Arizona Football: Gary Brightwell to wear No. 0 in 2020

Sep 22, 2018; Corvallis, OR, USA; Arizona Wildcats running back Gary Brightwell (23) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. The Arizona Wildcats won 35-14. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 22, 2018; Corvallis, OR, USA; Arizona Wildcats running back Gary Brightwell (23) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. The Arizona Wildcats won 35-14. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Already in the midst of an unusual off-season for Arizona Football that has seen many changes, we will see yet another as RB Gary Brightwell switches his number to ‘0’.

It has been a rather crazy and eventful off-season thus far for the Arizona Football team, and one that has brought on a lot of changes for the Wildcats. One of those changes coming from running back, Gary Brightwell.

Aside from the numerous transfers from this off-season, perhaps one of the biggest changes we will adjust to this season is in the Arizona backfield.

Arizona Wildcats
Arizona Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats

For the previous four seasons, we saw were blessed to see running back J.J. Taylor grace the gridiron, showcasing his talent. However, not to be outdone was his back-up, Gary.

A standout in the class of 2017, Gary came to Tucson all the way from St. Georges Tech in Middletown, DE.

Just a lowly, three-star recruit with offers from Temple, Delaware State, and Stony Brook, Brightwell came to Arizona and has been a pleasant surprise.

A terrific athlete that once converted to a receiver just to see the field, he has been one of the Wildcats’ staples on the offense these past few seasons.

Well, now with Taylor in the NFL, Gary will assume the starter responsibilities and will have big shoes to fill. Already, it appears as if he is up to the task, as he has been named to the pre-season Doak Walker Award Watchlist.

Just him being the No. 1 running back on the depth chart is a huge change. However, also making news is his jersey change.

After wearing No. 23 these past few seasons, it was announced that Gary will wear No. 0 this coming season. Interestingly enough, he’s one of the few upperclassmen around the country that has made the jersey change to 0.

This year, Gary may just have a huge season, and even with the Wildcats playing a shorter schedule, he could stand to benefit by having a big year!

Here’s a reminder of the potential he has!

At Zona Zealots, we are excited to see what Gary will do this season, and as always, Bear Down, Arizona!

Schedule

Schedule