Tucson native, ex-Wildcat Kayden Luke 'fits the bill' as West Virginia's fullback

FRISCO, Texas — Technically, Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita wasn't the only player with connections to the Wildcats to make the preseason All-Big 12 team.

Tucson native and former UA fullback Kayden Luke was one of two players from West Virginia to earn preseason All-Big honors, along with WVU running back Cam Cook. 

Luke was named a preseason All-Big 12 fullback entering his first season at West Virginia, which is led by former Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez, who's going into his second season at the helm. 

Luke signed with the hometown Wildcats in 2024 as a preferred walk-on after leading the state in rushing with 2,307 yards and 29 touchdowns, and helping Canyon del Oro High School to a state title and a perfect 14-0 record in 2023.

The CDO star — nicknamed "Big Red" by the UA coaches and players — was used in short-yardage situations and goal-line packages as an extra blocker in the backfield, then moved to tight end last year. Luke entered the transfer portal following Arizona's run to the Holiday Bowl. He played a total of 71 offensive snaps — 124 on special teams — at the UA, according to Pro Football Focus.

While not many teams nowadays are in the market for a true fullback, Luke caught Rodriguez's attention. 

"There's no secret that we like to run the football, and I didn't know if we had a guy that was a true fullback in the old-school ways," Rodriguez said at Big 12 Media Days at Ford Center. "Kayden kind of popped up there in the portal, and I'm like, 'He's got a role to play.' ... When you're putting together a team, you want to make sure that you have every kind of position with a guy that's a quality player. We really didn't have a true fullback kind of guy that we wanted to use in our offense."

The 5-11, 251-pound Luke "fits the bill" for the fullback role in Rodriguez's spread offense, the West Virginia coach said. 

"He doesn't care if he's going to run it (and) you can block him every day, so he's going to play a role for us there," Rodriguez said. "It's different constructing a roster now than it was just five or six years ago, so you've got to try to bring guys in there that all have a value to your program and then try to use them as best you can to make that value show up."

Barefoot Bounds

About two hours before every game, Arizona right tackle Tristan Bounds can be spotted walking barefoot around the perimeter of the field. 

It's a pregame ritual the 6-8, 306-pound Bounds, who's from Bethesda, Maryland, started while he attended Choate Rosemary Hall High School, a college prep school in Connecticut.  

"I get off the bus, go to the locker room, take off my shoes and take a barefoot walk around the turf to get a feel," Bounds said.

The method to the madness is to familiarize himself with the playing surface. 

"Some turfs are deeper, while some have more pellets and are more artificial grass," Bounds said. "If it's real grass, you want to see how wet it is and if it's going to be slippery. I just like to get a feel for the turf, the stadium, how close you are to the sideline, that kind of thing.

"It's a good way to settle myself into the environment that we're going to be in and be ready to go."

Bounds, who gained 15 pounds since last season, was one of the Wildcats' top offensive linemen and started eight games at right tackle this past season, allowing three sacks in 372 pass-blocking snaps.

Bounds, after suffering a season-ending ankle injury, was granted a sixth year of eligibility and will be among the leaders of an offensive line that also returns right guard Alexander Doost and left tackle Matthew Lado, who filled in for the injured Bounds at right tackle last season. 

Barbe-Cats

If there's anything Texas is known for besides football, it's barbecue. For the latest installment of our "This Ain't Tucson" food series on Tucson.com and The Wildcaster mobile app, we tried a "Texas Twinkie" and brisket, among other food items, at the renowned "Hutchins BBQ," a popular barbecue spot about 15 minutes from Ford Center. 

On the final day of Big 12 Media Days, the Star asked Arizona's seven player representatives about their ideal barbecue platters. Here's what they said:

Quarterback Noah Fifita: "Barbecue ribs, brisket, tri-tip, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and sweet potato pie."  

Cornerback Jay'Vion Cole: "Barbecued beans. Throw some (hot) links, two slices of bread on the side and a rack of ribs. That's all I need right there."

Linebacker Taye Brown: "Ribs, beans, cornbread and I'll throw some mashed potatoes on there, maybe some links. That's about it." 

Wide receiver Chris Hunter: "Ribs, gotta have that. A burger, but it's gotta be on the grill. Brisket, for sure. If it's a full plate, gotta go with mac and cheese and some cornbread." 

Wide receiver Tre Spivey: "I have the best mac and cheese. You also gotta go ribs, chips, pickles, burnt ends. Burnt ends are the one. It's definitely more Thanksgiving, but if you have some creamed corn, it goes great with all of that — and cornbread." 

Defensive end Tre Smith: "I like steak, some mashed potatoes, maybe a burger. I'm a plain guy, so just meat and cheese (on the burger), but I always know the quality of a burger because of that. I'll get beans sometimes, too. I don't really eat collard greens, so I'll choose green beans."

Bounds: "Gotta have brisket. There's a spot (Bashful Bandit) in Tucson and I get the ribs, brisket, mac and cheese, potato salad and if I'm really hungry, I'll get a pulled pork sandwich — but it's gotta have the coleslaw because that's mandatory on a pulled pork sandwich. That's my go-to barbecue." 

He said it

"Coach Brennan has a certain energy about him. He knows how to get the team going, he knows to get everyone to believe in what he's preaching. All the guys, at the end of the day, they buy into that. He just brings us together. He's the glue to the whole program. It's our job to go out there and prove him right." — Hunter, on UA head coach Brent Brennan