Arizona Defensive Linemen's Improvement Leads to Extended Playtime
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Malachi Bailey had himself a solid outing against Hawaii in the 40-6 win on Saturday. He saw plenty of time on the field and made the absolute most of it, logging three tackles, a tackle for loss, half a sack and three hits on the quarterback.
His heavy presence on the defensive line is part of the reason why the defense was so dominant on the line of scrimmage, especially as it got later in the game progressed.
Clearly, Bailey is a key piece of the defensive line and highly valued by his coaches, but it wasn't always like that for the 6-foot-2, 278-pound Miller Grove High School standout. During spring and fall camp, Baily had a tough time acclimating and his playing time was beginning to be in jeopardy.
"I wouldn't say it was the competition, anything like that, just buying into what my coaches were teaching and just camaraderie with my teammates. You know, I was at my HBCU for three years, building great relationships there. Coming here, I met some great guys, including these two next to me. That was the big transition."
That is where Danny Gonzales gave him an ultimatum: stay and earn your playtime, or enter the transfer portal and find somewhere else to spend your final season.
“I'm like, 'Hey, you’re going to have to have a great fall camp to be able to earn the opportunities that you want,' Gonzales said. "I’m being honest, you better have two mindsets: ‘No, I’m going to stay here and prove that you’re wrong and do everything right in fall camp and become a great player or find another spot.’ The second I said it, he was like, ‘I ain’t going anywhere, and you’re wrong.’ ‘Good for you, and I hope I am wrong.’
Bailey's switch after spring
Bailey looked like a completely different player since that talk and took that opportunity and didn't waste it, proving Gonzales wrong and showing that he belongs with the top players at Arizona.
"One, good for him; two, it’s a benefit to our football team," Gonzales said. "He’s a really awesome kid. He’s not a kid, he’s a young man. He’s going to have a significant impact on our football team, which is awesome.”
Bailey transferred from Alcorn State University after a three-year career there, where he posted a monstrous 28 sacks,128 total tackles (69 solo, 59 assists), 46.5 tackles for loss, three pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries.
“His godly numbers at Alcorn State make you excited,” Gonzales said. “It doesn’t matter what the competition is, when you have 28 sacks in that amount of time — you could be playing against air and it’s hard to get 28 sacks. The dude has a very unique set of skills.”
Choosing to sign with a school across the country from what you're used to isn't something to take lightly for an athlete. They must make sure that it is the right fit for them and that the coaches have their best interests at heart. That is something that Bailey made sure to keep in mind when choosing Arizona.
"What sold it was the coaches," Bailey said. "I tell everybody it's not about the buildings and the stuff we have, it's about the people in the building that makes everything go."
Playing an FCS school after transferring from one himself
Arizona plays Weber State this Saturday, which is the first meeting between the two programs. Coming from an FCS school himself, he knows that Weber State will be coming in with the mentality of wanting to prove itself on a big stage in front of thousands of fans.
"That's all you could ask for, is to showcase your talent on a big stage," Bailey said. "Kudos to all the FCS guys who do it and put in work every day and every week. They lift like we do. They prepare just like we prepare. They watch film just how we watch film. They expect to win every game just like we expect to win every game. We have a great opponent this week and we're going to take them as serious as anybody else."
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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.