Grant Hughes of 247Sports in a "College football roundtable: The biggest concern for every top 25 team during fall camp" wrote about the biggest concern for Arizona in 2024. Arizona could be starting an entirely new defensive line in 2024. Per the Ourlads depth chart, all four Arizona starters on the DL will be new in 2024.
Per Ourlads Arizona will start Tre Smith and Stanley Ta'ufo'ou at edge rusher and Chubba Ma'ae and Kevon Darton at defensive tackle. Jason Scheer of Wildcat Authority stated the DL depth is the issue and wonders who outside of Smith and Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei will step up for Arizona in 2024.
Smith followed Arizona head coach Brent Brennan from San Jose State where he had 66 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 2023. Uiagalelei had 21 tackles. 4.5 TFLs and 1.0 sack appearing in all 13 games for Arizona with one start during the 2023 season.
Ta'ufo'ou had his best season at USC in 2022 with 27 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack and 1.0 fumble recovery. Ta'ufo'ou had 9.0 tackles, 0.5 TFLs and 1,0 fumble recovery for USC in 2023 before transferring to Arizona during the 2023 offseason.
Arizona has “changed our mentality up front” on the defensive line, says DC Duane Akina.
— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) August 4, 2024
Now the Wildcats are “more vertical and want to get across the line of scrimmage.”
“It’s a little bit different, but I like where we’re at.” — Akina pic.twitter.com/Kjrk9tyx27
"25. ARIZONA WILDCATSGrant Hughes, 247Sports
Biggest Area of Concern: Pass Rush
Arizona ranked No. 17 in the nation in sacks per game (2.8) but lost a handful of key contributors this offseason. The Wildcats rebuilt its pass rush with seven defensive linemen in the transfer portal but all four of the team's projected starters had Pro Football Focus pass rush grades below 75.0. "
Ma'ae had 26 tackles, 2.0 sacks and a fumble recovery in the last two seasons for California-Davis before transferring to Arizona during the off-season. Ma'ae was named 2023 second-Team All-Big Sky. Before playing at UC-Davis, Ma'ae prepped at legendary Long Beach Poly.
Darton came to Arizona with offensive coordinator Dino Babers from Syracuse. Darton is undersized at 5'11 and 281 pounds. In the last two seasons at Syracuse, Darton had 96 tackles, 12 TFLs and five sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery which all came last season.
The defense will likely determine how good Arizona is in 2024. Arizona has a great tandem of linebacker Jacob Manu and cornerback Tacario Davis. The hope for Arizona is Davis and Manu can lift the play of the rest of the defense. Arizona could compete for a college football playoff berth in 2024.