Arizona heads into its second preseason camp under Brent Brennan on Aug. 5 with a tight end room that looks very different from the one it had a year ago. With seniors Sam Olson and Cameron Barmore gone, the Wildcats are searching for a new lead option at a spot that should matter plenty in 2026, especially with the season opener set for Sep. 5 against NAU.
The most likely answer right now is Cole Rusk, a redshirt senior transfer from Illinois who settled in quickly during spring ball and became a dependable outlet for quarterback Noah Fifita. Arizona brought him in with production already on his résumé - 19 catches for 217 yards in 2025 - and his earlier stops at Eastern Michigan and Murray State show a bigger body of work, too: 39 receptions for 507 yards and six touchdowns. At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Rusk has the size to be a versatile piece if he stays healthy.
Tyler Powell is the other name to watch at the top of the depth chart. He was the starting tight end in the first game of the 2025 season, but one play into the Hawaii game, his year was done.
Since then, he has been working through rehab with the goal of getting back on the field this season. Arizona already knows offensive coordinator Seth Doege can trust him in a starting role; the question now is whether Powell can hold up physically.
If Powell gets back to where he was, Arizona could have a tandem that looks a lot like last year’s setup. Olson and Barmore were steady, productive, and useful in tandem, and Rusk plus Powell have a chance to mirror that kind of output.
Behind them, the Wildcats have a couple of younger or less proven options who could be pressed into action. Arthur Ban, a transfer from San Diego State, brings no game experience but flashed in spring as someone who can make plays. Shane King, a transfer from Southern Miss, also lacks experience, but he showed in the spring that he is not shy about contact.
Rusk is the newcomer most likely to make the fastest impact. If Powell does not reclaim the starting job, Rusk should slide into that role. His spring connection with Fifita stood out, and Arizona will need him to keep building that chemistry while also doing the dirty work as a blocker.
There’s also a clear path for Rusk to become a red-zone weapon through the air. Kedrick Reescano may handle that role on the ground, but if Rusk turns into the passing-game version of that kind of finisher, Arizona’s offense could start cashing in more often.
Josh Miller, now entering his second season in Tucson after taking over for Matt Adkins, appears to have the room moving in the right direction. Even with Powell sidelined, Olson and Barmore still gave Arizona a solid return last season, combining for 36 catches, 324 yards and four touchdowns. If the Wildcats can get similar production from this group in 2026, the offense should be in good shape.
In Other News...
Arizona Brings A Major 2027 NBA Draft Watch To Maui
The Maui Invitational is set to open Nov. 23 with a field that already has the feel of a future draft showcase, and Arizona is right in the middle of it. The Wildcats will be part of a bracket that also includes BYU, VCU, Clemson, Washington, Mississippi, Colorado State and Providence, with several incoming freshmen and transfers drawing early attention as possible 2027 NBA Draft names.
For Arizona, the intrigue goes beyond one weekend in Hawaii. Freshman Holt is viewed as a major prospect in that 2027 conversation, and he arrives with the kind of profile that makes the Wildcats worth watching closely in nonconference play. Add in the other potential draft picks scattered across the roster, and Arizonas opening trip to face Colorado State looks like more than just an early-season test. [Read more 🡒]
Kedrick Reescano Carries Big Expectations In Arizonas 2026 Backfield
Kedrick Reescanos role is about to grow in a hurry as Arizona turns the page to 2026, with the backfield opening up after Ismail Mahdis departure. Reescano already gave the Wildcats a glimpse of what he can bring last season, playing in 10 games and finishing second on the team with 396 rushing yards while leading Arizona with nine rushing touchdowns, production that fits neatly with Seth Doeges plan for a balanced offense built around a real running game.
Reescano has also pointed to the importance of bonding as the Wildcats try to keep the offense moving in the same direction, and the continuity with the coaching staff should help smooth that transition. The bigger question is whether he can turn that opportunity into a steady every-down presence after dealing with inconsistency and some injuries a year ago, because Arizonas expectations for the backfield are now squarely on his shoulders. [Read more 🡒]
Arizonas Backcourt Future May Rest On One New Transfer
Arizona enters the new season with a very different look in the backcourt, and the turnover is hard to miss. Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries are gone, leaving the Wildcats to piece together a new guard rotation around fresh faces like top recruit Caleb Holt and transfers JJ Mandaquit and Derek Dixon as they try to keep the offense humming after last years success.
Mandaquit is the name that keeps coming up as the one who could steady things quickest. After spending last season at Washington, where inconsistency and an injury cut into his freshman year, he arrives with a chance to reset the conversation in Tucson and potentially become the true point guard Arizona has been searching for. The fit is obvious enough, but the bigger question is whether he can turn that promise into the kind of control this roster now needs. [Read more 🡒]