Here's a look at the Arizona Wildcats talking during UA football media day

Aug 1, 2023 Updated 5 hrs ago
Ahead of Arizona’s month-long training camp that begins Wednesday, the Wildcats will hold a media day and roll out 16 players expected to have an impact in 2023.
Here’s a look at the players participating in Arizona’s media day Tuesday, as the Wildcats look to improve on last year’s 5-7 campaign entering the third season under head coach Jedd Fisch:
Jacob Cowing
Position: Wide receiver
Year: Senior
Height: 5-11
Weight: 175 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Maricopa (UTEP)
The rundown: Cowing was a highly-touted prospect in the transfer portal well over a year ago — and he showed why in his first season at the UA, leading the Pac-12 in receptions (85) and becoming the only player in the conference with over 80 catches; he also averaged 7.5 yards after catch (YAC). Cowing returns to Arizona’s high-powered offense, which ranked sixth nationally in passing yards last season, as one of the UA’s premier playmakers.
Jayden de Laura
Position: Quarterback
Year: Junior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 205 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Honolulu (Washington State)
The rundown: Despite throwing a Pac-12-worst 13 interceptions, de Laura threw for 3,685 yards — the third-most in a season by a UA quarterback — and 25 touchdowns. Over the summer, de Laura attended the Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana and the “3DQB” camp in Huntington Beach, California. De Laura has added at least 15 pounds since joining Arizona last season.
Kevin Green
Position: Wide receiver
Year: Redshirt freshman
Height: 5-11
Weight: 170 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Mission Hills, California (Bishop Alemany High School)
The rundown: The addition of former Colorado receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig likely bumped Green from the starting rotation to a reserve role, but the former USC commit is expected to have a role for Arizona’s receiving corps.
Jonah Savaiinaea
Position: Right tackle
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6-5
Weight: 335 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Honolulu (St. Louis High School)
The rundown: Savaiinaea, who started all 12 games at right guard as a true freshman, will start at right tackle for the Wildcats this season. Savaiinaea was a Freshman All-American and only allowed two sacks and was penalized twice, according to Pro Football Focus.
Tanner McLachlan
Position: Tight end
Year: Redshirt senior
Height: 6-5
Weight: 240 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada (Southern Utah)
The rundown: McLachlan’s 456 yards are the most by an Arizona tight end since Rob Gronkowski in 2008. Other contributors at tight end for Arizona include 6-6, 235-pound sophomore Keyan Burnett.
Michael Wiley
Position: Running back
Year: Senior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 210 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Houston (Strake Jesuit High School)
The rundown: The Bob Moran MVP recipient for his career-high 214 yards and three touchdowns against Arizona State will pilot a running back room that also includes sophomore Jonah Coleman, former Florida State transfer D.J. Williams and sophomore Rayshon “Speedy” Luke.
Jordan Morgan
Position: Left tackle
Year: Senior
Height: 6-6
Weight: 320 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Marana (Marana High School)
The rundown: A season-ending knee injury in Arizona’s upset win over UCLA at the Rose Bowl sidelined Morgan for the remainder of the ’22 season and hindered him from NFL Draft preparation, which could be a blessing in disguise for the Wildcats. Morgan is rated by PFF as the best tackle in the Pac-12 entering the season. Morgan and Savaiinaea bookending Arizona’s offensive line is among the top tackle tandems in the Pac-12.
Kyle Ostendorp
Position: Punter
Year: Senior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 215
Hometown (previous school): Phoenix (Desert Vista High School)
The rundown: The 2021 All-Pac-12 First Team selection averaged 45.5 yards per punt last season and had three touchbacks and 10 punts pin opponents inside the 20-yard line.
Martell Irby
Position: Defensive back
Year: Senior
Height: 5-9
Weight: 208 pounds
Hometown (previous school): San Diego (UCLA)
The rundown: The former UCLA running back and defensive back retired from football last summer, citing mental health reasons, before reuniting with former UCLA assistant coach and current defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen. Irby received snaps at nickel back in the spring.
Jacob Manu
Position: Linebacker
Year: Sophomore
Height: 5-11
Weight: 220 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Santa Ana, California (Servite High School)
The rundown: Manu became a mainstay in Arizona’s defense during the second half of the season after impressing UA coaches in practice as a scout-team linebacker against the Wildcats’ starting offense. Despite limited action in the first half of the season, Manu was second on the team in quarterback hurries (16), according to PFF. Manu is expected to start at “Will” linebacker alongside Oregon transfer Justin Flowe this season.
Tyler Manoa
Position: Defensive tackle
Year: Senior
Height: 6-5
Weight: 310 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Hayward, California (UCLA)
The rundown: Manoa was among the standouts on Arizona’s defensive line in the spring. The former Bruin is one several reinforcements on the defensive front Nansen lured to Tucson.
Bill Norton
Position: Defensive tackle
Year: Senior
Height: 6-6
Weight: 300 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Memphis, Tennessee (Georgia)
The rundown: Norton had limited action in the NFL factory — also known as Georgia’s defensive line — but the ex-Bulldog adds size and experience to a defense that finished 10th in the Pac-12 in stopping the run.
Kamuela Ka’aihue
Position: Linebacker
Year: Freshman
Height: 6-2
Weight: 210 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Honolulu (President Theodore Roosevelt High School)
The rundown: Ka’aihue was an early enrollee in the spring and earned starting reps in pinches during team segments in the spring. Ka’aihue didn’t participate in the spring game after suffering a lower-body injury during Arizona’s final scrimmage.
Treydan Stukes
Position: Nickel back
Year: Junior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Litchfield Park, Arizona (Goodyear Millennium High School)
The rundown: Stukes, who changed his jersey number from 20 to 2, will start at nickel back in Nansen’s 4-2-5 defense this season after starting at cornerback last year.
Gunner Maldonado
Position: Safety
Year: Junior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190 pound5
Hometown (previous school): Chandler (Northwestern)
The rundown: Maldonado was productive late in the season at nickel back and finished with a career-high 48 tackles, but returned to strong safety in the spring.
Genesis Smith
Position: Safety
Year: Freshman
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190 pounds
Hometown (previous school): Chandler (Chandler Hamilton High School)
The rundown: Smith ended Arizona’s first scrimmage in the spring by intercepting de Laura in the end zone, and became one of the Wildcats’ top safeties. UA safeties coach Chuck Cecil said Smith is “not soft. He’s good with contact. And that works for me.”
Notes:
In March 2023, Duane Akina, who coached Arizona for 14 seasons under legendary Dick Tomey, shared insights on his return to the UA, his favorite memories coaching the Wildcats, and his new role with the team. Video by Justin Spears/Arizona Daily Star
When Arizona hired senior defensive analyst and "Desert Swarm" assistant Duane Akina in February, the Wildcats were under the impression the NCAA would potentially alter its rules on the number of on-field coaches permitted per team.
Due to current NCAA ruling, which doesn't allow analysts to personally coach players, Akina will temporarily become one of the Wildcats' 10 on-field coaches and "he'll be very active with the (defensive) secondary" and work with safeties coach Chuck Cecil and first-year cornerbacks coach John Richardson.
"The three of them will be working together and running the back end," Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch told the Star.
Akina takes the on-field coaching spot of UA great and defensive line coach Ricky Hunley, who is recovering from knee surgery and will will have a "senior assistant role" this season. Outside linebackers coach Jason Kaufusi and defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen, who previously coached defensive line at UCLA and Washington, will lead the Wildcats' defensive front. Fisch said at Arizona media day on Tuesday that Hunley will continue to assist the Wildcats in recruiting players.
"Coach Hunley has an amazing opportunity to help us in so many different ways," Fisch said. "He's not only the most connected guy in Tucson, he's an incredible mentor for the kids. He'll have an opportunity to work with our whole defense rather than the interior D-line.
"We thought it was going to be a huge advantage — kind of initially the reason we brought in Coach Akina, a real experienced guy. (Hunley) will come in and help not just the D-line, but he has a linebacker perspective as a former linebacker. He's a former coordinator, so he gives us perspective there, and he can dip into the community. We can use him at events and opportunities to connect with all members of the community. He can almost free up all of his time. He's also been very involved in our camps and academics, so he's doing a good job of monitoring and mentoring certain areas."
Before Akina's first stint at Arizona that spanned 14 seasons from 1987-2000, he spent five seasons as a defensive assistant under former UA head coach Dick Tomey at Hawaii, followed by one season with the CFL's Calgary Stampeders.
At Arizona, Akina held multiple roles, including defensive backs coach, associate head coach, defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator.
Following the 2000 season, Akina had a similar role under Mack Brown at Texas. Most recently, Akina worked for David Shaw as Stanford's defensive backs coach from 2014-22. The 66-year-old Akina mentored three Jim Thorpe Award winners: Darryll Lewis (Arizona), Michael Huff (Texas) and Aaron Ross (Texas).
"What Coach Akina is able to do is bring great passion and energy and experience and knowledge," Fisch said. "It gives you all four spots — all four prongs on the fork that you're looking for when you're bringing in a coach to help your program. The energy, enthusiasm and confidence he brings is great. All of the people he's coached, it brings automatic respect from the players, and he has a way to really connect with the guys and demand excellence."