Where Arizona goes next with two more starters out for 2024

Arizona head coach Brent Brennan announced on Monday the Wildcats will be without linebacker Jacob Manu and left tackle Rhino Tapa'atoutai for the remainder of the season. Arizona will be down to more starters. Arizona already lost starting safeties Gunner Maldonado and Treydan Stukes for the season.

Injuries have played a major factor in the 3-4 start for Arizona. Manu missed over half of the last two games. Before being injured on Saturday in the loss to Colorado, Manu was ejected on the first series of the game for Arizona at BYU on October 5. Kamuela Ka’aihue is expected to play after leaving versus Colorado with an injury.

Ka'aihue has nine tackles this season. Ka'aihue was the 1,758 prospect, 158th LB and ninth recruit in Hawaii in the 2023 class. As a true freshman in 2023, Ka'aihue had 15 tackles in 12 games. Ka'aihue was 6'2 and 210 pounds when he signed with Arizona. Ka'aihue is now 229 pounds.

Manu is a huge loss. Manu leads Arizona with 47 tackles and had 3.0 tackles for loss, two passes defended and one fumble recovery. Ka’aihue will play the mike or middle LB next to Taye Brown who is the will or weakside LB. Brown is quickly becoming the last healthy leader on the Arizona defense. Brown is third on Arizona with 43 tackles.

Redshirt sophomore Mike Wooten is listed as the replacement for Tapa'atoutai on the depth chart. Wooten has a lot of developing to do. Justin Spears of Wildcat Authority posted on Monday that Wooten had a 0.0 pass-blocking grade versus Colorado, allowing four pressures and two sacks on 16 snaps.

Protecting Noah Fifita has been a struggle for the Arizona offensive line this season. That culminated Saturday with Colorado sacking Fifita seven times. Manu and Tapa'atoutai will be very difficult for Arizona to replace. The roster has been depleted with injuries and other losses during a challenging season.