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The high moments: a 10-win season, winning the Alamo Bowl, winning the Territorial Cup in back-to-back seasons, having a role in several upset victories, receiving a full-ride scholarship after starting as a walk-on in 2020 and evolving into a team captain.

Stukes was even dubbed 鈥渢he best-kept secret鈥� in college football by former Arizona defensive coordinator Duane Akina.

The down moments: playing through a global pandemic, multiple coaching staff changes, a 20-game losing streak and a season-ending knee injury, which he suffered in the first half of Arizona鈥檚 upset win over 10th-ranked Utah in Salt Lake City.

Since Stukes only played in four games last season, he medically redshirted and preserved an additional season and will return this season for his final hurrah at Arizona. Stukes and safety Dalton Johnson are the last two players on Arizona鈥檚 roster who were recruited by the Kevin Sumlin regime 鈥� two head coaches ago.

If college football was the Boy Scouts of America, Stukes would have the most merit badges out of any current Arizona football player.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long (career), for sure,鈥� Stukes said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been full of ups and downs. I would argue more ups than downs, because of how it鈥檚 gone, but it鈥檚 been it鈥檚 been fun. I鈥檝e enjoyed every minute of it, even when it felt like it was taking forever. Even on the downs, they were all necessary to get to this point today.鈥�

Stukes鈥� injury didn鈥檛 hinder his impact. Moments before the injury, he was Arizona鈥檚 defensive captain and starting slot cornerback. After the injury, he became Coach Stukes.

鈥淗e knew his knee was blown out and he鈥檚 fighting off the training staff to get out and help us coach and help lead his team,鈥� Arizona cornerbacks coach Chip Viney said in April. 鈥淗e got one of the worst news you could get as a guy who is projected to be one of the better defensive backs in college football. I tease him all the time and tell him, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e going to be Coach Stukes for the next several months here, so embrace it.鈥� He鈥檚 been all of that. I wish we had more like him.鈥�

Arizona defensive backs coach Brett Arce, who鈥檚 coaching the UA safeties and slot cornerbacks, 鈥渃an鈥檛 say enough good things about Stukes,鈥� he said in April.

鈥淲hen he got injured at the Utah game, he wasn鈥檛 worried about himself,鈥� Arce added. 鈥淗e said, 鈥業 gotta get back out there and help my guys.鈥� He鈥檚 a phenomenal leader for this team, for our position group. He continues to coach the guys on the sideline when he鈥檚 not rehabbing. ... It鈥檚 a luxury for me, because it鈥檚 like having another coach.鈥�

Now, Stukes, who missed the entirety of the spring to rehab his knee injury, is back to leading Arizona鈥檚 defense on the field instead of the sidelines.

Stukes recently joined ESPN Tucson鈥檚 鈥淪pears & Ali鈥� to discuss his rehab, his growth over the last five years at Arizona, the UA secondary and why he entered the transfer portal in December. Here鈥檚 part of that interview:

In what ways do you think you鈥檝e grown at the UA?

A: 鈥淚 think a big one is just my mentality. When I came in, I was very quiet, just kind of try to do things right and stay in the back. As my role has grown over the years, I just had to grow up and become a person that can speak to the team and talk in front of people, do interviews, that type of thing. I think I鈥檝e grown a lot in that in that realm and that鈥檚 where I needed the most growth. Everyone comes here physically talented, but that mental aspect is where you got to get your edge.鈥�

What is your favorite memory of playing at Arizona?

A: 鈥淚 always say the Alamo bowl, just having the entire team travel to a new state and getting to enjoy the fruits of our labor from that season with all the guys. To cap off the year that way, it was just really special. I鈥檒l always remember that one.鈥�

What was going through your mind when you experienced the knee injury against Utah?

A: 鈥淚t鈥檚 always a weird thing. You think it could never happen to you until it does. I was running and (my knee) went right, I tried to go left and I could feel it was a little loose right away, but I thought maybe I was OK. It didn鈥檛 hurt that bad. But they obviously were able to diagnose me pretty quick.

鈥淵ou gotta reframe your mindset right after that. It鈥檚 a lot to take in, especially when I was planning on that being my final year. But you just reframe your mind, understand worse things could be going on.

鈥淢aybe look around and see why it happened, find a reason for why it happened? I just dove into the rehab, did everything I could to keep trying to strengthen up my leg and get back as fast as I can. It鈥檚 been good. It鈥檚 been a good learning experience for me, a good growth experience as a player and as a man.鈥�

How were you able to rewire your mindset in seconds and become a player-coach?

A: 鈥淚t really just comes from a place of love. I love the team, I love my guys. I wanted us to go out there and keep winning regardless of the news I got. I wasn鈥檛 in so much pain that I needed to stay in the locker room. I was telling the trainers that I wanted to go back out there so I could go watch at least. I can鈥檛 take over the coach鈥檚 job, but I did whatever I could, taking my little notes and stuff, trying to help young (Genesis Smith) out, which he clearly didn鈥檛 need, because he stepped right in and was doing well.鈥�

How has the rehab process been?

A: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a little different. It鈥檚 been the most different offseason, for sure. I鈥檝e been off to the side of the team for for the most part since January, while they were practicing in the spring and even in these summer workouts. Sometimes, I鈥檓 off doing something a little bit different than them, but we鈥檙e all working towards the same goal. I鈥檓 on my timeline for when I want to be able to be fully 100% cleared. It鈥檚 been good.鈥�

Is it safe to say you鈥檙e back to 100%?

A: 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say a percentage, but I鈥檓 feeling good.鈥�

A moment ago, you mentioned Smith and his ability to fill the void while you were out. How are you, Smith and Johnson 鈥� who have all combined for 4,550 defensive snaps at Arizona 鈥� planning to lead the defense this year?

A: 鈥淕en is fantastic. I think if it was a surprise to anybody in the country, it was not a surprise to us. By the way he goes about his business every day, the type of guy he is in the locker room. He鈥檚 in the building all day long, he鈥檚 watching film, he鈥檚 getting extra work here and he鈥檚 asking coaches to watch film with him. Him stepping in and doing well right away was no surprise to any of us.

鈥淲e already knew he was capable of playing and being a starter at this level. We just happened to have some good players. As far as the three of us, this is our going to be our third season. We take our role seriously as leaders in the defense. I鈥檓 the oldest of the three, so I take it very seriously. I really take it to heart that guys are watching what we鈥檙e doing at the workouts, in the weight room, how much film we鈥檙e getting.

鈥淵ou just got to lead by example and also be able to say what the team needs to hear, what the defense needs to hear, when they need to hear it. We鈥檙e working towards that. You can always get better. We鈥檙e looking forward to to getting the defense right.鈥�

With Danny Gonzales elevating from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator, is there anything different about your responsibilities?

A: 鈥淐oach G is a super smart guy. He鈥檚 got a couple of different things that we鈥檙e going to work in this year. We鈥檒l have some similar stuff from last year, but as far as how our style is going to look, he puts people in in positions to showcase their ability and make the most out of their talent. ... As long as everyone is on the same page and playing at a high level, we鈥檙e going to have the chance to be pretty good.鈥�

Are you still planning on playing nickel back when you return? Are you open to cornerback, a position you played as an underclassman?

A: 鈥淓ither one. I鈥檒l be ready to go either way. I think I鈥檒l probably start at nickel and definitely keep my corner work at its peak as much as I can.鈥�

What do you think you about the additions in the defensive secondary via the transfer portal, including slot cornerback Ayden Garnes (West Virginia) and cornerbacks Jay鈥橵ion Cole (Texas) and Michael Dansby (San Jose State)?

A: 鈥淚 think we did a great job recruiting. I think we got some really good guys in the back end. Jay鈥橵ion looks fantastic on the outside. He鈥檚 got that veteran savviness. AG, I really love the way he goes about his business every day. He takes this as serious as the rest of us. Mike Dansby, he鈥檚 a monster and he鈥檚 just a straight workhorse all day, every day. I think those three guys are going to be able to help the team this year.鈥�

After last season, you entered the transfer portal. What prompted that decision and what led you back to Arizona?

A: 鈥淚t was a weird time with what college football has become. I wasn鈥檛 going into the portal looking for a place to go. I was just kind of protecting myself in a way, just so that I wouldn鈥檛 be trapped here, trapped somewhere else if, heaven forbid, something went wrong.

鈥淚 was in constant communication with all my guys. We were all talking about what鈥檚 going on, what we were thinking. I was talking to (head coach Brent Brennan) and Coach G the entire time and they did a great job just re-recruiting. They just reset it, laid out what they got planned. I trust them. For me personally, I鈥檝e been here since 2020. This is my third coaching staff and I think there鈥檚 just something to that.

鈥淭here鈥檚 something beyond just going away to try to find something better or staying. Through all these ups and downs, new staffs, new head coaches, new coordinators, I just kind of like that continuity. I鈥檝e been repping the 鈥楤lock A鈥� through all of this.鈥�