Arizona's Veterans Ready To Lead Defense
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The Arizona Wildcats may have lost some of their best players, especially in the secondary, to the NFL Draft, but do not be alarmed; this is no rebuild year for the group. Arizona, led by second-year defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales, has several returning players on defense looking to continue the success left by the previous group.
In the 2025-2026 season, Arizona had a nearly complete overhaul in the coaching room and with the players on the field, and it worked out in their favor. Joe Salave'a took over the defensive line/associate head coaching duties, while Gonzales was promoted from the linebackers coach to oversee the coordinator job in place of Daune Akina, who is now at Texas. Josh Bringuel was hired to coach the linebackers and is considered one of the bright young minds in the group.
Because everything came together so smoothly, the Wildcats saw a season in which they ranked seventh in passing defense in the NCAA, No. 1 in passing efficiency, No. 2 in interceptions, and had a heavily improved run defense.
Many of those improvements can be attributed to a defense loaded with veterans and transfers who had plenty of snaps under their belts. Pair that with a group of coaches dedicated to the development of their players, and you've got a recipe for success.
Defensive backs Dalton Johnson, Genesis Smith, Treydan Stukes, Michael Dansby, and Ayden Garnes all found themselves on NFL Teams. Linebackers Max Harris, Riley Wilson, defensive linemen Deshawn McKnight and Malachi Baiiey are also chasing their dream of playing at the pro level.
The loss of all eight players may seem like it would drastically hurt Arizona's chances of once again being a top-level defense, but it is still loaded with many veterans committed to excellence. With that, let's take a look at three vets who may push the defense to sit on top of the Big 12, maybe even the NCAA.
Taye Brown-Linebacker
The linebacker room has several returning players on the depth chart, and leading the pack is Brown, a senior who is looking to put a stamp on his career with the Wildcats with one more successful season. A relentless tackler who is always in pursuit of the ball, Brown was second on the team in tackles with 94.
Brown is in his second year with Gonzales as the defensive coordinator and will benefit from being in the same system as last year. An old-fashioned linebacker who can go downhill to stop the run and drop back in coverage when he is asked to, Brown is the sure leader of the linebacker room.
Gavin Hunter-Safety
The loss of Treydan Stukes may hurt the secondary on paper, given the amount of snaps he put in with Arizona, but there is no better replacement than Hunter, who is poised to break out this year. With key stars against Hawaii, Weber State, and SMU under his belt, Hunter brings experience and a ball-hawking ability that will serve the defense well in his junior year.
Tre Smith-Defensive End
Smith was on pace to have a breakout year in the 2025 season until an unfortunate injury derailed his campaign at the edge position. Now that he is back, the sixth-year senior is looking to pick up right where he left off. Under the spectacular coaching of Salave'a, Smith's game is to elevate to a place he has never been before, should all things go right for him.
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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.