Arizona Wildcats Defense Needs Drastic Improvement Heading Into Next Season
It is no secret the 2024 season has been a disappointing debut for the Arizona Wildcats in their new home, the Big 12.
After playing to a 10-3 overall record in 2023, the hopes were high for the program and first-year head coach Brent Brennan, but with only one game left this season, their 4-7 record leaves much to be desired.
The end of the campaign will spell the end of superstar receiver Tetairoa McMillan's collegiate career as he is projected to be a first-round pick in the coming NFL draft.
While his departure will be a huge blow, there is another facet of the Wildcats' game that could use drastic improvement heading into 2025; the defense.
It has been hard for Arizona to stop teams this year, allowing a total of 345 points and an average of 31.4 points per game, ranking 14th in the conference.
Overall, they have allowed an average of 393.5 yards per game that puts them 13th in the Big 12.
They also give up 227.8 passing yards per game which is the ninth-most in the conference, while allowing 165.7 rushing yards per game that is 14th.
The biggest eye-opener, however, is their stop rate.
Their inability to force a turnover, a punt, or a turnover on downs is a metric in which they rank near the bottom of the sport.
The top five teams in the nation when it comes to stop rate range from 74.6-81.6%.
All the way down at 105th are the Wildcats at 55.8%, allowing 2.61 points per drive.
While that could be the product of injuries and inexperienced defenders getting playing time, it also speaks to the lack of depth the team has on the roster.
While that is not Brennan's fault since it is just his first year with the program after multiple players left through the transfer portal, it is something he needs to fix, especially if he actually believes that he is building a championship football program.
As things currently stand, their 2025 recruiting class ranks 51st overall per 247Sports, and their top four recruits are all on the offensive side of the ball.
There are still recruits available to improve the defense in 2025, as well as options that should become available through the transfer portal.
While 2024 may not be any fault of Brennan's, the way the coach attacks the upcoming offseason will be very telling aobut how his tenure will play out.
