Tackle Turned Guard Becoming Big Part of the Offense
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It is not easy to play in a different spot from where you played a season before and the offensive line is no exception by any means.
That is why what Michael Wooten has done so far in training camp and at the start of the season is so impressive in the eyes of many.
Wooten played offensive tackle during the 2024-2025 season, where Arizona's offense seemed one-dimensional and lacked the explosiveness and power that is needed to succeed in the Big 12. The Wildcats went 4-8 that year and ranked in the bottom three spots in nearly every offensive category.
Wooten struggled in the nine appearances at tackle throughout last season. Arizona hit the transfer portal to add more depth at the offensive line and signed tackle Tristan Bounds out of Michigan and Ty Buchanan from Texas Tech, which looked like Wooten's snap count would be going down.
That is when the decision to move to the interior came about. Ever since then, he has shown that he can be a legitimate offensive lineman in the Seth Doege system. Ever since then, it has looked like that was the best choice Wooten could have made.
"One day I was just like, 'Shoot, coach, I want to try the inside too.' You never know how it could be and this way and it just worked out perfectly fine," Wooten said. "So I'm just blessed for the opportunity and my brothers here are always keeping me level headed."
Although only one game has been played, the difference between what the offense showed last year compared to what it showed last weekend against Hawaii was like night and day and it all started at the offensive line. Arizona was able to progressively get better and dominate at the line of scrimmage as the game went on.
- "Everybody just in sync," Wooten said on how the offensive line was able to gain momentum throughout the game. "We gotta, like, one one or one heartbeat, like, as long as everybody's on the same page, we know we all right. So that's where we're able to dominate in our win.
- "It felt real good. We were talking all week about how we needed to come out and dominate the line of scrimmage. That's one of our pillars, so knowing what the front is and the scheme and how we were going to block them helped tremendously for sure."
He and Buchanan played a big part in running back Quincy Craig's 54-yard touchdown in the second quarter; in fact, they played a big part in the offense's overall running success the entire game. They both pulled from the left side, sealing their blocks and creating space for the Portland State transfer to strafe down the field for the touchdown.
QUINCY CRAIG GOES THE DISTANCE 🔥@ArizonaFBall adds to its lead with the 54-yard house call.#Big12FB | 📺 TNT pic.twitter.com/wj17hj5KK0
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 31, 2025
That play sums up just how good the transition of Wooten moving from tackle to guard has been. He credits his length and work over the offseason in slimming down some to how the interior fits him more.
- "I feel like it's my body type," Wooten said. "I have a pretty long body, so everything happens quicker inside. When I was outside at tackle, you're playing in space. In the offseason, I lost a lot of body fat and gained muscle, so that transitioned well on the inside."
Arizona faces Weber State this Saturday at home. That game begins at 7 p.m. (MST) and the Wildcats will look to continue rolling on the way to the Big 12 portion of their schedule.
How do you think Wooten and the rest of the offensive line will play out throughout the 2025 season? Let us know on our X account. Be sure to give us a follow.
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.