Arizona Freshman Tackle Making a Difference on the Offensive Line
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The Arizona Wildcats offense have enjoyed a massive amount of success on offense in the last three games, pushing them to a 7-3 record and upsetting the Cincinnati Bearcats last Saturday at Nippert Stadium in Ohio.
A large part of the success on offense has come from a big offensive line that is willing to do anything it can to open wide gaps for their speedy and aggressive running back and protect Noah Fifita from blitzing defenders.
It was against Cincinnati when starting left tackle Ty Buchanan was pulled from the game due to an injury, which saw freshman Matthew Lado step in to take the remainder of the snaps. He played a key role in the Wildcats scoring 20 points and gaining 200 total yards in the second half.
Before that game, right tackle Tristan Bounds had to step off the field against Kansas with an injury. Lado went in that game and, despite yielding some blocks, did a solid job in protecting the star junior quarterback and helping to score the final touchdown of the game with just over 30 seconds remaining.
Lado's start
Lado was a three star tackle coming out of Apollo High School in Glendale, AZ and played a total of 17 games through two seasons. He chose to sign with Arizona in June 2023 over teams like Colorado State, Montana State, New Mexico State, NAU and Utah State.
At 6-foot-6, 308-pounds, Lado possesses the qualities of a true Division I collegiate offensive tackle who, with more development, can be a starting blocker in the Big 12.
Lado redshirted in 2024 and is now a part of the rotation of linemen through 10 games of the season, showing the improvement he has made since joining the team.
Making a difference
It was a long training camp for the redshirt freshman that saw him take many reps with both the first and second team offense, as injuries and other things forced him to do so.
Those reps made him a much better play on the line, as he went one on one with talented edge rushers such as Tre Smith, Dominic Lolesio, Malachi Bailey and others.
Those reps during hot summer days proved to work in his favor as he was able to be trusted enough to be put into close games when the starters went down, both on the right and left sides.
Valuable playing time
Lado had already seen on-field action in the season before the latest game against Cincinnati, but the most valuable reps came in the last two contests.
When Buchanan was taken off the field with an injury against Kansas, Lado's number was called upon to finish the game.
Lado logged 28 snaps and was on the field for the game-winning touchdown, which saw Quincy Craig run 34 yards to the endzone. He received an overall grade of 76.8% for his play according to Pro Football Focus.
Clutch in the desert 🌵
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) November 9, 2025
Quincy Craig goes 24 yards for the go-ahead touchdown @ArizonaFBall 🏈#Big12FB | 📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/fsUJiY3Mc1
Lado then lined up on the opposite side of the line against the Bearcats, showing the versatility that he has worked diligently on. In that game, he played 17 snaps and received a grade of 61.7%. With three years of eligibility left, it will not be surprising to see him continue to excel into a much more complete tackle by the end of his time with Arizona.
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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.