Arizona will be without its starting pass catchers for a second consecutive game.
In the first Big 12 availability report released Wednesday night, Arizona wide receivers Giovanni Richardson and Chris Hunter and tight end Cole Rusk were listed as players out for Saturday’s game between the 25th-ranked Wildcats and the Iowa State Cyclones in Tucson.
Arizona wide receiver Tre Spivey is out for the season for a broken foot injury he suffered in the Wildcats’ Big 12 home opener against Cincinnati.
Arizona’s starting receiver trio against Iowa State will likely be Isaiah Mizell, Brandon Phelps and Rodney Gallagher III. In a 52-31 win over West Virginia, Mizell had a career-high six catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Mizell leads the Wildcats this season with 359 yards and four touchdowns on 19 catches.
Phelps, a Gilbert native, has 12 catches for 226 yards and three touchdowns this season and has emerged as a reliable option at receiver.
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The Wildcats played six receivers (minimum of 10 snaps) against West Virginia: Mizell, Phelps, Gallagher, DJ Jordan and freshmen R.J. Mosley and Caleb “Jet” Smith, who caught a go-ahead touchdown against Washington State earlier this season and has been a standout punt returner.
At tight end, fifth-year senior Tyler Powell and Shane King have shouldered most of the snaps with Rusk out.
Other Wildcats on the Big 12 availability report include strong safety Lee Molette III (probable), cornerback Swayde Griffin (questionable), defensive tackle Ezra Funa (out), offensive lineman Keona Peat (out) and defensive back Dajon Hinton (out).
Iowa State will be without leading receiver Dominic Overby, who’s out for the season with a knee injury.
No. 25 Arizona hosts Iowa State for homecoming Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Contact Justin Spears, the Star's Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
Justin Spears
Sports Reporter
