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 running back room.
Players on roster: 6
Projected starters: Ismail Mahdi (Sr.)
Upgrading the backfield was one of many priorities for Arizona in the transfer portal, and Mahdi was just the player the Wildcats were looking for to fit their new offense. In two years at Texas State he ran for 2,322 yards and 14 touchdowns and added another three receiving scores while catching 44 passes.
Mahdi, who also returned kicks for the Bobcats, led FBS with 2,169 all-purpose yards in 2023 and added another 1,353 last season. Only one UA player has had more than that in the past five seasons.
Though only 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds, Mahdi possesses the speed and elusiveness needed for Arizona’s quick-strike scheme.
Top backups: Quincy Craig (R-Jr.), Kedrick Reescano (Jr.)
Craig, a transfer from Portland State, has more than 1,200 rushing yards and 10 TDs in his career and has averaged more than 5.6 yards per carry. Like Mahdi, he’s on the small side at 5’10 and 195 but makes up for it with speed and agility.
Reescano got 78 carries last season as the main backup to Quali Conley, turning that into 359 yards and one score. If Arizona were to alternate ball carriers or put two in at the same time he’d be the thunder to the lightning of Craig or Mahdi.
Newcomer most likely to make instant impact: Mahdi
For the second year in a row Arizona’s run game will rely on transfers, as in 2024 it was Conley, Reescano and (for one game, at least) Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Mahdi has the most experience of the group, both at the FBS level and in a spread offense, and should be on the field a lot this fall.
Coaching outlook
Alonzo Carter is back for his second season as running backs coach and it will be hard for his unit to not do better than a year ago. In 2024 the Wildcats averaged 106.6 yards per game on the ground, second-worst in the Big 12 and 120th nationally.
Offensive line coach Josh Oglesby is the run game coordinator, though new offensive coordinator Seth Doege figures to be the one deciding how that unit operates. It’s safe to say those slow-developing run plays from a year ago will not be part of the equation.
Next up: Wide receivers