Arizona’s linebacker room enters 2026 camp with a clear headliner at the top and plenty of movement behind him.
Training camp opens Aug. 5, giving Brent Brennan and his staff a chance to build on last season’s 9-4 finish before the Wildcats kick off Sept. 5 against NAU at Casino Del Sol Stadium. The linebacker group is one of the spots worth watching closely, with 15 players on the roster and a mix of established production, position changes and a newcomer who could push right into the rotation.
Taye Brown and Chase Kennedy are the projected starters, and both come in with real mileage. Brown has been the steady veteran presence in the program, appearing in all 38 games since the start of the 2024 season and making 24 starts, including the last 18. He’s piled up 168 career tackles, with 93 last season, second on the team, and figures to handle the communication role through his helmet.
Kennedy is back for his third season at Arizona after starting his college career at Utah, and he’s already shown he can be disruptive. He started 15 games, including the final seven in 2025 when the Wildcats leaned on three linebackers in a 3-3-5 alignment. Kennedy finished last season with a team-best four sacks, tied for the team lead with seven QB hurries and matched the top mark with two forced fumbles.
Behind them, the depth chart has a little of everything. Cooper Blomstrom, Dash Fifita, Jabari Mann, Coleman Patmon, Myron Robinson and Everett Roussaw Jr. make up the top backup group, and several of them have already flashed.
Mann, Patmon and Robinson all drew attention last season. Robinson and Patmon each earned a start, while Mann was on the field for the most snaps. Patmon moved over from safety this offseason to help thicken the linebacker room, while Robinson is working back from the knee injury he suffered at Cincinnati in November, leaving his camp status uncertain.
Blomstrom brings a different kind of profile. He started 19 games as an outside backer and edge player at FCS Georgetown and recorded 15 sacks there, so he could be used as a pass-rush weapon in obvious throwing situations.
Roussaw has his own versatility after starting at both UAB and Memphis, and he can play inside or outside. Fifita, meanwhile, made a strong impression in spring ball despite standing 5-foot-7 and weighing 186 pounds, and he has a chance to be the next Jacob Manu.
Among the newcomers, Roussaw looks like the most likely to make an immediate impact. He has 189 tackles over three seasons, checks in at 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, and could work his way into the starting group if his spring momentum carries into camp. Danny Gonzales likes to vary the defense from week to week, and if Arizona stays with three linebackers, Roussaw may get the first crack at that third spot.
The group is now under Josh Bringuel, who took over linebackers coaching after Gonzales was promoted to defensive coordinator last year. Bringuel, a former San Diego State defensive lineman, has already earned a reputation as one of the staff’s sharpest young coaches, and the unit has consistently been around the ball under his direction.