Nov 25, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats safety Genesis Smith (12) against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

What to Look Out For in Arizona's Defensive Back Room

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Nathaniel Martinez | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Arizona Wildcats are officially one week away from taking the field for the first game of the 2025-26 season, where they will take on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on August 30 at 7:30 p.m.

The culture of the defense has shifted completely following the promotion of Danny Gonzales from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator in place of Daune Akina, who is now at Texas.

A particular area of the defense that will be exciting to watch for is the defensive backs, who have an experienced safeties room and a revamped cornerbacks room under the leadership of Treydan Stukes, who is returning for his final season after a knee injury ended his 2024-25 campaign.

We have taken a close look at the defensive backs through 18 days of practice and assessed three things to look out for come the 2025-26 season.

1. Defensive play of Dalton Johnson and Genesis Smith

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Johnson and Smith combined for 157 tackles, 3 interceptions, two pass deflections and four forced fumbles last season. Johnson and Smiths physically should be something to watch for.

Next to Treydan Stukes, Johnson and Smith have the most experience with the Arizona culture and the expectations of Danny Gonzales. Look for the duo to anchor the defense throughout the year.

The two safeties have played at multiple positions last year. Their versatility will make them huge components of the defensive schemes.

Both Smith and Johnson have made some highlight reel interceptions through fall camp, so watch for them to do the same on game days.

2. The play of the revamped cornerback group

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Michael Dansby (San Jose State), Jay'Vion Cole (Texas) and Ayden Garnes (West Virginia) all bring a level of experience from the previous schools they were at, which will make them a dangerous group in the Big 12.

The return of Treydan Stukes brings leadership to the new mix of corners in the room. Look for him to anchor the DBs and break out if he stays healthy.

The level of depth that was added with the freshmen who signed with the program and transfers makes the worry for injuries derailing the season dissipate a little bit.

3. Watch for improvement on 1-on-1 coverage.

There have been instances through fall camp where the cornerbacks struggled with 1-on-1 coverage and gave up big plays through the air.

With Gonzales' aggressive defensive scheme, cornerbacks will be asked to take on those matchups quite a bit, so they will need to improve in that area to be successful.

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This article first appeared on Arizona Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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