It is that weird, frantic time of year in Tucson. The transfer portal just closed its primary winter window yesterday, and if you're trying to make sense of the Arizona football depth chart for the 2026 season, you've probably noticed it looks less like a stable roster and more like a high-stakes game of Tetris.
Coach Brent Brennan is entering his third year. The honeymoon phase is officially over, and the pressure to build on last year's 9-4 Holiday Bowl season is real. But honestly? The "experts" are looking at the wrong things. They’re staring at the star ratings of the 2026 high school signees like Oscar Rios, while the actual battle for the Big 12 is being fought in the trenches and the secondary with guys who weren't even on campus a month ago.
The QB1 Security Blanket (And the Shadow Behind Him)
Let’s start with the obvious. Noah Fifita is back.
That single sentence is why Arizona fans are sleeping soundly. He threw for 3,228 yards and 29 touchdowns last year. He's the soul of this offense. But look at the Arizona football depth chart beneath him. It’s scary. Braedyn Locke is gone. The backup spot is currently a massive question mark involving guys like Sawyer Anderson and Luke Haugo.
Then you have Oscar Rios. He’s the crown jewel of the 2026 recruiting class—the No. 11 ranked QB in the country. Brennan has been clear that he wants to redshirt the kid, but we all know how college football works. One twisted ankle for Fifita and the "Rios Era" starts before he's even had his first Eegee’s.
It's a weird dynamic. You have a verified star in Fifita and a potential superstar in Rios, with almost no proven experience in between them.
Rebuilding the "No-Fly Zone" from Scratch
If you want to know what Brennan and defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales spent their winter doing, look at the secondary. It was a bloodbath.
Arizona lost over 6,700 career snaps of experience. Dalton Johnson and Treydan Stukes exhausted their eligibility. Genesis Smith, who was supposed to be the anchor, decided to jump to the NFL Draft. That leaves a canyon-sized hole in the defensive backfield.
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How do you fix that? You go shopping.
Arizona added six transfers to the secondary alone this month. We’re talking about Daylen Austin from Oregon, Dwight Bootle III from Charlotte, and Tyrese Boss from Wyoming. Justin Spears from the Arizona Daily Star noted that these incoming transfers bring nearly 6,000 snaps of experience. It’s a literal "plug and play" situation.
- Daylen Austin (CB): Likely the Day 1 starter on the boundary.
- Malcolm Hartzog (Safety): The Nebraska transfer who has to replace the leadership of Dalton Johnson.
- Xaier Hiler (CB): Don't sleep on this true freshman. The staff is obsessed with his 6'4" frame.
The secondary won't be as "Arizona-bred" as it was last year, but it might actually be more athletic. It’s a trade-off. You lose the chemistry, you gain the raw physical tools.
The Trench Warfare: Protecting the Franchise
Noah Fifita is a magician, but even magicians get hit if the offensive line is a sieve. Last year’s line was veteran-heavy, and now it’s... well, it’s new.
The Arizona football depth chart at tackle was the biggest concern heading into December. Brennan responded by landing Jake Griffin, a redshirt sophomore from BYU who is a local Mesa kid. He’s 6'5" and 305 pounds of "stay away from my quarterback."
Alongside him, watch for Zachary Henning. He transferred in from Washington and is the projected starter at center. Moving a new center into a system with a veteran QB is always tricky. The snap exchange, the protection calls—it all has to be rhythmic.
Projected Offensive Line Starters
- Left Tackle: Jake Griffin (BYU Transfer)
- Left Guard: Nathan Allen (True Freshman / Early Enrollee)
- Center: Zachary Henning (Washington Transfer)
- Right Guard: Alexander Doost
- Right Right: Malachi Joyner (4-star recruit from Gilbert)
It is rare to see a true freshman like Malachi Joyner compete for a starting tackle spot in the Big 12, but he’s already 275 pounds and has the "mean streak" Josh Oglesby looks for.
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The Skill Positions: Who Replaces the Production?
We have to talk about the departures. Ismail Mahdi is gone. Kris Hutson and Luke Wysong declared for the draft. That is a lot of explosive plays sitting on a couch in an NFL training facility.
The running back room is now the "Brandon Smith Show." He’s a freshman, but he’s built like a tank. Expect a heavy rotation with Antwan Roberts.
At receiver, it’s all about Rodney Gallagher III. He came over from West Virginia to be the "everything" guy. He’ll play slot, he’ll return punts, he might even throw a pass or two. The coaching staff is basically trying to rebuild the Tetairoa McMillan impact by committee. You can't replace a Top-10 NFL pick with one guy, so they’ve brought in four.
Defensive Front: The Forgotten Unit
While everyone talks about the DBs, the defensive line is where games are won in the Big 12. Tiaoalii Savea and Deshawn McKnight are gone. That is a lot of meat in the middle to replace.
Keep an eye on Cooper Blomstrom. He’s an edge rusher from Georgetown who is surprisingly twitchy. He’s 6'3", 235 pounds, and plays like his hair is on fire. He’ll be opposite Dominic Lolesio, who is one of the few returning starters on this side of the ball.
The depth here is thin. One or two injuries to the interior defensive line and Arizona will be forced to play Manoah Faupusa—a 360-pound true freshman. He’s a mountain of a man, but asking a 19-year-old to hold the gap against Kansas State or Utah is a big ask.
What This Means for Your Expectations
The 2026 Arizona football depth chart is the most volatile it’s been in a decade.
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We are looking at a team that will start at least five or six transfers and potentially two or three true freshmen. That usually leads to a "slow start" in September. Luckily, the schedule opens with Northern Arizona and NIU at the newly named Casino Del Sol Stadium.
If the Wildcats can find their rhythm in those first three weeks, the talent is there to compete for a conference title. If the secondary doesn't gel? It’s going to be a long season of 45-42 shootouts.
Key Takeaways for Fans:
- The Secondary is a jigsaw puzzle: Don't be surprised if the starters in Week 1 aren't the starters in Week 6.
- Fifita's health is the season: There is no "proven" backup. The drop-off is steep.
- The Transfer Portal won: Brennan has embraced the new reality. This roster is built on 1-year and 2-year rentals to bridge the gap to his high school recruits.
Keep an eye on the spring game in April. That’s when we’ll see if these 21 new transfers actually like playing with each other. Until then, the depth chart is written in pencil, and the eraser is getting a lot of use.
Actionable Next Steps for 2026 Season Prep
To stay ahead of the curve as the season approaches, keep your eyes on these specific markers:
- Monitor the Spring Game Snap Counts: Pay attention to who starts with the first-team defense in the secondary. If Daylen Austin and Malcolm Hartzog aren't the first names out, there might be a chemistry issue.
- Track the Offensive Line Weights: Check the official roster updates in August. If Malachi Joyner hasn't hit the 290-pound mark, expect him to redshirt rather than start at tackle.
- Watch the Backup QB Battle: Follow local beat writers for reports on Sawyer Anderson versus Oscar Rios. If Rios is taking second-team reps by mid-August, the coaching staff is preparing for a "break glass in case of emergency" scenario.
- Check the Kicking Competition: With Tyler Loop in the NFL and Ian Wagner gone, the placekicker spot is wide open. Ryan Harris (transfer) is the name to watch.
The depth chart will remain fluid until the bus pulls up for the NAU game on September 5th.