Tre Spivey has already lived one Arizona sports moment that would be tough to top. In July, during the Diamondbacks’ “UofA Night,” he threw out the first pitch to his father, Junior Spivey, the former D-backs standout who helped bring home the 2001 World Series title.
For Tre, that was more than a neat offseason appearance. It was a full-circle moment tied to a family name that already carries weight in Arizona sports.
“The experience itself was like the coolest thing ever,” Spivey said.”That is something that I thought I’d probably never get to do, like ever. So the fact that I got to do it with my dad at the stadium of his former team was like a dream come true.”
Now the spotlight is on what he builds at Arizona football. Last season, Spivey became a favorite because every touch seemed to turn into points. He finished with 23 receptions for 381 receiving yards, seven touchdown receptions and one rushing touchdown.
That production made him a weapon. This year, it also makes him part of the leadership core, and he spent the offseason sharpening the details that help good players become dependable ones.
“It was really good for me, and I think that it’s allowed me to go into this season real confident of my abilities,” said Spivey on last season. “So just focusing on the whole game so I can help the team out. That’s the one thing I’ve been focused on this year, is trying to figure out what I can work on for myself that can impact the team in the best way possible.”
That kind of work has shown up in practice, where Brent Brennan says Spivey brings exactly the energy Arizona wants. Brennan leans on “Redline” every day, and Spivey has clearly taken that message to heart.
“One of my favorite things about Tre is he’s an incredible practice player,” said Brennan. “He really goes hard, and it doesn’t matter if he’s feeling a little under the weather or whatever, he likes to compete, and that part of it is a lot of fun.”
Spivey knows his numbers might not look exactly the same this season, and he’s fine with that. He’s in a receiver room full of players he trusts, and he sees that as a strength rather than a threat.
“The past few years that I’ve been at Arizona, I’ve been super blessed to have been in a receiving room that genuinely has players that want to do the best with each other,” said Spivey.
That shared mindset has also helped build the kind of chemistry that matters with Noah Fifita. Spivey said the group has put in extra time with the quarterback beyond what’s required, and that work has paid off in their timing and trust.
“I think that’s the treasure that comes from the amount of repetition, the amount of work we put in with Noah,” said Spivey. “We take a lot of extra time out of our day to go practice, walk through stuff with him.”
Offensive coordinator Seth Doege has noticed how polished Spivey has become. In Doege’s eyes, the receiver is doing all the little things right now - and doing them consistently.
“He’s gotten to a point where he’s consistently lining up correctly, he’s consistently getting to his depth, he’s consistently winning on routes, he’s consistently going up and attacking the football,” said Doege.
With the opener just hours away, Spivey is viewing the season through a bigger lens. Arizona’s path starts with NAU, but he sees every game as part of the same chase, with the Big 12 title in mind.
“I think that for us, each game kind of carries the same weight,” said Spivey. “We attack each and every game the same way we would attack any game.
Treat this week, the first week, like it’s the Big 12 championship. I think that excitement is always there, and we’re just excited to get ready to get the ball rolling.”
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For a team trying to set a tone, the first week matters even when the opponent is not expected to provide much resistance. Arizonas staff outlook leans confidently toward a comfortable start, with the focus less on the final margin than on how cleanly the offense operates and how quickly key players settle into the plan. How much of that translates immediately is the real question, and it is one Arizona will answer on opening night. [Read more 🡒]