Arizona Wildcats Head Coach Says Veteran Corner is 'Best Player on Our Defense'
The Arizona Wildcats are under new leadership this season.
Jedd Fisch departed, taking the head coaching job with the Washington Huskies after a very successful 2023 campaign where Arizona won 10 games and reached double-digit victories for only the third time in program history by defeating Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.
Taking Fisch’s place on the sidelines will be Brent Brennan.
He has spent the last seven seasons rebuilding the San Jose State Spartans program. He led them to seven victories in three out of the last four years, resulting in a bowl game appearance in each.
Brennan will be challenged in 2024 and beyond with this new job. The Wildcats are a big step up in competition from San Jose State, going from the Mountain West to the new Big 12 megaconference.
There will be challenges to overcome, but Brennan is inheriting a team that finished the 2023 campaign ranked No. 11 and is returning a ton of talent. Four of the players on the team, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, quarterback Noah Fifta, offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea and cornerback Tacario Davis are all featured on the Top 100 player ranks.
Another cornerback, Treydan Stukes, was recognized as a sleeper and breakout candidate for the 2024 campaign. Stukes is someone that Brennan thinks very highly of, as he heaped praise on the senior defender.
"He's probably the best player on our defense," Brennan told ESPN. "He's a big-ass nickel who can play corner. He's a stud and can run with everybody on the field. He's awesome."
Leadership and versatility are two excellent qualities for Stukes that Brennan is going to be able to rely on in his first season in Tuscon. He has elite size at his position and can fill several roles across the secondary depending on what is needed.
Being called the best player on a defense that includes potential first-round NFL talent is quite an honor for Stukes, but it is one he has earned with hard work and dedication to his craft since he wasn’t a player who received a ranking in ESPN’s recruiting snapshot.
A fifth-year senior, Stukes has an incredible amount of experience.
That will come in handy as the defense learns a new system under the new coaching staff. Another productive season from the veteran and he will be mentioned in the same breath along with the team’s other standout performers.
KENNETH TEAPE