Defensive Players Arizona Must Watch For Against Oklahoma State
In this story:
After a 39-14 loss to Iowa State on Saturday, the Arizona Wildcats now have their sights set on getting back into winning form by outgunning the Oklahoma State Cowboys at home at 12 p.m. (MST) in the first meeting since 2012.
OK State has hopes of getting its own season back on track after starting with an underwhelming 1-3 record and ending the 2024 season with a losing record for the first time since 2005, when the program went 4-7.
The Cowboys have gone through quite a bit of change since the start of the 2025 season and whether or not it is for the positive is yet to be determined. Longtime head coach Mike Gundy was relieved of his duties and was replaced by offensive coordinator Doug Meacham.
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was dismissed following the latest loss to Baylor, which was a 45-27 blowout at Boone Pickens Stadium and was replaced by Clint Bowen for the foreseeable future.
One of OK State's safeties, DeAndre Boykins, has also entered his name into the NCAA's transfer portal following Guy's firing. Per NCAA rules, a player has 30 days to enter the portal after the head coach has been fired.
Boykins appeared in two games for the Cowboys but failed to record any stats for the team. He transferred from North Carolina in the offseason after playing four years there, including a 2023 redshirt season.
In 2024, Boykins appeared in 11 games, made six tackles and one pass breakup. He is the second player to enter the portal this week.
Oklahoma State is currently ranked dead last in the Big 12 and 106th in the NCAA according to ESPN's power index.
Its defense is also ranked as the 128th best in the NCAA and will be going up against an offense that is dangerous. Nonetheless, OK State will be coming out hoping to shut Arizona down and keep it from scoring.
Here is a list of three players that the Wildcats should look out for if they want to keep dominating and get back into the winning column.
Bryan McCoy Jr.
McCoy has been a serious threat to an opposing defense since he joined the Cowboys in the offseason after posting huge numbers on Akron for three years.
Now a senior, the transfer linebacker leads all Cowboys in tackles with 36, 13 solo and 23 assisted. That makes him tied for 26th in the NCAA and third in the Big 12. He also has a quarterback hit and a pass breakup added to his stat sheet through four games.
Arizona will have to watch out for him if they want its offense to operate to maximum efficiency on both the run and the passing game.
Wendell Gregory
Another transfer, Gregory possesses the ability to fly into the backfield and disrupt the quarterback with his dynamic pass rushing skills.
The redshirt freshman who transferred out of South Carolina leads the OK State defense in sacks with three and tackles for loss with 5.5.
Left tackle Tristan Bounds is coming off his best performance against Iowa State, so he will need to continue that momentum into the next game if he wants to lock down Gregory.
Kale Smith
Smith is a dangerous cornerback who will look to disrupt the passing game, lock down the Arizona receivers and create turnovers.
The redshirt senior has tallied 16 total tackles with a quarterback hit, an interception and a pass breakup through four games.
Whoever lines up across from Jones will need to be at their best if they are to get separation from him
Let us know who you think Arizona should watch out for in its game against the Cowboys this Saturday. You can just click the link to find our X account and comment on it. Could you be sure to give us a follow while you're there?
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.