Arizona Will Be Without 3 Top Receivers & Its Top Tight End vs. WVU

The Mountaineers won't have to face some of the Wildcats' best pass catchers.

Sep 12, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tre Spivey (12) and head coach Brent Brennan talk prior to the game against the BYU Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's no secret that West Virginia's defense has been struggling the past two weeks, and this Arizona offense is the furthest thing from a "get right" opportunity for that unit.

They do have a couple of things going in their favor, such as Arizona playing the game at 9 a.m. body clock time and, probably more importantly, the Wildcats will be without several of their top pass catchers for this one.

ARIZONA VAILABILITY REPORT

RB Ismail Mahdi
WR Giovanni Richardson
WR Chris Hunter III
WR Tre Spivey
TE Cole Rusk
DL Ezra Funa
LB Max Harris
S Dajon Hinton

Tre Spivey is Arizona's leading receiver on the year, having logged 22 receptions for 314 yards and four touchdowns. He suffered a broken foot in the win over Cincinnati last week and will unfortunately miss the remainder of the season.

Giovanni Richardson is their next-best guy coming into the week with 16 receptions for 187 yards. He will be out for this one with a lower-body injury.

And senior receiver Chris Hunter III is also dealing with a lower-body injury that will keep him out of this matchup. He has accounted for 13 receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown to this point.

Cole Rusk, Arizona's top tight end option, is out, as is running back Ismail Mahdi, who is their starting running back and has only played in two games this season.

Mahdi missed the beginning of the year before getting a couple of carries in a blowout win over Northern Illinois. Mahdi toted the rock 10 times for 63 yards a couple of weeks ago against Washington State. He and linebacker Max Harris have both been ruled ineligible ahead of their game last week against Cincinnati. A Pima County judge ruled them ineligible, as they were each playing their fifth year under a temporary restraining order they had received just a month ago.

Not having to worry about that many of Arizona's top options should help WVU's defense, but it's just an opportunity for others to step up and make a statement. When you have a quarterback like Noah Fifita, he is going to elevate the play of everyone around him. This passing attack is still going to be a chore for the Mountaineers to defend. There's no guarantee that with these top options out, the Mountaineers will fare better against the pass.

This could mean more playing time for former Mountaineer Rodney Gallagher III as well.