he has the size and build that says he is ready to contribute early. Again, coming in the summer sets him back a little in learning the system.
3 start JC DL Kevin Moorer from Hutchison CC in Kansas, originally from Mobil Alabama. At 6'4" 277 lbs, he adds depth to the DE position and will likely find a spot in the rotation this year.
3 star IOL Nathan Allen from Carlsbad California. He is listed at 6'5" 275 lbs. He is supposed to be serving an LDS mission and if so will delay his college game for two years.
3 star Edge Harvie Moeai from Lehi Utah. He is listed at 6'4" 225 lbs and also is supposed to serve an LDS mission which will delay his game for two years.
3 star WR Hamisi Juma has been a long time commit who has yet to sign his LOI. I have not heard anything about him not coming to Arizona. He is listed at at 6'4" 195 lbs and would be a solid addition to our WR room. I am not sure he would see any time this year with the depth we have at the WR position.
Late transfer commit 3 start Edge Victory Johnson from Cal Poly. Originally from San Diego California comes in at 6'4" 250 lbs. We could see him in the rotation as the season goes on, but he could also RS like Ezra Funa did last season.
There is room for one more addition to the roster at this point and time. Things could shift a little if any of these players decide to change directions.
The rest of the updates will be position and not include the players already listed as they are not on campus for Spring Camp.
The first position group I want to discuss is the Special Teams positions. There are three critical ones to consider including the LS, K, and P. Let's look at what we are heading into Spring Camp with.
We enter Camp with two Long Snapper's which provides a little competition and at least one reserve providing we have an injury at the position.
RS JR Drew Nicholson transfers in from Arkansas State, but originally from Corona del Sol HS in Tempe. He brings some experience and his return to his home state.
RS FR Broden Molen is from Great Falls Montana and has been with the team for a year but hasn't seen any PT.
We enter Camp with two designated Punters.
JR Carter Schwartz transfers in from Louisville. He also attended HS in Louisville. He has no statistics logged at Louisville.
FR Chase Ridley was listed as being a transfer from W Virginia and is originally from Perth Australia.
We hope we find success with one of these two so that our Kicker is not also our Punter.
Coming into Camp with only one kicker on the roster is a little scary to be honest. With that Kicker being a player who struggled at times last year it kinda worries me. JR Michael Salgado-Medina struggled for sure at times last season. Hopefully we start the season with a clear cut starter at Punter so the he does not have to cover both kicking jobs. I believe that could be a real bad thing.
Let's talk QB's.
I love this position group. I may repeat that later as well, but I do!
RS SR Noah Fifita is a household name by now I shouldn't have to even say anything more. The ALL-time leader in passing at Arizona comes back for another year! This will be the first time he has had the same position coach two years in a row and it should show up on the field. Yes, the OL will be a major factor on our offensive production this year, but we certainly have one of the best starting QB's in the country. He may be listed at 5'10" 190, but he ain't that tall.
WO RS SO Mason Bray actually played some last season. I doubt we see that repeated this year unless we are winning by a mile is some mop up time. He lists at 6'1" 188 lbs.
RS FR Sawyer Anderson has a winner's passion about his game. He won 4 state championships in HS! Like Fifita, don't let his small stature taint you on his leadership abilities. Sawyer is listed at 5'11" 181 lbs. I love this kids mental attitude!
RS FR Luke Haugo has size (6'5" 204 lbs) and talent to contend for a future starting position, but right now he may be buried on the depth chart. Depth is critical in a long season and having been on campus for a year is certainly a good thing.
FR Oscar Rios comes in with all the hype and he has the talent to match it. What is lacking? Strength? At 6'3" 170 lbs, he will need to add some strength to his frame. He has all conference ability once he takes the reigns, just not this year.
This is a young and talented position group behind Fifita, but one the staff is very high on.
https://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/noah_fifitas_case_to_be_the_big_12s_best_quarterback/s1_17446_43562521
If we avoid injuries at this position we should have a very solid season.
Let's stay in the Offensive Backfield and look at the strength of the RB room.
Unlike the QB position where we will be playing talented but unexperienced players if Noah were to go down, the RB room is loaded with experience.
RS SR Quincy Craig will be in his final year and will also find himself as healthy as he has been since his HS days. We have seen some of his potential already and I expect he will shine in his limited moments this coming season. I say limited only because of the amount of talent in the room.
RS SR Antwan Roberts transfers in from Marshall where he is already familiar with our OC and had over 500 rushing yards last season. He is originally from Hendersonville Tennessee and brings great pass catching ability as well as a solid rushing attack. At 6'0" 203 lbs. he will see the rotation often along with Craig. Sharing the load with so many in the backfield will cause his carries to be limited like Craig's, so expect both Craig and Roberts to be used in the passing game.
Walk-on RS SR Anthony Wilhite as been a steady contributor on our practice team and should be recognized for his contributions while he has been a part of this program.
SR Kedrick Reescano will likely start most games and should shine this season as the primary back in a loaded backfield room.
SO Wesley YarBrough may be the most talented back in the room. I expect him also to share the load and that cuts the number of reps each back gets. I hope we can hold onto him next year because we have so many seniors on the roster. This kid's game really excites me.
RS FR Cornelius Warren 3rd did RS last year as he needed to ass some size to his frame. He is still adding and building. If we do not see a lot of him this year is will not be because of a lack of talent. WE have a loaded backfield and he knows his best days are coming. He is listed at 177 lbs now and hopefully will continue to build on that frame without hurting speed.
This is a very strong position group but has one weakness. So many seniors! Only two of these players will be back next year if we can retain both of them.
https://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/trio_of_wildcats_impress_during_spring_football_without_reescano_craig/s1_17446_43673569
https://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/this_arizona_position_room_poised_for_impressive_season/s1_17446_43673372
The TE position looked so good last year before the season started. Then we lost Powell in the first series of the season. That and Burnett left the team for the portal. Ford was just a freshman and had his share of injuries early on bringing about his not playing at al last year. Now we are looking pretty good again but we know what can happen quickly when things go bad. Here is what we have going into the Spring.
RS SR Tyler Powell is finally healthy and has all the potential to be a real star in our offense. Only time will tell. He has the build and talent to be a game changer.
RS SR Cole Rusk transfers in from Illinois after one year following his transfer from Murray State. That followed his transfer from Eastern Michigan. Now he is in his RS SR season at Arizona. he is a four star transfer because of his success at Illinois last year. At 6'5" 250 lbs, he has the size, strength, and look of a possible draft selection in next years draft. He has 58 catches for 729 yards and 7 TDs in his career. Will he achieve that? Time will tell, but he looks real good on paper. He is originally from Rock Island Illinois.
Walk-on RS JR Tyler Mustain
RS SO Arthur Ban comes in also with good size at 6'4" 245 lbs from SDSU where he spent two years. He is from Portland Oregon area in HS. He had no stats at SDSU so it is a wait and see situation.
RS FR Kellan Ford looks healthy and should be a part of the rotation this year
RS FR Shane King transfers in from Southern Miss and is originally from Gainesville Florida. he lists at 6'3" 236 lbs. Shane had 2 receptions for 24 yards as a freshman and retained his RS.
FR Henry Gabalis comes in from Duvall Washington at 6'6" 232 lbs. He has great hands and should be a real force for us in the future. That future could be this year IF the transfers do not pan out.
The depth we have is really solid if these transfers are half good. This position looks to really pick up production this year over last years.
www.yardbarker.com/general_sports/articles/arizona_has_rebulit_this_position_room_ahead_of_2026_season/s1_17446_43673730
Here is a good look at the WR room this Spring and I believe we are in pretty good shape this season.
RS SR Chris Hunter has all the potential and has shown a few flashes but just hasn't broken through with consistent play at any point. Maybe this can be "His" year?
SR Rodney Gallagher 3 transfers in from West Virginia at 5'10" and 177 lbs. He was the 314th player in the class as a 4 star guy with 22 offers out of HS. Originally from Uniontown PA. He has 64 career catches for 605 yards. Let's see if he can spark that four star talent his last year up.
JR Jordan Ross transfers from Colorado State and is originally from Downey Cal. He is listed at 5'10" 171 lbs. and was a 3 star guy rated 481 nationally out of HS. He had 12 solid offers out of HS. His stats are 26 receptions for 302 yards and 1 TD.
RS JR Tre Spivey is a known asset. He should be a star this coming season!
SO Gio Richardson is also a know asset and should shine big for us this season.
SO Isaiah Mizell is like Mr Speed. I expect some type of break out play from him this year.
RS SO Brando Phelps set all kinds of HS records in Arizona. I expect him to be used a lot more this coming season.
WO RS SO Jordan McCord 3 works a lot in our practice setting. I believe we need to mention the efforts these kids put in.
SO DJ Jordan transfers in from USC where he RS'd his freshman year but did record five receptions for 38 yards. He was a 4 star kid rated the 141st player in the class of 2025. At 5'11" 178 lbs, the talent is there to become a real star here at Arizona.
WO RS FR Scotty Brennan is the coaches son. Good kid.
WO RS FR Landon Kelsey
FR Caleb Smith comes in light at 5'8" 166 lbs, but should be an entertaining player in our future. He was rated the 1116th best player in the class. I believe only that low because of his smaller size. He is a better player than his size would promote.
FR RJ Mosley is a big time get for the program! Rated the 117th best player in the class, he is the type of player we do not usually land. He has size and ability to play right away. At 6'3" 199 lbs he is out of Pittsburg Cal.
Quite the class coming in this year and I am excited to see how everything shakes out with Fifita having the same OC for the first time in his career here.
Finishing up the Offense in looking at the state of the OL. Many people were surprised and disappointed we did not hammer the OL group in the portal, but IO sense the staff is really pleased with what they have and who they did bring in. Let's take a look.
6th Y Tristan Bounds looks to anchor the right side of the OL and if he stays healthy the staff feels that will be accomplished. I for one am thrilled to have him back. Starting OT on the right side.
RS SR Grayson Stovall is a great kid. The team and staff love him. The issue is that he may just not have the mean streak it takes to be a starter. I do like having a solid backup C though as far as that goes.
SR Isaac Perez is an interesting addition from last year. Not much has been said of his progress. At one time he was supposed to be a rotation guy, then not much.
RS JR Jake Griffin transfers in from BYU where he really did not do much as far as seeing the field. He has the size and he will now be playing with his brother. Only time will tell if he can crack the rotation, but BYU usually has really solid line play and that could contribute to him not seeing much PT. At 6'5" 309 lbs he could be a positive contributor, or even a potential starter.
RS JR Alexander Doost should boost the OL at the LG position. I feel really solid about saying that.
RS JR Keona Peat has finally added the much needed weight he was lacking. We all love his brother and maybe his play will enable him to get into the rotation at some point.
RS JR Nathan Hale transfers in from SJSU where the staff is very familiar with his play. I have some hope he will be a solid rotation player for us this year. The staff did not hesitate to add him from the portal. At 6'4" 307 lbs he could fit in nicely.
RS JR Zach Henning transfers in from Washington and while his play was limited, he should be our new starting C. That is where we are standing with his abilities. He comes in at 6'4" 299 lbs.
RS JR Rhino Tapa'atoutai was thought to be our starting LT where he seemed to excel when he arrived on campus. Those plans turned south following a serious knee injury. He has not gotten his lateral speed back through last season and it remains to be seen if he will. The positive is that he can move to the inside and play there without the quick step. We will watch his development from this point forward. He will be playing somewhere. Starting RG.
RS SO Matthew Lado Has looked like a solid rotation guy adding depth to our OL, but likely the starting LT going into Spring.
RS FR Sione Tohi is huge and looks to be a solid contributor on the interior of the OL. Will he crack the starting line up? Time will tell, but having his depth there is a positive.
RS FR Javion Goo looks really good from reports and will likely be used somewhere in the rotation if he cannot crack the starting line up.
RS FR Jaxon Griffin is developing for depth but may be a year away from being an impact player. But, isn't that what Spring Camp is all about? Kid could surprise.
RS FR Louis Akpa looks really good on the outside. I would expect him to compete for the starting LT position at some point.
FR Khalil Sanogo comes in at 6'4" 328 lbs and looks ready to play size and strength wise. IF he has a solid camp he could be a factor in the rotation on the inside.
We have some very talented 4 star guys coming in the fall. IF they were here early we might have seen them more this coming fall, but they will be here in the summer the way it is. I am excited to see them added to the roster when it happens.
Switching sides of the ball to D we go into the DL first. I love this position group!
6th Y Tre Smith is a known asset and if his recovery goes well he should actually be an improved player because of his mental growth in the game this last two years. Thankful he is returning!
SR Leroy Palu really came into his own last year and will be a big part of our D front this year as well.
RS JR Zach Siulepa is huge and came in so late last year that he really did not get to shine until later in the year. He may need to lose a few pounds to be a force, but he will be in the game.
RS JR Ezra Funa is a name that we barely heard last year. He came in late and then decided to RS. He has game and will be a big part of our D front this year.
WO RS JR Christian Madoski has been with our practice squad for some time and really helps our practices in game prep.
RS JR Dominic Lolesio is a really nice rotational player that could start at other schools. Depth is awesome on that front where we need to rotate so often.
JR Julian Savaiinaea has become a really solid rotational player as he has added size the last two years. I expect even more from him this coming year.
SO Mays Pese became a star on D last year as a freshman and should be even better this year. Ex[ect a nice jump in his play this year! One of my favorite players to be honest.
RS FR Porter Patton came in really light for his height and has added some good weight and strength. I am not sure where he is on the depth chart, but his main contributions may be another year or two away.
FR Keytrin Harris come in at 6'6" 318 lbs and looks ready to compete right away. He has something about him that sets him apart from most freshmen. I do not expect him to RS! He is from Vegas but switched to Arizona Compass Prep to finish his HS. This Spring allows him to compete right away.
FR Prince Williams come from Vegas and was the Nevada POY. He is listed at 6'3" 264 lbs and looks ready to compete right away. He is not your normal freshman and he had offers everywhere!
FR Kaisi Lafitaga comes from Pago Pago American Samoa and was found and recruited by Joe Salave'a. He is a gem though few knew about him. He could play OG, but is listed with the D initially. He has great size at 6'2" 301 lbs. and time will tell how good he can be.
FR Manoah Faupusa is large! He come in at 6'0" 381 lbs from Rancho Santa Margarita HS. He may need to drop some weight but seems to move well with it. With the depth at DL, I do not know how much he will see the field this Fall, but quality depth is difficult to find.
This freshman class is actually an outstanding DL class. The future is bright on our DL.
What do we have at LB? I know we have added to this position group several players. I know Myron Robinson is a run stopping wall, but will also still be in recovery early on. The returning contributors look solid, but is that enough? Hopefully we will have the right mix to take a step forward this year.
RS SR Chase Kennedy has been a solid rotational player and continues to improve each year. I expect that trend will continue this year.
SR Taye Brown is another solid piece of this group that fits the same description. Neither are superstars, but both do very well when they are playing. Both could be starters and maybe should.
SR Everett Roussaw Jr comes to us from Memphis at 6'2" 235 lbs and will be a nice addition to the group. His stats at Memphis include 189 tackles, 89 of which are solos, 6.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 int. This is a player with a great amount of experience. I look forward to what he adds to the group.
WO RS SR Brandon Craddock has been a dedicated Wildcat since he stepped onto campus and loves the game and the team.
SR Cooper Blomstrom comes to us from Georgetown. It is never easy to see how a player will adjust moving up into a P4 program from a smaller school. His stats are not bad and IF he can make the jump it might be interesting to see where he fits. His career stats include 61 solo tackles and 45 assists, 2 pass breakups, 14.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 1 int.
RS JR Leviticus Su'a who came in highly regarded but has yet to make an impact. Maybe he can see the field this year? He had an injury in 2024 that kept him from playing. Not sure where he fits into the rotation at this point. IF the staff was sure on him they may not have taken so many new LBs.
WO RS JR Dominic Hanger is another great kid that loves the game and the team. Just need to be mentioned.
RS SO Jabari Mann really came into his own last year and should continue to improve this season as well. Looks to be a solid rotation guy at the least.
SO Coleman Patmon is a really good cover guy who is dropping down to LB. I know he can cover and tackles well. How it translates to LB? We shall see.
SO Myron Robinson is a stud on the run stop! We are not sure how long his recovery will be or if he will be 100% back. Prayers are that he regains his full abilities.
WO RS SO Nela Taliauli is another young walk-on we are happy to have.
WO RS SO Jacob Buggie, is another young walk-on guy we are happy to have.
RS FR Carter Jones continues to improve and I do not know where he fits into any rotation at this point. Maybe we can see where all these guys shuffle out by the end of Spring Camp.
FR Dash Fifita isn't big, but may have the biggest heart off this position group. He has done so much in his HS career that I cannot doubt his abilities and natural instincts for the ball. I believe he will fit in to our future plans for sure.
This not a weak position group, but could turn into something really powerful if these additions are the real deal.
Finally we will look at what kind of rebuilt Defensive Backfield we will have this coming year. Spring view anyway.
We just lost a special group of players and they played so well together too. What is next?
RS SR Jay'Vion Cole is back and that is a great place to start.
RS SR Malcolm Hartzog transfers in from Nebraska at a short 5'8" 184 lbs. He may be small in stature, but he is big on plays. He has 73 solo and 35 assists with 8 ints while at Nebraska.
SR Lee Molette 3 is originally from Nashville Tennessee and played at UConn. His career stats are 67 solos 57 assists 1 int and 1 fumble recovery. He is listed at 6'1" 192 lbs. There is solid game experiemce, but does it translate? Time will tell.
RS JR Daylen Austin transfers in from Oregon at 6'0" 194 lbs and was a high 4 star recruit out of SoCal originally. He has great potential even though his game experience at Oregon was limited.
RS JR Dwight Bootle is also smaller in size at 5'9" 174 lbs. He transfers in from Charlotte where is had 21 solos and 19 assists mostly in one year.
JR Cam Chappa comes from Northern Colorado and has 108 solos and 59 assists 2 forced fumbles and 8 ints. He is a very active player if his game translates to this level.
RS JR Johno Price Hasn't seen much PT since he has been here, but is still working with the team in efforts to see the field.
RS JR Gavin Hunter is returning and should be a starter with how he plays. Look for him to be a true leader among the DBs.
RS SO Tyrese Boss transfers in from Wyoming and had 30 solos and 9 assists in one year with the Cowboys. His game looks good and at 5'11" 180 he should be a solid rotation guy.
SO Zuri Watson comes from Howard of the Ivy League. He is listed with 1 int but saw little action.
SO Matai Tagoa'i comes to us as a LB from USC with great DB size and athletic ability to make the move. I believe he will be that hybrid S/LB with the ability to do both. Has a wildly vicious side to him that will be evident right away.
WO RS SO Aiden Miller
RS SO Quinn Olson played both DB and QB in HS. Smart kid. Is the ability to make the plays on the field good enough to see the field? Hmmm. We shall see.
FR Hannibal Navies 2 is an incoming freshman that is underrated IMO. Not saying he will hit the field as a true freshman, but I love what he offers in the future.
RS FR Dajon Hinton has the ability to step in this year and at a minimum be a rotational guy. He could see starter minutes as well
RS FR Swayde Griffin is kind of a hybrid in where he fits into the scheme of things. Talented kid should find his way to the field even if it is ST this year.
FR Xaier Hiler is the gem of this freshman class and could see the field early. Let's see how he does as Camp goes on.
RS FR Kason Brown came in last year and has learned the system well by now. If he hopes to break into the rotation, this Is his chance. Only time will tell. I like what he brings, but is it enough?
Looking for additional inputs from others on here. Let's find out exactly what we have.