Former Wildcats Safety Earning National Attention Ahead of NFL Draft
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Former Arizona safety Treydan Stukes wrapped up a strong collegiate career this past season. Now entering the 2026 NFL Draft, Stukes is garnering attention as a potential sleeper pick in the draft.
Stukes spent six seasons with the Wildcats from 2020-2025. Over that span, he recorded 207 total tackles, 26 pass deflections, 7 interceptions, and 1 sack. After missing significant time thanks to a torn ACL suffered in 2024, the following season may have been Stukes’ best yet, racking up 52 total tackles, 6 pass deflections, 4 interceptions, and a sack.
With the NFL Draft looming, Stukes is considered one of the better players available at his position. The former captain in the Wildcats’ secondary has been gaining national attention from draft analysts recently, with ESPN’s Ben Solak being the latest to consider Stukes a high-upside player.
Solak’s thoughts
- “I cannot believe how natural he looks in safetylike roles despite the lack of true experience he has at the position,” Solak said. “When forced to sink off the line of scrimmage and play routes from depth, Stukes demonstrates tremendous footwork, angles and ball tracking. Given his longer and leaner frame (6-1, 190 pounds), I like the idea of taking him out of the box and playing him from depth. He's a hand-in-glove fit for quarters defenses that need their safeties to play quasi-man coverage over slot receivers and tight ends.”
Solak also compared Stukes to some of his contemporaries over the years at the collegiate level, citing his versatile skillset in the secondary that could help him develop into a special player down the road, and even the possibility of playing different positions aside from just patrolling the last line of defense as a safety.
“I think Stukes can become a [Calen] Bullock-esque policeman in the deep middle of the field -- rangy with ball skills and willing toughness. If he doesn't end up having that special level of range, then the career arc of Super Bowl champion Coby Bryant, who started with the Seahawks as a corner before flipping to safety and blossoming there, is another possible outcome,” Solak said.
Stukes will look to boost his draft stock in any way he can leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft later this month. After an extremely successful college career in Tucson, he'll look to further his legacy beyond Arizona, and make a name for himself on the grand stage if he is selected in the draft.
Justin Backer brings a wealth of experience to his role as a college football and basketball general sports reporter On SI. Backer is a proud graduate of Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies, and has worked for such media companies as The Sporting News and the Palm Beach Post.