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Arizona defensive lineman Prince Williams, a freshman from Las Vegas, didn’t get his name because his parents’ favorite music artist is Prince or their favorite baseball player is Prince Fielder.

“My dad said that he’s the king of the household, so he’s gotta have his prince ready,� Williams said.

Playing at Arizona “is nothing but a blessing for me, just to come be a part of the program, put my head down and learn from the older guys,� Williams said.

Since joining the Arizona football program in January, Williams has made a lasting impression on the Wildcats’ veterans on the defensive line.

“Just a dog,� senior defensive end Dominic Lolesio said of Williams. “He came in to work, put his head down like everybody else. You don’t really see that with a lot of freshmen around the country. He has come in here and made his mark.�

Added sixth-year senior Tre Smith: “The biggest thing about a guy like Prince is his motor. We all have different needs as individuals and at the end of the day, you’re going to need help at some point. We’re here to lean on each other. Prince is a guy that you don’t need to push to get going. He’s intrinsically motivated. He’s going to be a dog.�

Williams grew up in Las Vegas with two sisters — one of them, Preseah Williams, is a college flag football player in California. Williams’ sister was a team captain at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, the school Williams prepped at before coming to the UA. Preseah Williams led the Gaels as a wide receiver with 22 total touchdowns.

“I would say I’m the better athlete, but she’s definitely the better athlete out of the both of us,� Prince Williams said. “It’s been nothing but a blessing to watch my little sister ball out on the offensive side of the ball.�

Williams “fell in love with the game and the contact part, as well,� so playing defensive lineman was a natural fit for him.

Williams became a standout at national powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School, earning Nevada Player of the Year after leading Gaels to their fifth straight state championship. Williams, who garnered a comparison to UA sophomore Mays Pese, had 265 tackles and 34 sacks in his four-year career with the Gaels. 

“It’s a blessing being in Las Vegas and being able to learn from a lot of coaches with an NFL background,� Williams said. “They instilled in us a lot of stuff we’re going to see in college, like holding yourself accountable, working hard and being prepared for the day.�

Williams was rated by as a three-star prospect and received offers from Arizona, Utah, BYU, Miami, Washington, Tennessee, Florida and Arizona State, among others.

Williams, who committed to the Wildcats on the Fourth of July in 2025, signed with Arizona because of “the people in the building,� he said.

“The building and the stuff is cool and whatnot, but the people in the building are what make the program,� Williams said. “A lot of the people stuck out to me and made me feel like family.�

Arizona defensive line coach Joe Salave’a said “there comes along a certain type of talent and athlete and (Williams) has those redeeming qualities.�

“Prince just got here, so he’s trying to work hard and earn his way into this room,� Salave’a added. “The positive thing is that he’s all-in. He just wants to improve, be coached and be a great teammate.�

Williams was one of six newcomers on the defensive line, along with fellow freshmen in defensive tackles Keytrin Harris, Kaisi Lafitaga and Manoah Faupusa. Arizona also added junior college transfer Kevin Moorer from Hutchison Community College (Kansas) and Cal Poly transfer defensive end Victory Johnson.

“One thing I can say, we’re a hungry group of boys,� Williams said of Arizona’s freshman defensive linemen. “We’re just looking to work.�

The 6-3, 272-pound Williams not only has the stature to hold up playing on the defensive line as a freshman, he has a relentless drive.

“If there’s one person you want to take to the back alley (for protection), Prince is the guy you can take,� Salave’a said.

Learning from Salave’a — who has coached multiple NFL defensive linemen from his time at Washington State, Oregon and Miami — and UA assistant defensive line coach and former UA linebacker Ronnie Palmer “has been nothing but a blessing� for Williams, who Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales described as “lightning in a bottle.�

“He only has one speed, so we’re trying to slow him down, which is for the betterment of our football team, not for him,� Gonzales said. “When we unleash him, he’s unbelievable. He’s going to be the version of Mays Pese I didn’t know we had until about Week 5 of last year.

“(Williams) goes 100 miles per hour in everything he does. He’s another one that’s going to be in the Tre Smith and Taye Brown conversation as ‘Mr. Redline.’ … He’s got a cool-ass name to become a city moniker, so let’s see if it comes to fruition. I can’t wait.�

Lafitaga’s ‘ceiling is so high’

One of Arizona’s under-the-radar players is Lafitaga, a 6-2, 300-pound American Samoa native. Lafitaga has received second- and first-team reps on Arizona’s defensive line in training camp.

Lafitaga, Williams and the 6-6, 305-pound Harris, “they’re open to being pushed, they’re open to being coached,� Salave’a said.

“Competition is always elevated when you bring those type of players in the room,� added Arizona’s defensive line coach. “It’s awesome to have those guys elevate the room and elevate the competition. … We’re on the brink of seeing some of these young guys contribute to us. They’re not satisfied and that’s probably the beauty in this whole thing. They don’t want to be satisfied playing. They want to be able to contribute and dominate — and that is the goal.�

Lafitaga was recruited to play either offensive or defensive line at Arizona. Obviously, Salave’a won the battle with offensive line coach Josh Oglesby.

Salave’a compared Lafitaga’s recruitment to former Oregon star and Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell and Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, who was drafted No. 10 overall by the New York Giants in April. Lafitaga “is one of those athletes,� Salave’a said.

“That young man has all those qualities and has the ability to play both sides of the ball,� Salave’a added. “His ceiling is so high, he hasn’t even begun to understand that.�

Getting Lafitaga to play defensive tackle was because “it’s more of a need� for the Wildcats, especially after losing starters Deshawn McKnight and Tiaoalii Savea.

Nose tackle Leroy Palu, Pese, fourth-year defensive tackle Julian Savaiinaea and former junior college transfers Ezra Funa and Zac Siulepa, along with the aforementioned freshmen, are other options for interior defensive linemen. But Lafitaga has emerged as a potential run-stopping breakout player in the middle of Arizona’s defensive line.

“I owe Coach Josh a couple of Snickers bars and power bars for allowing Kaisi to be in our room,� Salave’a said. “We gotta change the line of scrimmage and his value for us and the team is on the defensive side. He’s right where he needs to be, and we’re going to continue to recruit those type of players.�

Extra points

– Salave’a said the 6-3, 283-pound Moorer is a taller version of McKnight. Said Salave’a": “He has a unique ability to get vertical. He’s a big-sized man. The good thing about it, he’s a ways away from a finished product, but his length, his short-area quickness and ability to bail and change direction in an instant, it was one of the things we saw on film. … He’s one that has to work on his conditioning level — all the guys do. … To his credit, he’s come a long way. … He fits what we do.�

– Salave’a, on why he wears a 35-pound weighted vest during practice: “I’m on this health journey and I’m finding a way to kickstart this cardio. … In our business as coaches, you can’t preach to the guys about getting it done and you’re not getting it done yourself. It’s two-fold, but it’s more of a personal health opportunity.�

– Lolesio, on Arizona’s depth on the defensive line: “I think it’s great. I think we have a mix of newer guys and guys who played a lot of ball. We’ve got some hungry freshmen ready to play. They’ve been doing their thing. The depth part, it’s great to have a set of guys who can really go.�

– Salave’a, on his coaching philosophy with Arizona’s defensive line in training camp: “We’re not trying to recreate the wheel. We’re trying to grease that thing and make it spin a little faster. It starts by resetting the line of scrimmage, setting hard edges, tear it off and see if we can get 11 hats on the ball. The last couple of days have been great, just having the pads on.�