The Arizona Wildcats need a lot of help on defense after an awful season in their first season in the Big 12 conference.
The Wildcats were ranked No. 105 in total defense in FBS as they allowed 413.0 yards per game. Arizona simply didn’t get much done against the run (174.0 yards per game, No. 98 in FBS) or the pass (239.0 yards per game, No. 102 in FBS).
The Wildcats also allowed 31.8 points per game, which was ranked No. 108 in FBS.
Arizona has five returning starters and a new defensive coordinator in Danny Gonzales, who was promoted after last season. He was formerly a head coach at New Mexico and a defensive coordinator at Arizona State.
Here are three defensive players to keep an eye on for the Arizona Wildcats.
Injuries pushed Smith into the starting lineup a year ago and, after some bumps in the road, he displayed that he has a solid future in Arizona’s defensive backfield.
He played in all 12 games, finishing with a career-high 63 total tackles (39 solo, 24 assists) with a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss, along with three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
Smith enters his third season with Arizona in a position to grow into one of the best safeties in the Big 12.
Gonzales is installing a 4-2-5 defense, and Brown is going to be at the center of it. He’s the only returning starter in the linebacking group, and he’s coming off a good season in 2024.
He had a career year in his second season in the program, as he finished with 70 tackles (30 solo and 40 assists). That put him second on the team. He also had four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Playing in the middle of this defense has the potential to make Brown a star in the Big 12 in 2025.
Stukes is expected to play the nickel in the 4-2-5 defense this season and, assuming he’s recovered from offseason knee surgery, he should be perfect for the role.
His injury last season hurt the defense overall and was one of the reasons why it struggled so much against the pass. This will be his sixth season with the program, and it’s his final chance to make an impression, not just in Tucson but on NFL scouts.
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