10 defensive newcomers to monitor during Arizona football training camp

The Wildcats added a total of 45 newcomers this offseason — nearly 43% of its 105-player roster.

With Arizona football training camp starting on Wednesday, here’s a look at 10 defensive newcomers to monitor over the next few weeks.

Daylen Austin

Position: Safety

Year: Redshirt junior

Height, weight: 6-foot, 194 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Long Beach, California (Oregon)

The rundown: Austin is one of eight defensive backs the Wildcats added in the transfer portal in the offseason, along with safety Malcolm Hartzog (Nebraska), cornerback Tyrese Boss (Wyoming), safety Cam Chapa (Northern Colorado), safety Lee Molette III (UConn), safety Matai Tagoa’i (USC) and cornerbacks Dwight Bootle (Charlotte) and Zuri Watson (Howard). 

The wave of defensive backs is to help replace one of the best defensive secondaries in program history, led by nickel back Treydan Stukes, strong safety Dalton Johnson and free safety Genesis Smith, three NFL players who were All-Big 12 players and played a combined 6,700 defensive snaps in their time at Arizona. 

"Those are big shoes to fill, a lot of production, but these guys have been doing a great job," Arizona safeties coach Brett Arce said in the spring. "We've got a lot of depth in there right now. It's a heck of a competition." 

Austin, who was a highly touted recruit in 2023, will be among the several newcomers and returners competing for one of the safety positions.

Austin signed with Oregon as a four-star prospect out of Long Beach Polytechnic High School (California) in 2023. Former Arizona cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin recruited Austin to Oregon. Austin was also recruited by Arizona, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Texas, USC, Michigan State and Louisville, among others. 

Austin played over 250 defensive snaps in three seasons at Oregon, including 167 snaps at slot cornerback, 29 snaps at cornerback, 23 snaps at free safety and 21 snaps at strong safety. Austin had 23 tackles, four pass deflections and an interception. His interception was in a 21-7 win over Wisconsin in 2025.

Austin and Chapa were limited in the spring due to injury rehab.

"The small glimpses in what he did those two days and through the walk-throughs, he's going to be a major piece," Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales said of Austin.

Cooper Blomstrom

Position: Linebacker

Year: Senior

Height, weight: 6-2, 245 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Dover, New Hampshire (Georgetown)

The rundown: Blomstrom played in 31 games over three seasons at Georgetown and recorded 117 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, five forced fumbles and an interception. Blomstrom combined for 15 sacks his last two seasons for the Hoyas. 

"He runs full speed, downhill at you," Arizona senior linebacker Chase Kennedy said of Blomstrom. "Nobody wants to be in front of that. He's physical, he wants to learn. Coop can do a lot of things for us. I just saw him run down the field with the receivers."

Blomstrom’s edge-rushing experience and physicality should put him in a position to take over a similar role left behind by former Wildcat Riley Wilson, who’s now in training camp with the New England Patriots.

Dwight Bootle

Position: Cornerback

Year: Redshirt junior

Height, weight: 5-9, 174 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Miami, Florida (Charlotte)

The rundown: Bootle started his career at Nebraska and played two seasons for the Cornhuskers before transferring to Charlotte, where he was a starter in 2025. Bootle had 38 tackles and a pass deflection for the 49ers last season. 

Bootle "is very, very wiry and quick, can run," said Arizona cornerbacks coach Chip Viney.

"Reminds me of the guys that we had last year," Viney said. "He's a young man that brings a lot of energy to the room. The guys love him and take to him. He's a guy that I think is going to make a lot of plays this year." 

Bootle could emerge as Arizona’s No. 2 cornerback alongside returning starter Jay’Vion Cole, who was second in the Big 12 with four interceptions last season. Bootle is competing with Boss, Watson and freshman Xaier Hiler for a starting cornerback role.

"One of those four needs to elevate themselves and be the No. 2 guy across from (Cole), because that guy is going to be picked on more because Jay'Vion Cole was such a ballhawk last year and he's such a good player,” Gonzales said. “That No. 2 corner is going to have to play early — and play well early. … With Tyrese, Dwight, Zuri and Xaier, two of those guys need to make themselves that three-headed piece.”

Tyrese Boss

Position: Cornerback

Year: Senior

Height, weight: 5-11, 181 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Chino Hills, California (Wyoming)

The rundown: Boss signed with Wyoming's 2024 recruiting class as a two-star recruit from Chino Hills High School (California). He also had offers from Eastern Washington, Montana State and Oregon State. 

Boss played in two games as a freshman in 2024 and appeared in 12 games last season, recording 39 tackles and no interceptions. Boss "is a young man that has played a ton of ball," Viney said.

"He was poised to play as a true freshman at Wyoming and then ended up having an injury that kept him out," Viney added. "He returned the next year and became a full-time starter for them. I loved how he competed play in and play out. He's been a thrill to have. He loves the process. He fits us in what we're trying to accomplish this year." 

Cam Chapa

Position: Safety

Year: Junior

Height, weight: 5-11, 190 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Aurora, Colorado (Northern Colorado)

The rundown: Chapa is the latest player Arizona signed from the FCS market — and he's been one of the most productive defensive players at that level the last two seasons.

Chapa recorded 171 tackles, eight interceptions, 12 pass deflections, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Chapa, who was a first-team All-Big Sky selection in 2025, led the conference with 63 solo tackles.

Chapa, who will also contend for one of Arizona's safety spots, joins defensive tackle Deshawn McKnight, wide receiver Javin Whatley, tight end Cameron Barmore, linebacker Riley Wilson, running back Quincy Craig and defensive lineman Malachi Bailey as players to sign with Arizona after starting their careers at FCS programs. Arizona also added Georgetown edge rusher Blomstrom from the FCS ranks in the transfer portal.

Chapa will be in the mix to start at safety this season for Arizona.

Keytrin Harris

Position: Defensive tackle

Year: Freshman

Height, weight: 6-6, 318 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Las Vegas (AZ Compass Prep)

The rundown: Despite being a true freshman, Harris has a college-ready frame to be in Arizona’s rotation at defensive tackle, but Arizona defensive line coach Joe Salave'a said, "It's unfair to put a whole lot of stock into that young man, because he just got here."

"The neat thing is, you've got Tre Smith, Mays (Pese) and Leroy (Palu) pouring into him, because he has those athletic traits," Salave'a said of Harris. "He has a high ceiling, but he also has to earn it. You earn what you keep, but you gotta be on the field. The cool thing about the young man is that he's all about the work. I think we have a good balance in the room with the older and the young (players). ... We gotta continue getting him to football shape. That's the biggest equalizer for Keytrin."

Malcolm Hartzog

Position: Slot cornerback

Year: Senior

Height, weight: 5-8, 184 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Silver Creek, Mississippi (Nebraska)

The rundown: Hartzog is expected to be the successor to Stukes at slot cornerback, especially with his experience playing both cornerback and safety, along with Dajon Hinton, who suffered an injury in Arizona’s loss to SMU in the Holiday Bowl. Hinton started in place of Stukes, who opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft, at the Holiday Bowl.

At Nebraska, Hartzog played 909 snaps at cornerback, 474 snaps at slot cornerback, 237 snaps at strong safety and 67 at free safety. The 5-8, 184-pound Hartzog, "even though he might be small height-wise, he's a pit bull," Arce said. 

"Even though he might not have the height, his quickness and strength can get under people's pads, and he can avoid them; that's a problem," said Arce. "His corner skills from when he was at Nebraska, he can cover anybody, similarly to Stukes. Those attributes, along with him just being a pit bull and a tough guy with strength, size doesn't matter in this case." 

Everett Roussaw

Position: Linebacker

Year: Senior

Height, weight: 6-2, 235 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Atlanta (Memphis)

The rundown: Roussaw started his career at UAB in 2023 and played two seasons for the Blazers. At UAB, Roussaw played in 23 games and made eight starts as a true freshman. He recorded 125 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four sacks and two fumble recoveries. 

The Atlanta native transferred to Memphis and had 64 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, four pass breakups and an interception in his lone year with the Tigers.

"Everett Roussaw is a far better off-the-ball football player than I anticipated because a lot of the stuff that he did (previously) was up on the line of scrimmage, like the way Riley (Wilson) was at Montana," Gonzales said. "What he's been able to do off the ball is fantastic."

Zuri Watson

Position: Cornerback

Year: Sophomore

Height, weight: 5-10, 188 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Saint Petersburg, Florida (Howard)

The rundown: Watson signed with Howard in 2024 following his standout career at Northside Christian School in St. Petersburg, Florida. Watson redshirted his freshman season in 2024 and played in 15 games last season, recording 34 tackles, nine pass deflections and an interception. 

Watson didn’t have as many first-team reps as Boss and Bootle in the spring, but that could change during training camp. Last season, Barmore and Bailey — who both transferred from FCS programs — had quiet springs, but ascended in the weeks leading up to the season.

Prince Williams

Position: Defensive end

Year: Freshman

Height, weight: 6-3, 264 pounds

Hometown (previous school): Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman High School)

The rundown: Williams comes to Arizona following a prolific career at national powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, where he was named the MaxPreps.com Nevada Player of the Year after leading Gaels to their fifth straight state championship. Williams, who garnered a comparison to UA sophomore Pese, had 265 tackles and 34 sacks in his four-year career with the Gaels. 

Salave'a is "excited for (Williams) and looking forward to him getting on the grass and make his case of where he needs to be when we kick this season off."

"He's got overwhelming tenacity to lead by example," Salave'a said. "I'm excited he's in our room. He's being challenged. He's going to be pushed to his limits, but he just needs to be vulnerable and allow me to push him. I think the sky's the limit for that young man."