5 Remaining Arizona Players Who Will Define Season After NFL Draft Losses

Arizona has lost eight players through the NFL Draft over the last two offseasons, plus several others to graduation and to undrafted free-agent contracts.

Four Wildcats were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, leaving significant holes on the back end of the defense. That means new guys will have to step up in their absence, while many others will influence the team's performance.

Put on a SHOW 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/vdvIC6jyGk
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) April 27, 2026

Here are a few players who will help shape and define Arizona's 2026 football season in one way or another.

DB Gavin Hunter

The majority of the holes left by NFL prospects are in the secondary, as all four Wildcats' draft picks were defensive backs. They were also all All-Big 12 players last season, and three of them played the same position.

arizona footbal — Arizona defensive back Gavin Hunter (23) celebrates an Arizona State turnover during a game at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Nov. 28, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gavin Hunter is one of the primary names we have heard the Arizona defensive coaching staff mention throughout spring practices and the offseason overall, so it seems like he'll get his chance to step up. At 6-foot-2 and 207 lbs, he has a similar physical build to Treydan Stukes and Dalton Johnson, but it's one thing to have the profile and another to make the plays and have the skills translate into game action.

DB Johno Price

Price is another player who will be thrown into that fire, likely replacing seventh-round cornerback Michael Dansby. He's played a limited role in 16 games over the last two seasons, but has also become a popular name mentioned among the coaches this spring.

He has the size and length the Wildcats love to see at corner, along with appealing NFL bloodlines. However, as defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales has said of most of the secondary throughout the spring, he must prove he can cover consistently.

CB Jay'Vion Cole

Cole is now the leader of the secondary as the lone returning starter. He's extremely experienced after previous stops at Texas and San Jose State, and he's coming off an All-Big 12 season in which he tied Johnson and Genesis Smith for the team lead in interceptions.

Likely playing the slot this season, Cole will be leaned on to take charge of the group, and his performance will be vital to the Arizona defense's success as it attempts to restore one of the best passing defenses in college football.

LB Taye Brown

The Arizona defense runs through Taye Brown. The linebacker has answered every challenge throughout his career, and he's on a mission to end his career as one of the best linebackers in college football. A big component of that will be the defense's overall performance, and they'll require him to operate at an optimal frequency and maintain a consistent lock.

TE Cole Rusk

A healthy Rusk has the ability to help take the Arizona offense to a new level. The Wildcats have a quarterback and a solid group of running backs and receivers, but they haven't had an athletic tight end. They targeted that profile specifically when addressing the position in the transfer portal, and Rusk is the best and most complete of the bunch.

If Arizona is able to use him optimally, he'll be a go-to target for senior quarterback Noah Fifita and open up the field for just about anyone else.

Add us as a preferred source on Google