Former Arizona Offensive Lineman Commits to USF

The Arizona Wildcats will have some holes to make up for on their offensive line, as former Wildcats offensive lineman Michael Wooten has officially committed to the South Florida Bulls after spending roughly one month in the transfer portal.

Wooten entered his name in the transfer on Dec. 9, 2025, and after a month of recruiting, he landed with USF’s new head coach Brian Hartline, formerly the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. Wooten, a redshirt junior, appeared in all 12 regular season games, 2 of them being starts, for the Wildcats this past season, and appeared in nine during the 2024 season.

Wooten spent the 2023 season as a redshirt with the Oregon Ducks. He appeared in just one game that season before redshirting. He played his high school football in California, and was a consensus three-star recruit, and top-50 offensive tackle in his class. Now after spending two seasons with Arizona, Wooten will move across the country to play with USF, a step down from his two previous stops with Power 4 institutions.

Nov 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats offensive lineman Michael Wooten (77) against the Baylor Bears at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After a 9-4 season, and an appearance in the Holiday Bowl, the Wildcats could be experiencing quite a large overhaul of players this offseason.

Wooten’s departure is included in a list of up to 13 outgoing transfers for the Wildcats so far this offseason. As of Jan. 5 the full list of outgoing transfers — including Wooten — is as follows:

DB Gianni Edwards
DB Marquis Groves-Killebrew
S Jack Luttrell
DL Jarra Anderson
S Jshawn Frausto-Ramos
WR Rex Haynes
WR Jerimiah Patterson
WR Devin Hyatt
DL Kaleb Bilal-Jones
QB Braedyn Locke
Edge Eduwa Okundaye
LB Stacy Bey
OL Michael Wooten
DL Chancellor Owens
TE Keyan Burnett

Notably, star quarterback Noah Fifita has already made clear his intentions to return to the program in 2026, so despite some turnover from the roster in the transfer portal, they’ll at least have some stability at the most important position.

Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) after defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils in the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Head coach Brent Brennan will look to fill some of the holes left by those that have chosen to hit the transfer portal. With their star quarterback returning next season, expect the Wildcats to be aggressive in going after skill positions in the transfer portal.

The Wildcats have won at least 9 games in two of the last three seasons. Next season, they’ll look to compete for the Big 12 title, and try to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.

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