Arizona Special Teams Trying to Close the Loop

Arizona football moves forward under second-year coach Brent Brennan when they start fall training camp on Wednesday. Brennan and special teams coach Craig Naivar will look to put together a unit that will figure out how to replace the great Tyler Loop who was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL in the spring draft.

During his five seasons for the Wildcats, Loop made an incredible 83.8 percent of his field goals, which ranks him No. 39 all-time. The mark is the best in Arizona history. His 327 career points are third in school annals only behind Max Zendejas and Art Luppino.

Loop made 6-of-9 field goals of over 50 yards last season.. He also drilled an Arizona best 62-yard effort. Loop owns the UA single-game school record with five field goals against Texas Tech. In his last two seasons at Arizona, Loop had 126 touchbacks in 140 attempts.

In comes Michael Salgado-Medina. He was the starting punter last season and also held for Loop on his placements. He will compete for the starting kicking job during camp. He has an ample leg and is waiting to put it on display.

Naivar does not want Salgado-Medina to both kick and punt. He said he wants to figure out which one he does best and have him do that.

“Which one does he do? We have a really good option there with having his ability to do both,” said Naivar. “Whatever he does not do, he’ll obviously be a tremendous backup in that regard, if he only does one of them. He gives us some options and has a really strong leg, so I’m excited about the progress he’s made and where he’s at.

“That gives us a direction of where we go now with summer workouts, fall camp and how he acclimates as we fill that room with additions, as well, because we will make some additions.”

Salgado-Medina said he “always saw myself as someone that was able to do both, and certain colleges saw me as someone doing both.”

“Whatever they want me to do, I’ll do it,” he added.

Arizona added another kicker, Ian Wagner, a transfer from Illinois State. Wagner graduated from O’Fallon High School in Central Illinois, but grew up in Sierra Vista, Arizona.

The 6-2, 215-pound Wagner signed with Illinois State in 2021 and became a three-year starter for the Redbirds. In 32 games over the last three seasons, Wagner made 25 of 36 field goals (69.4%), including a career-long 47-yarder last season. In 157 kickoff attempts, Wagner tallied 91 touchbacks.

Naivar and the WIldcats will have to make a decision as to who the starting kicker will be at the end of training camp or before. Salgado-Medina appears to be firmly in the mix for one of the starting jobs, it is just a question of which one.