2024 Arizona Wildcats football team

Last updated
2024 Arizona Wildcats football
Arizona Wildcats logo.svg
Conference Big 12 Conference
Record0–0 (0–0 Big 12)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Dino Babers (1st season)
Defensive coordinator Duane Akina (1st season)
Home stadium Arizona Stadium
Seasons
  2023
2025 
2024 Big 12 Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Arizona  0 0   0 0  
Arizona State  0 0   0 0  
BYU  0 0   0 0  
Baylor  0 0   0 0  
Cincinnati  0 0   0 0  
Colorado  0 0   0 0  
Houston  0 0   0 0  
Iowa State  0 0   0 0  
Kansas  0 0   0 0  
Kansas State  0 0   0 0  
Oklahoma State  0 0   0 0  
TCU  0 0   0 0  
Texas Tech  0 0   0 0  
UCF  0 0   0 0  
Utah  0 0   0 0  
West Virginia  0 0   0 0  
Championship: December 7, 2024
  • ^ College Football Playoff participant
  • $ Conference champion
  • y Championship game participant
As of June 5, 2024
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2024 Arizona Wildcats football team will represent the University of Arizona in the Big 12 Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Arizona will be led by first year head coach Brent Brennan. [1] They play at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. The season will be the Wildcats' first year in the Big 12.

Contents

Offseason

Positions key
C Center CB Cornerback DB Defensive back DE Defensive end [lower-alpha 1]
DL Defensive lineman DT Defensive tackle FB Fullback FS Free safety
G Guard [lower-alpha 2] K Kicker [lower-alpha 3] KR Kickoff returner LB Linebacker
LS Long snapper MLB Middle linebacker [lower-alpha 4] OT Offensive tackle OL Offensive lineman
OLB Outside linebacker [lower-alpha 1] NT Nose tackle P Punter PR Punt returner
QB Quarterback RS Return specialist RB Running back S Safety
SS Strong safety TE Tight end WR Wide receiver
  1. 1 2 May sometimes be referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE)
  2. Also known as offensive guard (OG)
  3. Also known as placekicker (PK)
  4. Also known as inside linebacker (ILB)


Coaching staff changes

NamePositionReasonReplacement
Jedd Fisch Head coachAccepted job at Washington Brent Brennan
Jimmie Dougherty Passing game coordinator/Quarterbacks coach Dino Babers
Brennan Carroll Offensive coordinator/offensive line coachJosh Oglesby
Jordan Paopao Tight end coachMatt Adkins
Scottie Graham Running backs coachAlonzo Carter
Jason Kaufusi Outside linebackers coach/Defensive line coach/Co-Special Teams coordinatorDanny Gonzales
Kevin Cummings Wide receivers coach Bobby Wade
Johnny Nansen Defensive coordinatorAccepted job at Texas Duane Akina

Team departures

Over the course of the off-season, Arizona lost 32 total players. 6 players graduated, 10 declared for the NFL Draft, while the other 16 entered the transfer portal.

2024 Arizona offseason departures
NamePos.Height/WeightHometownYearReason
D.J. WilliamsRB6'0, 225Lake Placid, FLGraduated StudentGraduated
Martell IrbyDB5'9, 200San Diego, CASeniorGraduated
Kyle OstendorpP6’2, 215Phoenix, AZ
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Senior
Graduated
Jeremy MercierLB6’3, 245Chandler, AZSeniorGraduated
Sam LangiOL6’5, 320San Francisco, CASeniorGraduated
Seth MacKellarLS6’0, 235San Juan Capistrano, CASeniorGraduated

Entered NFL draft

PlayerPosition
Taylor UpshawLB
Tyler ManoaDL
Sio Nofoagatoto'aDL
Tanner McLachlan TE
Jordan Morgan OL
Jacob Cowing WR
Dylan WyattCB
Michael Wiley RB
Nazar BombataRB
Jayden de Laura QB

Transfer portal

Twenty-six Arizona players elected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal during or after the 2023 season. Over the off-season, Arizona added twenty-six players from the transfer portal. According to 247 Sports, Arizona had the No. 37 ranked transfer class in the country. [2]

Departing transfers
NamePos.Height/WeightYearHometownNew school
Jacob KongaikaDL6'2, 300Sophomore Rowland Heights, CA Arizona State
Orin PatuDL6'4, 245Senior Seattle, WA Bethune–Cookman
(FCS)
Jason HarrisDL6'7, 240
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Freshman
Gilbert, AZ Marshall
Isaiah TaylorDB5'11, 200Sophomore Fort Lauderdale, FL Miami
Stevie Rocker Jr.RB6'0, 215
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Sophomore
Tucson, AZ Montana
(FCS)
Ammon AllenLB6'3, 220Junior Gilbert, AZ Northern Arizona
(FCS)
Canyon MosesDB5'11, 195Freshman Midland, TX Northern Arizona
(FCS)
Charles Yates Jr.DB5'11, 200Junior Mobile, AL Old Dominion
Tiaoalii SaveaDL6'4, 305Junior Las Vegas, NV Texas
Jonah Coleman RB5'9, 225Sophomore Stockton, CA Washington
Ephesians Prysock DB6'4, 190Junior Mission Hills, CA Washington
Russell Davis IIDL6'3, 220Junior Chandler, AZ Washington
Audric HarrisWR6'0, 175FreshmanLas Vegas, NVWashington
Anthony WardLB6'1, 195
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Sophomore
Ontario, CA Washington
Cruz RushingDB6'0, 194JuniorTucson, AZ Oregon (walk-on)
Isaiah WardDL6'5, 225
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Sophomore
Ontario, CA Washington
Daniel HeimuliLB6'0, 225Junior East Palo Alto, CA Georgia State
Bill NortonDL6′6, 300Junior Memphis, TN Texas
DJ WarnellDB6'1, 202Junior La Marque, TX Indiana
Joe BorjonOL6'8, 330Sophomore La Puente, CA San Diego State
Kameron HawkinsLS5'11, 220
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Junior
Victorville, CA Colorado
Kevin Green Jr.WR5'11, 170
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Sophomore
Mission Hills, CA Washington
Anthony PattOL6'5, 300
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Junior
San Marcos, CA Old Dominion
Michael WatkinsIOL6'2, 300Senior Glendale, AZ Washington
Demond Williams Jr.QB5'10, 180SeniorChandler, AZWashington
Jordan WashingtonRB5'10, 160Freshman Long Beach, CA Washington
Incoming transfers
NamePos.Height/WeightYearHometownTransfer fromSources
Chubba MaaeDL6′2, 347Junior Long Beach, CA UC Davis
(FCS)
[3]
Jack LuttrellS6′0, 180Freshman Gainesville, GA Tennessee [4]
Alexander DoostIOL6′6, 309Freshman Glendale, AZ Northwestern [5]
Quali ConleyRB5′10, 207Senior Fresno, CA San Jose State [6]
Kevon DartonDL5′11, 271Senior Fitchburg, MA Syracuse [7]
Cyrus DurhamEDGE6′4, 235Sophomore Redwood, CA College of San Mateo (JC) [8]
Johno PriceCB6′2, 175Sophomore East Palo Alto, CA College of San Mateo (JC) [9]
Tre SmithEDGE6′5, 255Junior Mesa, AZ San Jose State [10]
Ryan StewartOL6′4, 295Junior Mokena, IL San Jose State [11]
Marquis Groves-KillebrewCB6'0, 180
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Freshman
Kennesaw, GA Louisville [12]
Anthony WilhiteRB5'11, 185Freshman Tucson, AZ Ottawa (AZ) --
Justin HollowayLS6'3, 206Senior Venice, FL Ohio [13]
Anthony GarciaQB6'1, 192Freshman Sacramento, CA San Jose State [14]
Sam OlsonTE6'3, 238Junior Visalia, CA San Jose State [15]
Jarra AndersonDL6'2, 260Freshman Katy, TX Memphis [16]
James SmithDB6'1, 190
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Sophomore
Los Angeles, CA San Jose State [17]
Chase KennedyEDGE6'3, 231Sophomore Dallas, TX Utah [18]
Michael WootenOL6'4, 310
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Freshman
Simi Valley, CA Oregon [19]
Reymello MurphyWR6'0, 185Sophomore Fremont, CA Old Dominion [20]
Jonah RodriguezOL6'4, 275Freshman San Diego, CA San Diego State [21]
Marquis BrownCB6′4, 200Sophomore Hillsboro, OR Golden West College (JC) [22]
Lance KeneleyLB6′4, 250Senior Mission Viejo, CA Stanford [23]
Demetrius FreeneyCB6′0, 190Junior San Leandro, CA Miami [24]
Jeremiah PattersonWR5′9, 175Sophomore Union City, CA College of San Mateo (JC) [25]
Kedrick ResscanoRB6'0, 210Freshman New Caney, TX Ole Miss [26]
Jacory Croskey-MerrittRB5′11, 205Senior Montgomery, AL New Mexico [27]
Adam DamanteQB6'2, 180Freshman Gilbert, AZ Northern Arizona
(FCS)
[28]
Shannco MatautiaOL6'2, 346Sophomore Anaheim, CA New Mexico [29]
Stanley Ta’ufo’ouDL6′2, 275
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Senior
Simi Valley, CA USC [30]

Note: Players with a dash in the new school column didn't land on a new team for the 2024 season.


Recruiting class

Arizona signed 8 players in the class of 2024. The Wildcats' was ranked fifty-six by 247Sports and ranked forty-six by Rivals.com rankings. No Arizona signees were ranked in the ESPN 300 top prospect list. Arizona also signed walk-ons during national signing period.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeightCommit date
Dylan Tapley
Tight end
Scottsdale, AZ Desert Mountain High School 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)165 lb (75 kg)Nov 11, 2023 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals: 4 stars.svg     247Sports: 3 stars.svg     ESPN: 3 stars.svg    ESPN grade: 79
Turran Williams
Safety
Pasadena, CA John Muir High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)210 lb (95 kg)Jul 3, 2023 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: 3 stars.svg     ESPN: 3 stars.svg    ESPN grade: 78
Edukwa Okundaye
Defensive end
Katy, TX Obra D. Tompkins High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)220 lb (100 kg)Jun 13, 2023 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: 3 stars.svg     ESPN: 3 stars.svg    ESPN grade: 77
Brandon Phelps
Wide receiver
Gilbert, AZ American Leadership Academy6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)200 lb (91 kg)Dec 22, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: 3 stars.svg     ESPN: 3 stars.svg    ESPN grade: 77
Stacy Bey
Inside linebacker
Fontana, CA Rancho Cucamonga High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)205 lb (93 kg)Oct 8, 2023 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: 3 stars.svg     ESPN: 3 stars.svg    ESPN grade: 75
Matthew Lado
Offensive tackle
Glendale,AZ Apollo High School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)260 lb (120 kg)Jun 19, 2023 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: 3 stars.svg     ESPN: 3 stars.svg    ESPN grade: 75
Michael Salgado-Medina
Kicker
Mission Viejo, CA Mission Viejo High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)190 lb (86 kg)Jun 18, 2023 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals: 2 stars.svg     247Sports: 3 stars.svg     ESPN: 3 stars.svg    ESPN grade: 74
Jabari Mann
Athlete
San Mateo, CA Junipero Serra High School 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)200 lb (91 kg)Feb 21, 2024 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: 3 stars.svg     ESPN: 3 stars.svg    ESPN grade: 74
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Arizona Football Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  • "2024 Player Commitments – Arizona". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  • "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  • "2024 Arizona Wildcats football team". 247sports.com. Retrieved February 21, 2024.

*= 247Sports Composite rating; ratings are out of 1.00. (five stars= 1.00–.98, four stars= .97–.90, three stars= .80–.89)
= Despite being rated as a four and five star recruit by ESPN, On3.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com, Williams and Whittington received a four star 247Sports Composite rating.
Δ= Demond Williams Jr. and Jordan Washington left the Arizona program following signing but prior to the 2024 season.

2024 overall class rankings

WebsiteNational rankConference rank5 star recruits4 star recruits3 star recruits
ESPN [31] ------217
On3 Recruits [32] 509--217
Rivals [33] 465--215
247 Sports [34] 5611--221

Walks-ons

NamePos.Height/WeightHometownHigh school
Jordan McCordWR5’11, 170 Soquel, CA Soquel
Joseph WashingtonDB5’10, 175 Phoenix, AZ Mountain Pointe
Kayden LukeRB/LB5’11, 220 Tucson, AZ Canyon del Oro
Mason BrayQB6’0, 175 Scottsdale, AZ Saguaro
Quinn OlsonDB6’3, 195 Sioux City, IA Bishop Heelan Catholic

Preseason

Preseason Big 12 Poll

Big 12 media poll
Predicted finishTeamVotes (1st place)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

Preseason Big-12 awards