How Arizona's Top Draft Prospects Stack Up With Each Other
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After the Wildcats 4-8 finish in their inaugural season with the Big 12 and head coach Brent Brennan's first year at the helm, no one would have ever predicted this year's success and that they would have sent three players to the combine.
That was precisely the case for the 2025-2026 season. Before the start of the season, experts picked the Wildcats to finish near the bottom of the conference for the second year in a row. Arizona proved the doubters wrong by finishing with a 9-4 record, a No. 21 NCAA ranking, and a No. 5 Big 12 ranking.
Arizona was able to make the complete turnaround by getting its players to buy in on the RedLine mindset, which, to Brennan, means giving it your all for 100% of the time. Because of this, the Wildcats' defense thrived, finishing with the best passing offense in the Big 12 and the most interceptions.
The Wildcats' three safeties have much to do with Arizona's success in defending the pass and because of this, scouts took notice. Dalton Johnson, Treydan Stukes and Genesis Smith are all now anticipating their names being called after impressive combine performances.
It is clear that all three of Arizona's safeties are talented players that NFL teams would be lucky to have, but where exactly do they rank amongst each other? Let's take a look at their performances at the combine and rank them.
1. Treydan Stukes
Stukes had a stellar season after missing the first two games due to a season-ending knee injury from the year before. When he came back, he was a force in the secondary, snagging four picks and defending six passes. His combine drills proved that he is among the best safeties in the class.
Stukes ran an unofficial 4.33 in the 40-yard dash, the third fastest of all safeties. Stukes' broad jump was also the best among all safeties at 10 feet, 10 inches. He also had the second-best 10-yard split at 1.5 and the fifth best vertical jump at 38 inches.
2. Genesis Smith
Smith ended his season as one of the better safeties in the Big 12 and one of the toughest. During Arizona's game against Oklahoma State, he fractured his right foot but chose to continue playing the remainder of the season.
In the combine, Smith impressed the scouts with his athleticism, twitchiness, and quickness on the field. His vertical jump was a shocking one at 42.5 inches, which ranked the highest among all safeties. His 20-yard shuttle was also the best (4.18 seconds). Smith's 10-foot, eight-inch broad jump was the fourth best in the group.
Smith was still dealing with the foot injury during the combine, so he elected not to run the 40-yard dash.
3. Dalton Johnson
Johnson was a tackling machine for the Wildcats this season, leading the team with 97, which was also the seventh most in the Big 12. A safety who also lined up at linebacker in 2024, Johnson is unafraid of contact despite being slightly undersized at 5-foot-10, 198 pounds.
Johnson ran a modest 4.41 in the 40-yard dash, which is a good time, but did not rank among the top safeties. Johnson also had a vertical jump of 36 inches and a broad jump of 9 feet, 11 inches. Despite the middle of the pack numbers, his physicality and athleticism will make him a competitor no matter what team he lands on.
Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.