The first of about two dozen preseason practices for Arizona was scheduled to end around 12:15 p.m. PT on Wednesday but ended up wrapping up well before noon. But no periods were cut or drills eliminated. Everything just got done faster, an indication of the tempo the Wildcats plan to play at this season.
“I think a focus for us right now is just having a real sense of urgency to improve,” UA coach Brent Brennan said. “And to me, the way that shows up is, how do we get drill to drill? Like, what does
the tempo look like when we’re playing? What’s the tempo look like when we’re taking the field? I think those are things that are 100 percent in the player’s control. I think that’s that has a lot more to do with our overall sense of urgency, our overall enthusiasm to get on the field and get to our get to our process of development and improvement.”
More than 100 players suited up in helmets, shorts and spiders, a sort of soft-shell practice pads that take the place of full-scale shoulder pads. The Wildcats used all three available fields, the indoor one within the Davis Sports Center as well as two outdoor surfaces including unofficially known as “South Beach” for its proximity to the UA beach volleyball facility.
One defensive drill involved linemen and linebackers tackling a monster truck tire and then getting up to fall on a loose ball rolled out by a coach. Another involved coaches poking at ball carriers with a long stick that had a helmet attached at the end, one the players would swipe at as if putting out a stiff arm.
In between there were plenty of breaks to stay hydrated in the upper-90s sun but very little walking around and lollygagging. And if there was, a coach was there to get things moving.
“It’s a process, but it’s an everyday thing,” offensive coordinator Seth Doege said. “We preach it, we demand it every single day. You guys who are at practice, you hear me. I’m chasing them down. Our coaches are bodying them, they’re chasing them down. We’re chasing the ball with them. We’re demanding them to have our tempo and mechanics from a skill level, to get the ball back to the middle official and get our eyes to the sideline and get the signal. We demand the quarterbacks to make sure that they’re pushing the tempo as well.”
Arizona will practice again Thursday morning and then Friday evening, the first of six night practices inside the football stadium, before taking a day off and repeating that day-day-night pattern the rest of training camp.
“I think we set a good baseline today for where we want to go what we’re trying to get done,” Brennan said.
First impressions
Wednesday was the first official practice for more than 20 players, either transfers who signed out of the portal after spring practice ended or members of the 2025 recruiting class who did not enroll early. A few more are in the process of finishing up academic commitments before joining the team later in training camp.
Among the newcomers are ones that could play a big role on Arizona’s special teams, including former Illinois state kicker Ian Wagner, ex-Jackson State long snapper Avery Salerno and Australian punter Isaac Lovison.
“That’s a Coach (Craig) Naivar special,” Brennan said of Lovison. “He has a lot of history of taking guys from Australia, guys who grew up kicking the football.”
It was also the first collegiate practice for freshman Scotty Brennan, the head coach’s son. A quarterback at Los Gatos (Calif.) High School, Brennan is listed as a wide receiver with the Wildcats and will be getting coached by his father for the first time.
“I haven’t coached him ever, just the nature of this job,” Brent Brennan said. “I never coached Little League or AYSO soccer. My wife did. My wife was a Little League coach for the boys.”
There are three members of Arizona’s 2025 recruiting class who have yet to officially join the team. Prep offensive lineman Peter Langi and junior college defensive linemen Ezra Funa and Zac Siulepa are “still working through their academic progress,” Brennan said Tuesday.
13 Wildcats named to Shrine Bowl watch list
The East-West Shrine Bowl, an annual college football all-star game that also serves as a showcase for prospective NFL draft picks, has released its preseason list of 1,000 players in early consideration for the 2026 game set for January in Texas.
The UA has 13 players on the list, all of whom are eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft:
- TE Cameron Barmore
- OL Ty Buchanan
- OL Ka’ena Decambra
- QB Noah Fifita
- WR Kris Hutson
- DB Dalton Johnson
- RB Ismail Mahdi
- DT Deshawn McKnight
- DB Genesis Smith
- DE Tre Smith
- DB Treydan Stukes
- WR Javin Whatley
- WR Luke Wysong
Last year Arizona had six players on the initial list including running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who despite only playing one game for the Wildcats was invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl and earned offensive MVP honors. Croskey-Merritt parlayed that performance into getting drafted by the Washington Commanders, who have been giving the rookie snaps with the first team offense during training camp.
Arizona’s 13 players are tied for fourth-most among Big 12 teams. Texas Tech has the most, with 23, followed by Baylor (17) and ASU (15), while Kansas State also has 13 nominees.
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