Arizona’s running back room enters 2026 with a familiar look and a clearer identity.
The Wildcats are set to open preseason camp on Aug. 5, and as Brent Brennan begins his second camp in charge, the backfield is one of the groups that already feels settled. Arizona has six running backs on the roster, but the real story is at the top, where Kedrick Reescano and Quincy Craig are expected to carry the load again.
Reescano is back after a productive season that included 396 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. His value showed up in the dirty work - short-yardage snaps, goal-line carries and the kind of runs that finish drives. But he also delivered one of Arizona’s biggest plays of the year, ripping off a 50-yard touchdown against Cincinnati in the upset win.
Craig gave the Wildcats a different kind of punch. With 364 rushing yards and two touchdowns, plus 14 catches for 114 yards and another score, he proved he could handle more than just handoffs.
His season highlight came on a 24-yard game-winning touchdown run against Kansas. Together, Reescano and Craig give Arizona a rotation that should keep the ground game moving.
Behind them, Arizona has a veteran option in Antwan Roberts and a younger player in Wesley Yarbrough. Roberts transferred in from Marshall after running for 512 yards and four touchdowns last season, and his size makes him a natural fit as another red-zone threat.
Yarbrough, meanwhile, appeared in 10 games last season but logged only 21 carries for 77 yards. This could be the year he takes a bigger step and shows more of what he can do in the offense.
Roberts looks like the newcomer most likely to make an immediate impact. He already has history with offensive coordinator Seth Doege from their time together at Marshall in 2024, which should help him pick things up quickly. Arizona wants to recreate the three-back setup it used last season with Mahdi, Reescano and Craig, and Roberts appears well positioned to be part of that mix.
There’s also a change on the coaching side. Alonzo Carter left for Sacramento State, and assistant offensive coach Lyle Moevao has been promoted after working with the running backs last season. He played a major role in the success Mahdi had, and now he’ll be tasked with getting even more out of this group.
Arizona’s rushing numbers were uneven overall. The Wildcats finished in the bottom half of the Big 12 with 152.4 rushing yards per game, but they still scored 20 rushing touchdowns, which ranked them in the top half of the league in that category. The run game picked up late in the season as the backs started trusting the holes the offensive line was creating.
That late-season growth gives Arizona something to build on. With Reescano and Craig leading the way, Roberts ready to join the rotation, and Moevao taking over the room, the Wildcats will head into camp looking to turn a solid backfield into a more complete rushing attack.
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