Arizona's Defensive Backs Talk Improvements on Defense

Big 12 Media Days have come and gone, Arizona sent head coach Brent Brennan and players in offensive players Noah Fifita and Rhino Tapa’atoutai along with defensive players Treydan Stukes, Tre Smith, Dalton Johnson and Genesis Smith.

Both Brennan and Fifita spoke to the ESPNU cast about how the program can turn things around from an underwhelming 2024 season and the changes on the coaching staff highlighted by offensive coordinator Seth Doege.

“From the moment I met him, when he came and spent some time with us. I was just really impressed with the energy he brought and the conversation had incredible juice, which I'm looking for high energy guys, Brennan said. 

“That's a big part of who I am and I need to work with guys that can feed off each other that way. When we started talking about football, when we started talking about what we were trying to build at Arizona. I also thought it was interesting to hear an air raid guy talk about, 'hey, last year at Marshall, we found some real success running the ball.' And I had never heard an Air Raid guy talk that way.” 

“In my mind, I was like, okay, how do you win games late in the season? You got to be able to run the football,” he said. “So talking to Doege and talking about the championship run they went on last year Marshall. His ability or his willingness to adapt the scheme to fit the personnel is what really solidified it for me.”

Although all the offensive side of the ball got a lot of love during media day, the defense did get some time on ESPNU with Johnson and Smith talking to them in a quick interview.

Q: How would you describe Year 1 under Brennan?

Johnson: “I would definitely say that it was a switch up with a new coaching staff coming in,” he said. “They have their techniques and their ways of doing things and it's kind of blindsiding. But, we decided to stay and bought in to coach Brennan. And the season didn’t go the way we wanted it to. But, we have a redemption season coming up.”

Q: What made you return after entering the portal?

Smith: “I’d say it was just the brotherhood we have going on. It’s been the same since we got her and has never wavered through the wins and losses, it's always been the same love, the same attention to detail daily,” Smith said. “I’m just here to run it back with my brothers.”

Q: Why do you think you will turn things around?

Johnson: “We understand the standards and everyone is bought in, Johnson said. “We understand what coach Brennan wants us to do and we just get it done.”

Q: What’s it like working with Danny Gonzales?

Smith: “It’s been great. He’s definitely changed some attitudes around the building,” Smith said. “He’s really emphasized ‘Red Line’ for us, which is effort execution, accountability and is just pushing that standard daily. And I feel like that has evaluated us as a whole. “

Q: Has much changed on defense in terms of scheme?

Johnson: “Yeah, there’s a few different things that we do, maybe some more guys upfront and a little different disguises and looks in the back end,” Johnson said. “He keeps it new and fresh for the defense.”

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