Wildcats' Rhino Tapa'atoutai Geared Up For Comeback Season

Rhino Tapa'atoutao was a quintessential piece in an offense that was slated to be one of the more talented ones in the Big 12.

The Arizona Wildcats did a less-than-stellar job in protecting their quarterback, Noah Fifita, as he was sacked 28 times and the rushing offense finished 15th in the Big 12 and 15th as a scoring offense.

Head coach Brent Brennan said that Arizona's lackluster numbers as an offense were because they did not do a good enough job in protecting their quarterback and not getting enough push off the ball for a successful rushing attack.

Much of the offensive woes that Arizona experienced in 2024 can be attributed to injuries that occurred throughout the season, which could also be why the Wildcats went through 11 different starting combinations in the 12 games.

Now, Arizona has added 14 new linemen from recruitment and the transfer portal, seemingly solving the problem of depth.

"I firmly believe that games are won upfront on both sides of the ball and I think that that's a place that we had a lot of room to grow last year," Brennan said in a national signing day press conference. "That was something as a start, as we spoke as a staff in here and putting all the pieces together. We knew we had to address that because it wasn't just about first-line players, it was about creating an incredible amount of competition in that space."

Tapa'atoutai suffering a season-ending ACL tear in a loss at Colorado in Boulder could be one of the many factors why the Wildcats underperformed in 2024.

Tapa'atoutai was slated to be an anchor in last year's offense, despite it being his first year as a starting offensive lineman. As nearly every left tackle in their first year would, he had to go through some growing pains on his way to being a leader in that room.

"The sad thing about Rhino is when his injury happened, he was really kind of coming into his own, "Offensive line coach Josh Oglesby said in a spring football press conference. "A lot of people forget that, you know, those were his first collegiate snaps last year. Anyone whose played knows that the growth that you make between the first time you're actually out there to the next is unbelievable."

Although Tapa'atoutai allowed 16 quarterback pressures on Fifita, he only allowed two sacks in the six games he suited up for.

He is now looking to come back from the season-ending injury and once again be a leader on the offense.

Tapa'atoutai did not participate in spring football practice, but he is still a vocal leader and motivates his teammates on the sideline.

"Rhino's been unbelievable in that role," Offensive line coach Josh Oglesby. "He's been just absolutely fantastic. You couldn't ask for a better person kind of in that role. He's been a phenomenal cheerleader for those guys. He's been a great voice for 'em when they come back on the sideline and kind of talking 'em through different things, different issues that come up, different technical things."

He continued, "He's really grown, not only as a leader but as a player, kind of in this time too. He's really dove into learning the scheme, learning the adjustments, kind of learning more about defense. I'm so excited for when he gets back to kind of see where all this goes for him."

Rhino will have plenty to catch up on once he is fully healthy, as new offensive coordinator Seth Doege has implemented an up-tempo offence that moves much faster than Dino Babers' did. So far, it's unclear whether or not Tapa'atoutai will play in a different spot, but right now, fans could expect him to line up at left tackle.

"I really don't believe in guys losing their position due to injury," Oglesby said. "Maybe that's a little bit kind of because of my past, dealing with injuries and fighting back to regain your position, especially when he was playing at a pretty good level before he got dinged. Now we'll be smart about his return to play and we'll kind of cross that bridge when we come to it,"

Oglesby expressed Tapa'atoutai's eagerness to once again be in the huddle with his teammates.

"If you watch practice, you'll see him 20 yards behind the group, he gets to play from me and then he goes through his footwork on his own."

With the start of the 2025-2026 season quickly approaching in August, Rhino and the rest of the offensive line will look to be a much more sound group that is focused on protecting their quarterback, pushing forward for their running back and once again being a contender in the Big 12.