Arizona head coach Brent Brennan told reporters on Thursday the Wildcats will be without edge rusher Tre Smith for the remainder of the 2025 season. Smith had surgery on Thursday morning. Smith has 7.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL, one fumble recovery, one quarterback hurry and one pass breakup in 2025.
Playing all 12 games in 2024, Smith led Arizona defensive linemen with 53 tackles, had 7.5 TFLs, was the team leader with 4.5 sacks and added one pass defended and one forced fumble. Arizona lists Mays Pese as the second team defensive end behind Smith on the depth chart for the game against BYU on Saturday.
Pese has 5.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL and one QBH in 2025. Dominic Lolesio is the other Arizona starting edge rusher. Malachi Bailey, the listed backup to Lolesi,o has 6.0 tackles, is third on Arizona with 3.5 TFLs, tied for first with four QBHs and has one forced fumble and one recovery.
Expect Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzalez to get creative with Smith out. Riley Wilson, listed as a linebacker by Arizona, was projected as an edge rusher by 247Sports as a transfer during the 2025 offseason. Wilson could be used as a hybrid edge rusher/LB by Gonzales for the rest of the 2025 season.
Arizona defensive end Tre Smith is out for the season with an injury. Huge blow for the Wildcats. Smith had surgery this morning.
— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) October 9, 2025
"We love Tre Smith." — Brent Brennan
Wilson has 13 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks and 1.0 PBU in three games in his first season with Arizona after transferring from Montana. The best game for Wilson in 2025 was three tackles, two sacks and a PBU in the 39-14 Arizona loss at Iowa State on September 27.
Arizona plays a 4-3 defense, but could use a 3-4 or 3-3-5 more frequently with Smith out. How opponents line up will likely partially dictate how Gonzales adapts the Arizona defense without Smith. Saturday will be a big first test without Smith. Expect a defensive battle with BYU, which also has an elite defense.