The Arizona secondary was one of the main reasons that a contingency of college football experts felt the Wildcats had a chance to compete for a Big 12 title in 2024.
Fast forward a few months, and that entire position group, along with the rest of the defense, has been decimated by the transfer portal.
Less than 24 hours after senior safety Gunner Maldanado entered the transfer portal, standout cornerback Tacario Davis joined him. Then, minutes later, Dalton Johnson made it three of the Wildcats’ best defenders out the door.
Johnson, a redshirt junior out of Katy, Texas, is listed at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, has played in 37 games over four seasons with Arizona, totaling 189 tackles, 11 TFLs, and two sacks. The hard-hitting safety also has one interception, three PBUs, and six forced fumbles over his career.
In 2024, Johnson earned an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and will have just one season of eligibility remaining at the program he lands with.
Brent Brennan and the Arizona staff have a full-fledged defensive rebuild on their hands this offseason, with the secondary in shambles along with names like Jacob Manu and Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei also headed out the door.
The Wildcats were 4-8 in their first season in the Big 12, a disappointing year after going 10-3 in Jedd Fisch’s final season with the program.
