Arizona will begin its second preseason training camp under coach Brent Brennan on July 30, a month of workouts and practices to get the Wildcats prepared for the 2025 season that opens Aug. 30 against Hawaii
To get you primed for camp, we’re breaking down each position group on the roster. Today we focus on the offensive linemen.
Players on roster: 20
Projected starters: Ty Buchanan (R-Sr.), Ke’ana Decambra (R-Sr.), Alexander Doost (R-So.), Chubba Ma’ae (R-Sr.), Rhino Tapa’toutai (R-So.)
Doost started the final nine games of 2024 and his 634 snaps are the most of any returning offensive player other than quarterback Noah Fifita. He should be penciled into one of the guard spots, which one depends on how the rest of the line looks.
Tapa’toutai, who represented Arizona at Big 12 Media Days earlier this month in Texas, started six of the first seven games last season at left tackle before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Assuming he’s 100 percent he should be back at that position and serve as Fifita’s blind-side protector.
Everything else is very uncertain, as spring ball saw a lot of mixing and matching across the line to see what each big body could do. Buchanan, who started at both left and right tackle at Texas Tech, is the most likely option for RT, while Maae or Hawaii transfer Decambra could find themselves being the center.
Maae, who started four games on the defensive line in 2024 and was on that side of the ball at UC-Davis, played offensive line in high school and may be the answer at whichever guard spot Doost doesn’t hold down.
Top backups: Tristan Bounds (R-Sr.), Ise Matautia (R-Sr.), Isaac Perez (Jr.), Chance Roberts (Sr.), Grayson Stovall (R-Jr.)
Ten different players started on the O-line for Arizona last season including Stovall, who subbed in for 4-year starter Josh Baker at center for the NAU game and showed flashes of being able to handle that job during spring ball. Matautia was a starting guard at New Mexico before coming to the UA, where he was used on special teams in 2024.
Bounds (Michigan), Perez (Portland State) and Roberts (Albany) will also get looks, with Bounds hoping for his first considerable action after playing 45 total snaps in four seasons. Roberts, who came over after spring ball, has played guard and tackle with a handful of starts while Perez has nine starts at center.
Newcomer most likely to make instant impact: Buchanan
Assuming he’s the starting right tackle, Buchanan will be tasked with creating vision and running lanes for Fifita and the ball carriers in Arizona’s spread attack. He has experience in an up-tempo system from Texas Tech, where last season it had a 1,500-yard rusher and 3,000-yard passer.
The Wildcats started four different RTs last season, the only effective one being Jonah Savaiinaea who’s now with the Miami Dolphins.
Coaching outlook
Josh Oglesby survived Brennan’s staff overhaul despite his unit struggling mightily last year, and 2025 will be his sixth working under Brennan dating back to San Jose State. A combination of injuries and way too much pulling guards led to abysmal rushing numbers and a quarterback that was running for his life far too much.
Spring ball gave Oglesby a chance to adapt to Seth Doege’s scheme and find blocking techniques that fit it, though the inability to find a consistent five up front may have hindered some of that development. The competition in this group won’t get decided until the week of the season opener, if not after that first game.
Next up: Defensive line