The ability for Arizona to retain veteran defensive backs Dalton Johnson, Genesis Smith and Treydan Stukes from the 2024 team provided a great foundation for the secondary. The trio has combined to start 62 games for the Wildcats.
But after the way injuries riddled the Wildcats’ back line last year, just having a good first group isn’t enough. Someone is going to get hurt, and without quality reserves the dropoff can be significant, as was the case as last season went along and the pass defense became
more and more porous.
Four of Arizona’s final five opponents completed at least 72.4 percent of their passes, each averaging at least nine yards per attempt. And for the year the UA recorded just eight interceptions.
The transfer portal produced three potential starters at the cornerback position in Jay’vion Cole, Michael Dansby and Ayden Garnes. Combined they have 70 starts at the FBS/FCS level, including 19 for UA corners coach Chip Viney at San Jose State in 2013. They’ve also combined for 17 picks.
“These guys have shown up every single day that we’ve asked them to,” Viney said. “They’ve been accountable. The most important thing to me is when we call things out, these guys have owned it, and they’ve they’ve made an attempt to fix it, and that’s all you can ask these guys to do. I don’t think we’re anywhere near where we want to be, we have some days left, and we’re going to attack and approach as such. We’re very comfortable and excited about what we have.”
Stukes, who is coming back from knee surgery last October, is expected to start at one of the three corner positions in the opener Aug. 30 against Hawaii. The other two spots are up for grabs, with Marquis Groves-Killebrew—who started six games with the Wildcats last season—competing alongside the newcomers.
Cole and Dansby could have a leg up based on their experience with Viney and head coach Brent Brennan. Cole played for San Jose State in 2023, his second of three schools (he was at Texas last year) before coming to Tucson, while Dansby played three seasons for the Sabercats including 2022-23 with Brennan and Cole.
But Garnes, who began his career at Duquesne before playing last season at West Virginia, may be the most improved corner since spring ball.
“He attacked the offseason, getting bigger and stronger that way,” Viney said of Dansby. “And obviously staying healthy and being available on the field and making plays presented to him.”
New defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales has taken an aggressive approach during training camp, bringing tons of pressure from his front seven. That has left the corners in a lot of one-on-one situations.
“That’s why we do one-on-ones,” Garnes said. “That’s why we’re in those type of situations right now, so in (12) days when we are we on an island we did go through these situations in practice.”
Dansby said Kansas State transfer Tre Spivey has been the toughest matchup in camp because of his ability to make catches on 50-50 balls.
While other San Jose State players left that program after Brennan took the UA job, including a few following him to Tucson, Dansby decided to stay one more year with the Sabercats. But with one season of eligibility remaining he chose to reunite with his old coaches but at a higher level.
“I just wanted a bigger opportunity for myself, my family, and I know where my talents should be at,” Dansby said.
Dansby and Cole have noticed some changes in Brennan from their previous time together, particularly in the emotion and fire he brings.
“I feel like Brennan now understands that there’s levels to this playing field, going from the Mountain West to the Big 12, so he needed to bring more enthusiasm to the team here, especially going (off) last year,” Cole said.
