Arizona Wildcats Insider Podcast: Training Camp Update

Arizona is in the middle of training camp gearing up for the 2025 season as the Wildcats open things up against Hawaii.

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats tight end Tyler Powell (87) against the Colorado Buffalos at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Welcome! To another edition of the Arizona Wildcats Insider Podcast featuring your host Troy Hutchison, who will be delivering a daily podcast discussing everything happening surrounding Arizona athletics giving you an inside look at all the programs on campus.

Hutchison has been covering Arizona for the last seven years with his coverage spanning all-across UA’s campus from football and men’s basketball to Title IX sports. Plus, with so many former Wildcats playing at the next level in their prospective sports there will be moments where he will take a deep dive into the Cats excelling outside of Tucson.

To watch, view below.

The energy at practice was high, loud despite the team not even in full pads, or in shells at this point in time. The pace of play was a complete 180 from the previous season and matches the mindset and mentality that the coaching staff wasn’t to bring to the 2025 season.

Although there was no contact and players weren’t in shells, there were still takeaways to be made with what the media was able to see throughout the duration of the day.

Three Observations

Linerbackers

• Last season, outside of Jacob Manu and Taye Brown, the Wildcats were extremely thin and saw injuries create issues with the starting defense. Now, Arizona has added depth through the transfer portal in Texas State's Max Harris and Montana's Riley Wilson, who brings experience to a young group.

• Plus, Brown has taken on a larger leadership role and has been more vocal on the field according to Danny Gonzales. He is now an upperclassman and has shown leadership roles leading the young linebackers on the roster.

Chris Hunter

• At the end of last season, wide receiver Chris Hunter came on strong, ending the season with 323 yards on 35 receptions and hauled in three touchdowns. His breakout game came against Central Florida where he caught seven passes for 102 yards.

• Hunter has been electric in training camp and has been a nightmare for the Arizona secondary with two 50-plus yard touchdown receptions and multiple chunk plays in seven-on-seven drills.

• It is clear that Hunter will be one of the top three targets for Fifita on the roster this season and could see a breakout year coming his way.

Tyler Powell

• The tight ends last season for Arizona were very underwhelming given the talent in the room with Tyler Powell, Keyan Burnett and Sam Olson. Now, a majority of the issues came from the offensive scheme with Dino Babers as the offensive coordinator.

• The same group is back and has added new toughness with new tight ends coach Josh Miller, who has challenged the group since his arrival he has pushed the group and added physicality that wasn’t there before according to offensive coordinator Seth Doege.

• Players both on the offensive side of the ball and defensively have said that Powell is one of the most improved players on the roster.

• The Wildcats might have a two headed monster with Powell and Burnett, which might be one of the best receiving tight end duos in the Big 12 this season.

Please share your thoughts on our three observations from training camp. To do so, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.