Arizona football: 5 things to watch for in 2026 training camp

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

arizona-wildcats-football-training-camp-preview-areas-watch-analysis-2026

Brent Brennan, Noah Fifita, and the rest of the Wildcats will be talking with the media on Tuesday ahead of training camp commencing on Wednesday. Arizona is trying to build off the 9-4 record from last season and earn a spot in the Big 12 championship game, and possibly the College Football Playoff.

Arizona was able to retain almost all of its coaching staff, and while there will be new faces at various spots, the Wildcats still have veteran leadership where it needs it. Camp starts a month out from the season opener against NAU on Sept. 5.

Here are five things to watch for entering the 2026 training camp:

1. The new-look secondary

Going into last season’s training camp, Arizona knew exactly what its secondary was going to look like, or at least it knew it was in good hands. With Treydan Stukes, Dalton Johnson, and Genesis Smith all returning for what would be their final season with the Wildcats, the secondary was in a good spot.

That is not the case going into this year’s training camp. Not only does the coaching staff have to replace all three safety positions, it has to find a second cornerback.

The good news is that the one returner for Arizona played in 11 games last season and had three starts. While he did not get a lot of starts, Jay’Vion Cole made the most of his playing time as he had 23 tackles, three tackles for loss, eight pass deflections, a forced fumble, four interceptions, and a pick-six.

Now it comes down to the rest of the secondary and there are a lot of candidates on the table. Some names to watch in the secondary spots are Malcolm Hartzog, Daylen Austin, Gavin Hunter, Lee Molette III, Matai Tagoa’i and Cam Chapa.

Hunter is the only returner, and when Stukes was still rehabbing, he stood in Stukes’ place and did a serviceable job. Two players will serve as true safeties while the third spot will be considered the “nickleback” and occasionally drop down into the box.

For the cornerback spot, Tyrese Boss, Dwight Bootle and Johno Price are names to watch out for. While he is listed as a safety on the roster, Price has enough knowledge to fit into either position if needed.

If any combination of the players listed can put out similar results as last season’s “three headed monster” the Wildcats’ secondary will be in a decent spot. For now, position coaches Chip Viney and Brett Arce have their work cut out for them.

2. Solidifying the offensive line

Tristan Bounds and Alexander Doost will have the left side of the offensive line locked down but who will be playing on the other side? At center, it will be Washington transfer Zach Henning and he showed in the spring that he will be a solid piece on the line.

Now it comes down to the left side, where it will be replacing Ty Buchanan and Chubba Maae who are both out of eligibility. Redshirt junior Rhino Tapa’atoutai is a candidate for the guard spot, as he started to make the transition in the spring from tackle. The way he will find his way and stay on the field is cutting down on the penalties.

At tackle, Arizona saw redshirt sophomore Matthew Lado in action when Bounds went down last season. While that action was on the right side of the line, the coaching staff trusted him enough to put him on the left side in the spring where he fared well.

If for some reason the Wildcats need to look for a third option, redshirt freshman Louis Akpa caught the attention of his coaches in the spring. Some called him one of the most improved players this offseason.

Offensive line coach Josh Oglesby showed last season that even if the picture starts off unclear, he can make a masterpiece of the offensive line. Not only did he convert Ka’ena Decambra into the center position, he converted Maae from the defensive line and both had spectacular seasons.

3. Can special teams be more consistent?

Craig Naivar was brought in last offseason a bit late into the spring camp, but was able to put together a special teams room to get the job done. However, that job never really looked up to par.

When it came to field goals, it was always up in the air on how the operations and results went. At different times, various parts of the mechanics were off whether it be the snap, the blocking, or the kick itself.

The only thing that was truly solid last season was the kickoff operation and that was due to Ian Wagner making every kick unreturnable. Luke Wysong became a solid returner for punts but it was a bit late in the season when that developed.

Going into this season, Naivar has a full offseason to implement how he wants the special teams units to operate. Junior Michael Salgado-Medina will more than likely return to place kicker and after a not so stellar year he will be looking for improvement.

Drew Nicolson will be the long snapper, as he is the only one listed on the roster. It was clear from the spring that West Virginia transfer Rodney Gallagher III will be the main punt/kick returner.

Now it comes down to who will be the punter, and more than likely it will be junior Louisville transfer Carter Schwartz. He averaged 41.1 yards on 30 punts and appeared in 18 games for the Cardinals.

Chase Ridley comes from Prokick in Australia but is still adjusting to the game. Ian French comes from high school as a 4.5-star recruit so clearly the talent is there for him. Both lack the experience needed for college ball which is why the job will more than likely go to Schwartz.

4. Who starts at tight end?

In the season opener against Hawai’i last season it only took one play for Tyler Powell’s season to be done. He has been focused on rehabbing his knee and should be a full go for training camp.

If Powell cannot return to the starting role, it will more than likely be Illinois transfer Cole Rusk who showed a connection with Fifita in the spring. He comes to Tucson with 19 catches for 217 yards in 2025.

When Powell went down, Arizona had to use multiple tight ends in Sam Olson and Cameron Barmore. If for some reason Powell or Rusk are unable to go, the Wildcats will still have options to turn to. Arthur Ban and Shane King have the size to go out there and look the part but the lack of experience would be a concern.

The coaching staff have also been high on redshirt freshman Kellan Ford who also has no experience but can make plays. Powell and/or Rusk should be able to get the job but if all else fails the tight end room has options to go through.

5. Young defensive players

The depth as secondary last season has now shifted to the defensive front. With most of the starters and backups being upperclassmen, the front should be able to have a very solid rotation and the run defense should be much improved.

However, there are many young defensive players that showed that they can make plays but lack experience. On the line, guys like Kaisi Lafitaga, Prince Williams, Keytrin Harris and Manoah Faupusa can bring youthful energy and eagerness which could result in unexpected plays being made in big time games.

Dash Fifita is a name that is constantly being brought up by linebackers coach Josh Bringuel and the defensive staff. While his size makes him an underdog, his football I.Q. and hustle could earn him snaps this season if Arizona is able to.

In the secondary, Tagoa’i has shown that the transition from linebacker to safety has not been an issue for him. The spring showed that he can fill in if needed and if training camp goes the way he wants then snaps could go his way.

Xaier Hiler is a name to look out for at cornerback. Coming from high school, he was a four star recruit and if he can show he has the maturity to be on the field he could possibly find his way there. At the end of the day, all the coaching staff wants to see from the young guys is daily improvement and a “redline” mindset.