How Transfer Cam Chapa Elevates Arizona's Safety Room

Cam Chapa, in particular, brings a plethora of skills to the Wildcats' safety room that could very much propel him into a starting role. A transfer out of Northern Colorado, Chapa was a phenomenal safety for the Bears and has left his mark after opting to hit the transfer portal.

Before transferring, Chapa led the Big Sky in tackles with 68, earned First Team All-Big Sky honors, and was the second Bear to have back-to-back seasons with four interceptions. His skill set matches the identity that defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales wants for his unit: a group of players who can stop the run and drop back into coverage.

Chapa Brings Experience to a Depleted Room

Before Chapa made the move to Arizona, he spent two full seasons at Northern Colorado and started 23 games, including 11 during his sophomore season. While he did play in the FCS for his first two seasons, he does have experience against FBS opponents, both of which came against Colorado State.

Experience is something Arizona needs to lean on after losing its three best defensive players, and Chapa brings a lot of it. Chapa logged a total of 1,495 snaps with the Bears. While Arizona's "Big three" logged a solid 6,700 snaps collectively. If finding experience through the portal was a goal for Arizona, it hit a home run in the signing of Chapa.

Chapa a Downhill Tackler

The role of safety is to drop down into coverage and be the last line of defense in the passing game. Chapa brings much more than that. Throughout two seasons, Chapa totaled 171 total tackles, four for a loss, and two forced fumbles. Chapa's high rate of tackles shows that he can both drop into coverage and play the run at a high level.

A Turnover Machine

Besides Chapa's high rate of tackling, he also brings a highly skilled level of ball-hawking. Chapa is just the second Bear to record back-to-back seasons where he had four interceptions. He also had 12 pass deflections through two seasons.

Chapa was limited for spring practice, but should be back to 100% by the time summer sessions begin. By then, Chapa will be able to display the elite-level skillset that has earned him so many accolades while at Northern Colorado.