Arizona's Returning Defensive Starters Ready to Make Big Impact

The Arizona Wildcats are hoping to improve from a disappointing 2024 season where the defense was ranked 114th in points allowed, giving up 31.8 points per game.

 Arizona has made a handful of moves during the process of upgrading said defense, such as promoting linebackers coach Danny Gonzales to the defensive coordinator role in place of Duane Akina, who is now the the defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach at the University of Texas.

 Former Arizona defensive lineman and two time All-Pac 10 player Joe Salave’a was also hired as an associate head coach/defensive line coach.

Gonzales brings more than two decades of coaching experience to the staff, including four years as a head coach and two as a defensive coordinator.

High expectations are what Gonzales has for his defense, stating that, “Our goal is to be a top 15 defense in the country,” in a spring practice press conference. “Do we have enough talent? We do. Now it’s our job to coach their tails up and play hard.”

 Salave’a brings nine years of NFL experience, along with multiple stints as a line coach in which he has produced a handful of All-Americans and draft picks.

So far, Salave'a has enjoyed the group of linemen he has inherited. Although it is not the group he picked out himself, he is still eager to coach them, saying, "Everybody gets a clean slate. I had looked these youg men in the eyes and shared with them that I'm eagerly excited to be a part of this journey. The challenge for them is to be vulnerable, to be receptive to the teaching and the coaching."

Arizona has a number of returning players to go along with the new coaching changes to help with the Big 12 push.

Here are three players that could make a big difference this upcoming season.

1. Treydan Stukes

The Arizona slot cornerback and defensive captain was a part of the 2023 team that went 10-2 and won the Alamo Bowl against No.12 Oklahoma in San Antonio, TX.

In that 2023 season, Stukes had 55 total tackles and one interception.

Standing at 6-foot-2, 198-pounds, He was slated to be one of the top corners in what was supposed to be his final year as a Wildcat, until a devastating knee injury in week 4 upset win over No. 10 ranked Utah in Salt Lake City derailed the rest of his season.

Until that point, the Litchfield Park, AZ product recorded 19 tackles to go along with a pick. Stukes medically redshirted after that and is coming back for one last season in 2025.

Stukes will line up as one of the two "cat" safeties this season, according to Gonzales. When asked about him, defensive backs coach Brett Arce said, "I cant say enough good things about Stukes. He's a great player, he's a great teammate. When he got injured at the Utah game, he wasn't worried about himself...He's a phenomenal leader for his team. "

In Gonzales' words, Stukes is doing phenomenal in his recovery. We'll have a chance to see him in fll camp." Look for him to anchor the cornerbacks in his final run as a Wildcat this year.

2. Dalton Johnson

Dalton Johnson made a big splash last year as the team’s leading tackler with a career high total of 94, which is a step up from the 86 he had in 2023.

 Johnson had three games where he posted double digit tackles, 11 against Colorado, 13 against West Viriginia and 15 against TCU.

The 6-foot-2, 202-pound defensive back played as a linebacker/safety combination after a number of injuries plagued the defense in 2024.

The Katy, TX native is one of four defensive backs to return with starting experience, making him a big part of the defense in the 2025 season.

Johnson expects the defense to have a much more relentless approach to football this season. In a press conference along side quarterback Noah Fifita, he said, "We're gonna fly around, we're gonna hit you and we gotta have this aggressive attitude.

3. Taye Brown

Last season, Taye Brown emerged as one of Arizona’s top tacklers at the linebacker position, finishing second on the team with a total of 68 to go with 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and four tackles for a loss.

The junior out of Chandler, AZ will look to build off that next season, as he is one of 42 players on the Lott IMPACT trophy watchlist, according to the Pacific Club IMPACT foundation.

The 6-foot-2, 231-pound Brown has a solid frame that is built for the middle linebacker position. He is a physical player that can wreak havoc when the ball is near him.

 In 2024, Brown had three games where he had double digit tackles, 12 against NAU and 10 vs. Arizona State and Utah. The Big 12 Academic Honor Roll player is someone to watch for this upcoming season.

Brown;s teammates hold a tremendous amount of respect for him and his style of play. Johnson told reporters that, "Taye's just the type of guy that he' gonna show up and hes gonna go 100 miles per hour 100 percent of the time and just give you that effort and just go all out. You can count on him to do the right thing."

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