3 Reasons why Arizona Football will have a better Defense than Advertised

Oct 28, 2023; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Jacob Manu #5 celebrates a tackle agaisnt Oregon State Beavers place kicker Atticus Sappington #36 during the first half at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 28, 2023; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Jacob Manu #5 celebrates a tackle agaisnt Oregon State Beavers place kicker Atticus Sappington #36 during the first half at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports / Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports
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Tanoa Togiai, Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei
Utah v Arizona / Chris Coduto/GettyImages

Reason No. 1: The Front Seven is going to be a decent group

To me, to have a competitive defense, you need to have a competent and consistent pass rush to take away some of the pressure from the secondary. Arizona was fortunate enough to have a deep and solid front seven last year, and because of that, that is why the defense was rather successful.

But gone this year are space eaters like Bill Norton, Tia Savea, Tyler Manoa, and Taylor Upshaw among others. Luckily, I do think Arizona has a solid group coming into the season, and overall, they should have enough depth and talent to be a decent group.

Obviously, there are still some lingering questions about how productive this group will be, and I do think there is going to be a slight dip from last year's squad; however, I do think they will be good enough and will make some noise in 2024. Because of that, look for Arizona's front seven to be a big reason why this defense will be better than advertised!

My List of Players to Watch: Chubba Ma'ae, Kevon Darton, Stanley Ta'ufo'ou, Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei, and Tre Smith.