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Inside The Wildcats

Arizona's Next NFL Prospects After Treydan Stukes

Wildcats’ secondary makes history in 2026 NFL Draft.
Caleb Meadows|
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Arizona Wildcats

The 2026 NFL Draft has officially concluded after a weekend of players' dreams coming true. Arizona's head coach, Brent Brennan, has been the coach for two seasons now. He is coming off a successful 9-4 season after a rough first year in Tucson.

Wildcats Make NFL Draft History

In just his two years with the program, the Wildcats have produced eight NFL players in the past two years. Tetairoa McMillan, Jonah Savaiinaea, Tyler Loop and Jacory Croskey-Merritt were the four who got drafted last year.

This weekend, four defensive backs from the Wildcats got drafted. This tied the all-time record for the most defensive backs from one college taken in the same draft.

Treydan Stukes got the historic run started when the Las Vegas Raiders took him No. 38 overall. Stukes spent six seasons in Tucson and was the leader of the Wildcats' secondary last season. In his final year in college football, Stukes had four interceptions and six pass deflections.

Genesis Smith was next up in the draft when the Los Angeles Chargers selected him with the No. 131 overall pick. He was ranked the ninth-best safety in the draft, according to ESPN. Smith combined for 77 tackles and caught an interception last season for the Wildcats.

Stukes & Johnson Reunite in Las Vegas

Then a heartfelt story came true when the Raiders selected Wildcats safety Dalton Johnson with the No. 150 overall pick. This means Stukes and Johnson will continue their playing careers together, as they take their talents to Las Vegas.

"I'm super excited," Johnson said. "That's my boy. We're best friends. And being drafted is one
thing but being drafted to a team that I get to go somewhere with my best friend and continue this Bear Down brotherhood, I'm super excited and ready to take that leadership and turn Las Vegas up."

If the draft had ended there, it would have been a fantastic weekend for the Wildcats. With three picks left in the entire draft, it got even better for the Wildcats' secondary. The defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, selected cornerback Michael Dansby.

This year's NFL Draft was a massive success, and the class went down in the history books. Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Seattle will all have Wildcats coming to town.

Potential Wildcats Drafted Next Year

Now the question is, who are the next Wildcats who can follow in their counterparts' footsteps and get their names called in next year's NFL Draft?

Jay’Vion Cole, CB

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Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Jay’vion Cole is the first person who comes to mind. He is one of the best cornerbacks in the Big 12 and has been under great leadership, behind now four NFL players. Even in a star-studded secondary, Cole still made a name for himself last season.

His ball-hawk skills were on display, as he had a total of four interceptions. He will be the main focal point of the secondary in this upcoming season. Another productive season from Cole, and he could very well make it to the league next year.

Noah Fifita, QB

Noah Fifita has the opportunity to be the first Wildcats quarterback to get drafted since 2012, when the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Nick Foles. Fifita threw for 3,228 yards and 29 touchdowns last season.

Fifita would most likely be projected to go on Day 3, but he has everything you want in a quarterback. He has experience, leadership and has shown great character during his time in Tucson. Fifita would be a great project quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Tre Smith, EDGE

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Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Tre Smith was expected to be announced this past weekend at this time going into last season, but unfortunately for Smith, plans changed. In the third game of the season, Smith suffered a season-ending rotator cuff injury. This obviously set back his 2026 NFL Draft plans and brought him back to Tucson for another season.

He will have to put in a good year to improve his draft stock, but the chances are certainly there. In 2023, Smith had 6.5 sacks, and in 2024, he had 4.5 sacks. If he has a bounce-back season, Smith can finally achieve his NFL dreams.

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Caleb Meadows
CALEB MEADOWS

Caleb Meadows is a contributor to the UNC Tar Heels. He previously covered Louisville sports and WWE for FanSided. Meadows also covered local sports in Oklahoma while attending Oklahoma State, where he earned a degree in sports communications. Follow him on X, at @CalebMeadows25."