Incoming Freshmen Hoping to Make a Statement in 2025

The University of Arizona football team has made tremendous moves in the offseason to bolster the roster with plenty of incoming talent to prepare for its second year in the Big 12.

Head Coach Brent Brennan wasted no time after the season ended on Friday, Nov. 30. Since then, the Wildcats have added 53 players to the roster, 25 transfers, 23 high school commits and five JuCo players.

This year will be the first that Brennan got to build his own recruitment list, being that last year, he was hired after signing day.

Brennan emphasized a need for size on the offensive line, stating that, “games are won up front,” in a national signing day press conference.

“That’s a place that we knew we had a lot of room to grow from the start,” Brennan continued. “It’s not about the first line, about creating an incredible amount of competition.”

Adding depth to the running game was also a priority for Arizona, as it was ranked 119th according to NCAA.com

“I think coach (Alonzo) Carter did a great job (in recruiting), “Brennan said. “The mixture I think is what’s beneficial there. You don’t want to have all big bodies, you don’t want to have all small bodies. It’s great when you can mix and match and you can create some match up challenges.”

The loss Teteiroa McMillan to the NFL leaves a a big hole in the wide receiver corps, making it a priority for Arizona to fill that void with skilled players in that category.

Here is a look at some of the top offensive incoming freshmen to look out for in the 2026 season.

Wesley Yarbrough

Wesley Yarbrough is a hard hitting, yet shifty running back out of Crosby, Texas. The four-star recruit committed to Arizona on December 14, 2024 after visiting the campus and realizing it would be his home.

In his three seasons playing running back and a little bit of slot receiver at Crosby High School, he rushed 458 times for 2767 yards and 32 touchdowns.

During his senior season, Yarbrough rushed the ball 2224 times for 1722 yards and 21 total touchdowns.

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Yarbrough is going to have to fight for carries this season, as the running back room is stacked.

Transfers Ismail Mahdi out of Texas State, Mike Mitchell from Utah and Quincy Craig from Portland State are all looking to fight for carries in 2025. Returning junior Kedrick Reescano, along with incoming freshman Cornelius Warren are also in the mix.

Yarbrough may get some carries in the regular season, as Brennan is expected to run a committee approach in the upcoming season.

Isaiah Mizell

A vertical threat that possesses a ton of breakaway speed, Isaiah Mizell offers plenty of talent to a wide receiver room that lost its biggest weapon in McMillan in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft in April.

Mizell broke a single season receiving touchdown record during his junior year at Boone High School, scoring 21 in a campaign that also saw him catch 49 balls thrown his way for 1057 yards in 11 games.

He stayed consistent in his senior season, catching 43 receptions for 1038 yards and 15 touchdowns in 10 games.

A multi-sport athlete and district champion in the 100-meter dash in 2023, Mizell has the tools to be a redzone threat in an offense that struggled in that area, reaching that part of the field only 24 times (second fewest in the NCAA) and turning those attempts into touchdowns just 15 times.

At 6-foot-1, 160 pounds, Mizell has some mass to put on before the start of the season if he is to face the top level cornerbacks in the Big 12.

Despite his size, the speed and technique that he possesses could be enough for his to breeze past defenders into the third level.

With transfers Luke Wysong (New Mexico), Javin Whatley( Chattanooga), Kris Hutson (Washington State) and Cameron Barmore (Mercyhurst) joining the Arizona wide receiver corps-along with returners Chris Hunter, Jeremiah Patterson and Devin Hyatt, Mizell will have plenty of work to do in order to get a lot of playtime

Peter Langi

One of the Wildcats biggest priorities was to add size to the offensive line after the 2024 season that saw Noah Fifita sacked 26 times and the rushing offense average 3.872 yards per carry, making Peter Langi the ideal recruit for a rebuilding line.

The 6-foot-5, 330-pound lineman out of San Francisco brings versatility to the trenches, as he could line up at tackle, or in the interior.

The Archbishop Riordan High School alumni originally committed to Washington in December but was released from that commitment in January and signed to Arizona in February.

Langi is the third highest rated offensive lineman on the Wildcats’ roster, behind Javian Goo and Louis Akpa, according to ratings on 2 47 Sports . What makes Langi a player to watch this season is his incredible size in a Big 12 conference that averages 312 pounds per lineman.