Three Under the Radar Players for Arizona vs. Houston

Arizona wanted to get back on the right track after an underwhelming first season under Brent Brennan where the team finished 4-8 and missed a bowl game despite preseason high expectations.

Well, after changes were made to the coaching staff and the roster, Brennan seems to have the Wildcats moving in the right direction with the team starting the year with 3-straight impressive wins over Hawaii, Weber State and Kansas State.

However, the Wildcats have gone 1-2 in their last three games with losses to Iowa State and most recently BYU at home this past Saturday night.

Arizona (4-2, 1-2 Big 12) was looking to stay on track after an impressive 28-point win over Oklahoma State as the Wildcats faced off against No. 18 BYU, with the game on ESPN2, showcasing two of the better defensive teams in the Big 12.

Oct 11, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Brent Brennan celebrates a blocked field goal during the second quarter of the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

The forecast called for rain and after an hour weather delay, the game lived up to the billing of a defensive grudge match with both teams coming up with clutch stops and key takeaways to keep the offenses in check.

Arizona put itself in perfect position in the fourth quarter up 24-14 with just over 10 minutes left in the game. However, the Wildcats saw BYU tie the game up with 19 seconds left in the game due to two pass interference calls on defensive back Michael Dansby.

In overtime, BYU went on to fight its way to an impressive 33-27 double overtime win over Arizona and keep its undefeated streak alive. The Wildcats had an opportunity to pull off the upset but fell flat in the last minutes of regulation, which led to the overtime loss.

Still, Arizona is in a solid position to make a bowl game with the Wildcats just needing two wins in the last six games to lock up the bowl berth.

Arizona will now face off against Houston (5-1, 2-1) with an early morning 9 a.m. (MST) kickoff time on FS! Looking to get back on track.

Here at Arizona Wildcats On SI, we put together our three under the radar players that need to step up for the Wildcats as they go against Houston on the road.

Three Under the Radar Players

Arizona Wildcats running back Ismail Mahdi (21)runs with the ball against Iowa state during the first quarter in the Big-12 conference showdown on Sept. 27, 2025, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ka’ena Decambra

Coming into the season, Arizona had a lot of questions regarding the center position with Josh Baker graduating and seeing issues with snaps throughout spring ball. However, transfer Ka’ena Decambra has been rock solid for the Wildcats and solidified the position.

Decambra has been one of the better linemen on the roster for Brennan and his staff. But, going into another road game and looking to snap a 4-game losing streak, the offensive line will need to have a great game against a good Houston defensive line.

The heart of the line and player that gets everyone set up in the right position is the center and Decambra will be relied on to make sure everything goes smoothly. He will need to have a good game in order for the Wildcats to walk out of Houston with the win.

Ismail Mahdi

Arizona has used mainly three running backs this season with all of them having their own breakout games throughout the year. For Ismail Mahdi, his great game came against Kansas State where he rushed for 189 yards on 22 carries and totaled 221 yards of offense.

Against Houston, a back like Mahdi might have success on the outside to stretch out the defense for the Wildcats. He will need to have an impact on his limited touches to help soften the Cougars’ defense.

Chase Kennedy

With the Wildcats missing edge rusher Tre Smith for the remainder of the season, Arizona will mix and match guys on the defensive line and even bring in linebackers at times to rush the passer. One of the options for UA is Chase Kennedy, who used to be a defensive lineman last season.

Kennedy has the speed and strength to cause issues for Houston in the backfield and help out in the quick passing defense. He will need to show off his skills in order to help the defense against a lackluster Cougars’ offense.

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