Arizona's Doost Details Makings of a Great Offensive Line
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As spring football practice gets closer to its ending point and summer training camp draws near afterward, the Arizona Wildcats are becoming more finely tuned day by day. The seemingly endless hours spent in the blistering heat of Tucson have shaped Arizona into a cohesive unit hellbent on continuing the momentum built on last season's 9-4 campaign.
The offensive line, in particular, is molding into a hive-mind group that acts and thinks as one on the field, a trait any good squad needs to be successful, especially in the physical Big 12.
Right guard Alexander Doost knows all too well what the time spent underneath the Arizona sun feels like, but he also knows just how sweet the payout is when training camp is over and the season has begun. The 6-foot-7, 340-pound interior lineman spent his high school days playing for Mountain Ridge High School in Phoenix, AZ, and later committed to Northwestern University.
After redshirting, he transferred to Arizona in 2024 and almost immediately made an impact on the line. His first year with the Wildcats was a rough one, but what followed was an unforgettable season in which the Wildcats finished ranked. No 21 in the nation and made an appearance in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl.
Now a redshirt junior, Doost knows what it takes for a season to be successful and the dedication and sacrifice each player must put in.
Doost Fully Acclimated to Doege's Offense
When Doost arrived in 2024, Dino Babers was the offensive coordinator and ran a completely different offense than Seth Doege. Now, Doost is in his second year under Doege and has gotten used to the fast-paced style of play that comes with his up-tempo offense.
The Arizona offense thrived under Doege's scheme once they learned it. The offensive line never seemed to get exhausted, especially during the toughest drives when the game was on the line.
"It's awesome because it definitely took me a while to learn it at the beginning," Doost said. "Now that I know it, I feel like I'm going out there just having the knowledge of what to do and being able to help the guys next to me."
Offensive Linemen Bonding Outside of Practice
For an offensive line to be a feared one, there must be a level of camaraderie and trust amongst each other, and Doost knows that all too well. That is why the group, along with offensive line/run game coordinator Josh Oglesby, spends time together outside of practice. Be it watching UFC fights, hitting the movie theater, or just hanging out, they are always building that level of brotherhood that will translate on the field.
"It's very important," Doost said on spending time with his teammates. "You have a group, let's say, that has never hung out outside of the facility. They just go work out, and that's it. They're going to come onto the field. They're not going to know if they really trust the guy next to them, if they like playing next to him."
"Me and Tristan [Bounds] hang out all the time. We usually watch movies or shows at my place and I've played next to Tristan, so we have that trust and that compatibility. Same thing with [Matthew] Lotto, same thing with Louis [Akpa]. You could put Zach [Henning] out at tackle next to me. I'm sure I'd be fine. I'm sure we'd both be fine."
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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.