大象APP

FRISCO, Texas 鈥� Injuries played a significant role in Arizona鈥檚 4-8 season in 2024, especially on defense and the offensive line.

No position group was impacted by injuries more than Arizona鈥檚 offensive line.

The Wildcats had seven different starting offensive lines and started 11 different players last season. The most impactful one was left tackle Rhino Tapa鈥檃toutai鈥檚 season-ending knee injury against Colorado.

Arizona鈥檚 Alamo Bowl team in 2023 had six different starting offensive lines, but it was mostly due to changes at right guard between Raymond Pulido and Leif Magnuson 鈥� and left tackle Jordan Morgan opting out of the postseason to prepare for the NFL Draft game.

The final hit to Arizona鈥檚 offensive line last season was star tackle Jonah Savaiinaea, who played the previous 36 games, missing the Territorial Cup due to an injury he suffered against TCU. Even the most durable and talented offensive lineman at Arizona went down with a serious injury.

As a result, Arizona tied with UCF for the third-most sacks allowed (28) in the Big 12, however the Knights led the conference in rushing yards, while the Wildcats had the second-worst rushing offense in the Big 12. Arizona also surrendered 114 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

鈥淟ast year, that was a place that got bit by the injury bug pretty significantly and it impacted our ability to protect (quarterback Noah Fifita) and our ability to run the football,鈥� said Arizona head coach Brent Brennan at Big 12 Media Days.

Since the season ended, Arizona added 14 scholarship offensive linemen, including six from the transfer portal. Arizona offensive line coach Josh Oglesby 鈥渋s an outstanding O-Line coach and he鈥檚 done a good job of putting some pieces there from the portal and through high school,鈥� Brennan said.

Even though the Wildcats lost a combined 7,371 snaps of experience on the offensive line in Savaiinaea, a second-round draft choice by the Miami Dolphins, center Josh Baker and guard Wendell Moe Jr., who transferred to Tennessee, Brennan said the Wildcats 鈥渁re in a good spot鈥� on the offensive line.

鈥淪ome of those guys haven鈥檛 practiced with us yet, and they will start (on July 30), so it鈥檒l be interesting to see how that plays out,鈥� Brennan said. 鈥淲ith that being said, you can never have enough O-Linemen, and you can鈥檛 ever have enough D-Linemen.

鈥淪ometimes you have enough and you play the same five all year and it鈥檚 a fortunate way it goes. ... It鈥檚 better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.鈥�

Broadened perspective

Arizona鈥檚 most experienced returners on the offensive line are Tapa鈥檃toutai and Alexander Doost, a 6-7, 331-pound redshirt sophomore, who started the final nine games of the season at right guard and was named a Freshman All-American by PFF.

Tapa鈥檃toutai, who was the only other UA offensive representative besides Fifita at Big 12 Media Days at Ford Center this week, 鈥渉as probably been our most vocal leader and our most inspirational leader鈥� this offseason, as he continues to rehabilitate his knee injury, Brennan said.

鈥淚n football, you train and practice so much and then you only get 12, 13, 14 games,鈥� Brennan said. 鈥淭he training part of it, you need someone to step out in front and inspire and drive and push the group every day. Every day in the offseason, that鈥檚 been Rhino and Noah.鈥�

Added Fifita: 鈥淓ven though he鈥檚 still in the rehab process, he鈥檚 in our warmups and is in our huddles. He鈥檚 been a loud voice for us and a great vocal leader. It鈥檚 been amazing to see how far he鈥檚 come since he鈥檚 shown up. ... You can see the confidence he walks around with. He鈥檚 been our leader for our offensive line and he deserves the right to be here (at Big 12 Media Days) to represent our offense and our team.鈥�

Tapa鈥檃toutai said the season-ending knee injury against Colorado 鈥渨as the first major injury of my whole career.鈥� The worst injury he endured was a fractured collarbone playing rugby in junior high in West Valley City, Utah.

Tapa鈥檃toutai鈥檚 injury last season 鈥渨as probably one of the most difficult moments of my life,鈥� he said.

鈥淏ut with every storm, there鈥檚 always a rainbow,鈥� Tapa鈥檃toutai said. 鈥淣othing comes easy in life, and I learned that the hard way. It definitely gave me perspective. It helped me grow as a human and as a player. It鈥檚 been a great journey so far. ... I thought I was unstoppable. Injuries happen to everybody, but I thought it鈥檇 never happen to me.

鈥淚t happened to me and it broadened my perspective on life and the game of football, to never take it for granted. It helped give me an edge and grow up faster.鈥�

Before he was sidelined with a knee injury, Tapa鈥檃toutai showed promise as a mainstay in the starting lineup. Then a redshirt freshman, he succeeded Morgan after Pulido, who started at left tackle for Morgan in the Alamo Bowl, left the team for personal reasons. Tapa鈥檃touti manifested an opportunity to protect Fifita鈥檚 blindside in the pocket.

Although the redshirt freshman allowed a team-high 16 quarterback pressures, Tapa鈥檃toutai only gave up two sacks. In Tapa鈥檃toutai鈥檚 homecoming in Salt Lake City, the left tackle didn鈥檛 give up a sack in Arizona鈥檚 road win over No. 10 Utah last season.

鈥淚 actually prayed on it because as an early enrollee (in 2023), I was the only O-Linemen,鈥� Tapa鈥檃toutai said. 鈥淚 know that Arizona had high expectations for me. At the time, I didn鈥檛 exceed them, but now that preparation and hard work has paid off. I鈥檓 definitely not done and it鈥檚 a part of the journey, so I鈥檓 going to keep grinding and working.鈥�

Tapa鈥檃toutai played in six games and was unable to redshirt, but he gained valuable in-game experience. It took Morgan three seasons before he was in the conversation to become an NFL player 鈥� and he took lumps along the way. Tapa鈥檃toutai is no different.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to learn unless you鈥檙e thrown out there,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 do the best last year, but it definitely helped me grow to become better as a player. Playing in our conference, we鈥檝e got a lot of tough teams, so it forced me out of my box and my bubble. I can say with full confidence that this year will be a whole different year and it鈥檒l be better.鈥�

Tapa鈥檃toutai missed the entirety of Arizona鈥檚 spring practice schedule in March and April and went through 鈥渓ots of recovery, lots of work and making sure I鈥檓 at the correct weight and muscle-to-bone ratio,鈥� he said. Tapa鈥檃toutai said he worked with Arizona鈥檚 strength and conditioning staff 鈥渄aily to help me get right and get ready for the season.鈥�

While Tapa鈥檃toutai recovered in the spring, Arizona鈥檚 tackles consisted of Texas Tech transfer Ty Buchanan, Michigan transfer Tristan Bounds, redshirt junior Michael Wooten and redshirt freshman Matthew Lado.

Nine of the 14 newcomers on Arizona鈥檚 offensive line will practice for the first time in preseason training camp. In total, Arizona is adding 4,216 pounds to its offensive line this season 鈥� a literal rhinoceros. It鈥檚 a group that likely won鈥檛 get sorted until closer to Arizona鈥檚 season opener against Hawaii on Aug. 30 鈥� or even during the season.

鈥淲e鈥檙e actually the position group with the most new faces in the room,鈥� Tapa鈥檃toutai said. 鈥淲e know how important this is for us to buy into the program and buy into each other.鈥�

Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege didn鈥檛 rule out the possibility of Tapa鈥檃toutai moving inside to guard, but 鈥渋t hasn鈥檛鈥� been discussed, Tapa鈥檃toutai said.

鈥淏ut I鈥檒l play wherever the coach puts me,鈥� he added. 鈥淚鈥檒l be the best teammate that I can.鈥�

Different in a good way

Tapa鈥檃toutai is expected to participate and practice in training camp in just over two weeks. It鈥檒l be Tapa鈥檃toutai鈥檚 first experience in Doege鈥檚 uptempo system, but the left tackle immersed himself in the offense during practices and studied his responsibilities while observing team periods.

鈥淚t鈥檚 different 鈥� different as in good,鈥� Tapa鈥檃toutai said of Doege鈥檚 offense. 鈥淚t鈥檚 probably the best offense I鈥檝e ever been around and learned. The mentality, we鈥檙e coming in with is a different mentality this year. Our offensive philosophy is to play with violence, expect to score and trust in one another; that鈥檚 it.鈥�

With Tapa鈥檃toutai as the ringleader of the offensive line, 鈥測ou can see their work ethic and their discipline,鈥� Fifita said.

鈥淭hey take last year personal,鈥� said Arizona鈥檚 quarterback. 鈥淓ven though a lot of them weren鈥檛 here last year, they take it personal every time someone talks about the hits that I鈥檝e taken. I take it personal, as well, because as much as they protect me, I have to protect them by getting the ball out quick and getting them right. ... To see them working and have that chip on their shoulder, it鈥檚 been great.鈥�

Tapa鈥檃toutai is 鈥渆xcited for the future鈥� and to represent 鈥渁 small city with a big heart and a small school with a big heart,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he good thing about us is that we have an edge,鈥� Tapa鈥檃toutai said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all working towards that Big 12 championship. I鈥檓 confident in the guys, and we鈥檙e all coming together.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just different this year. Everyone is buying into the program. It鈥檚 a process, but there鈥檚 no doubt that we鈥檒l be solid this year.鈥�