Arizona’s Big 12 Media Days group includes plenty of familiar faces, and one of the most intriguing is redshirt junior wide receiver Tre Spivey.
The Chandler native is coming off a breakout 2025 season that made him a go-to big-play threat for Noah Fifita and the Wildcats’ offense. In 2025, Spivey finished with 23 receptions for 381 receiving yards, seven touchdown receptions and one rushing touchdown, and he repeatedly turned touches into points.
Spivey said the connection with Fifita has been built through extra work away from the spotlight.
“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.”
That production has obviously mattered, but Arizona head coach Brent Brennan has been just as impressed with how Spivey approaches the work day in and day out.
“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.”
Last season’s success also gave Spivey a clearer sense of what he can do, and he says that confidence is carrying into this year.
“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. “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.”
Offensive coordinator Seth Doege has seen that growth show up in the details. For Doege, Spivey’s rise has been about more than highlight plays - it’s been about consistency.
“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.
Arizona’s receiver room is also getting crowded, with newcomers DJ Jordan, Jordan Ross and Rodney Gallagher III adding more competition. Brennan said that battle has only sharpened Spivey’s edge.
“That room is a lot of fun, because there’s a lot of intense competition there,” said Brennan. “Tre Spivey, he’s been just a consistent high performer, which is not surprising to anybody.”
Wide receivers coach Bobby Wade has noticed another layer to Spivey’s development, too. The work isn’t just about his own assignment anymore.
“He’s really focused on wanting to get better, and I appreciate his eagerness in that space,” said Wade. “He’s spending more time in the office.
He wants to know more about what other guys are doing on the football field, not just his position. So there’s starting to be a little bit more of an understanding, and I think that’s going to let him kind of settle in and play even faster.”
If the 2025 tape is any indication, there should be more fireworks ahead. Spivey already showed his explosiveness with touchdown catches of 70 and 57 yards, and Arizona looks ready to keep feeding one of its most dangerous playmakers.
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Arizona Still Has One Huge July 4 Recruiting Battle Left
July 4 is shaping up as a busy recruiting day across college football, with three three-star prospects set to make their college choices known. For Arizona, the name to watch is Mason Joshua, the offensive lineman who has the Wildcats in the mix alongside Oklahoma State, giving the program a real chance to add an important piece up front on a holiday that will draw plenty of attention from recruiting followers.
Joshua is expected to announce around 2 p.m. ET, and Arizonas interest is part of a larger day that also includes wide receiver Kyren Caldwell and athlete Darryl Flemister. Caldwell is down to Alabama, Maryland and Mississippi State, while Flemister is expected to settle on Illinois or Iowa, leaving Arizonas best unresolved thread tied to a decision that could matter for the Wildcats future line depth. [Read more 🡒]