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One of the categories was "Team Unc" or uncle, which is just another way of identifying the elder statesmen of the team.Ìý

Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita, offensive tackle Rhino Tapa'atoutai, safety Genesis Smith, defensive end Tre Smith and safety Dalton Johnson all had the same answer: "Stukes."

Arizona senior defensive back Treydan Stukes conceded and also coined himself "Team Unc." 

"It's gotta be me," Stukes said in . "I'm one of the oldest guys on the team now."

No lie was told. But Johnson isn't too far behind from Stukes. The leaders of Arizona's defense are two of a kind: they're the only players recruited by former head coach Kevin Sumlin's staff. Stukes signed with the Wildcats as a walk-on during the pandemic-influenced season in 2020.Ìý

Johnson signed with Arizona's 2021 recruiting class just days after Sumlin was fired following the Wildcats' 70-7 loss to Arizona State in Tucson. Johnson, a Katy, Texas product, signed to play for a program that didn't have a head coach at the time until Jedd Fisch was hired two weeks later.Ìý

Johnson experienced a 20-game losing streak, multiple coaching changes and a downtrodden program rise from the Sumlin ashes to win the Alamo Bowl in three seasons.

Johnson and Stukes also started their careers at a time when a coach buying his player a piece of pizza was a no-no. Now? Texas flexes its deep pockets with Lamborghinis parked outside its facilities during official visits, thanks to NIL. In the wake of the House vs. NCAA settlement, the revenue share was introduced to collegiate athletics on July 1.

This year, each FBS school can pay its athletic department up to $20.5 million, with football receiving the (undisclosed) lion's share of that money.

Johnson said he's "always blessed to be playing in this college football era with NIL and rev share, but I don't really tend to focus on that."

"I just want to play football," Johnson said. "I don't play football for a big bag. I'm just out there to play football. ... It's weird, because when I was getting recruited out of high school, which was during Covid, I had Zoom official visits and now I see guys get offered $1 million out of high school.

"It's definitely a weird thing. It doesn't affect me feelings-wise, but it's crazy to see and it feels like I'm living in two different times."

Added Stukes: "It's definitely a weird thing, but like Dalton said, it's a blessing to be a college player at this time, being compensated for what we do and bring every day. It's truly a blessing and we're all thankful that we get to help our families and our program can benefit from this. It's definitely different. I came to college football at a time when you just came to a university just to play. It's different, but it's a blessing."

Entering his fifth year at Arizona, Johnson is the only member of the 2021 recruiting class still at Arizona. Johnson realized he was the last man standing from '21 when he returned from the holiday break, when he entered the transfer portal and opted to return to the Wildcats.Ìý

"I was just kind of looking around the team and I tried to count who came with my (recruiting) class," Johnson said. "Once I realized I was the last one left, it really settled in that maybe I've been here a little too long and I gotta take advantage of this last year."

After starring on special teams for two seasons, Johnson rose to starter status for Arizona's 10-win team that won the Alamo Bowl in 2023. He started in 24 games over the last two seasons and led the Wildcats in tackles (94) in 2024 after evolving into a safety-linebacker role following the multiple injuries on Arizona's defense, including defensive captains in safety Gunner Maldonado, linebacker Jacob Manu and Stukes.Ìý

"Whatever it takes to help this team win and succeed, I'm willing to do," Johnson said of his modified role last season. "That also allowed me to learn more in the box and understand what the (defensive) line is doing."

In the last two seasons, Johnson has been arguably Arizona's most productive defensive players with 180 tackles, 11 stops for loss and six forced fumbles. His most impactful forced fumble resulted in Maldonado's 87-yard return for a touchdown, which sparked the Wildcats' come-from-behind win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.

With one career interception and four pass deflections, "I definitely have a high standard on the amount of interceptions I want and what I'm looking to achieve" this season, Johnson said.

"I went for 100 tackles last year and didn't get it, I had 94, but now I'm looking to turn it up this year on the coverage aspect," Johnson said.Ìý

He didn't get the "Unc" label, but Johnson has shouldered leading Arizona's defense and "just trying to get our voices out there," he said.

"Everyone has their different ways of leading," Johnson said. "For me, personally, I'm working on having my voice out there, even when I'm tired or the days are long and hard. I'm just trying to be the voice the guys hear and trust."

Salave'a helped Smith 'add tools to my bag'

Not often do players go through coaching changes with coaches who have the same first name and last initial. Arizona senior defensive end Tre Smith went from Joe Seumalo, who recruited Smith to San Jose State, to Joe Salave'a in the offseason.

Working with Salave'a, Smith's second defensive line coach since 2020, "has been a pleasure."

"It's a gift," said the Arizona edge rusher. "I was close with my other position coach, Coach Joe (Seumalo), and I see him as a second father and an amazing coach. God places things in your life at the right time and for the right reason. It's been a privilege to work with him."

Salave'a, a "Desert Swarm" member and former All-Pac-10 defensive lineman for the Wildcats, is "very technical, how he coaches, and I like it." 

"One thing I enjoy about it the most, is that he provides an explanation as to why we're doing what we do and you can see the practicality in that," Smith said. "On top of that, he's helped me add moves to my bag." 

Moves that could potentially bump his — and the team's — sack total this upcoming season. After following head coach Brent Brennan and Seumalo from San Jose State to Arizona, Smith had a team-high 28 quarterback pressures, but only had 4.5 sacks. Smith thrived in getting to the quarterback, but only 16% of his pressures resulted in sacks.

During practice and training camp, which starts on July 30, Smith said he's "gotta do a better job of finishing and not just finishing the drill, but finish beyond the drill."

"It's not a normal measure by any means," Smith said. "You have to over-exaggerate the things you want to replicate. That's a piece of it."

In his last season, the 6-5, 259-pound Smith is striving "to be the best teammate I can be and leave a lasting impact."

Considering Salave'a's history of developing NFL defensive linemen at Oregon, Washington State and Miami, "the next level is the dream, for sure," Smith said.Ìý 

Extra points

— Smith, on Brennan: "He's the guy you want to play for. Last year was a different situation, because it wasn't his team in terms of recruiting and everything. This year, we had some people who were on the fence, but now it's what Coach Brennan's vision was. Whether guys just joined or they stayed, everyone wants to be here and deserves to be here."

— After adding 10 scholarship newcomers on the defensive line in 2025, Arizona's "trenches have improved" this offseason, Johnson said. Said Johnson: "Football is won between the O-Line and D-Line. That really separates teams. We went and worked on that." 

— Between the 2025 and '26 recruiting classes, Arizona has brought in 14 players from Texas, excluding the transfer portal. Said Johnson: "People don't like to hear it, but football is just different in Texas. It means more, especially coming from Katy High School; it feels like a college program. I felt some carryover from high school to college. Everything is bigger in Texas, so football is bigger in Texas and it just means more." 

— Arizona announced its new "premium seating" plan for the 2025 home schedule, which includes two 25-person concourse suites valued at $36,250 for the season. For the first time at the UA, Arizona Stadium will have on-field seating, with its 100-person "Cat's Club" along the north end zone and six on-field cabanas on the sidelines. The cabanas, priced at $25,720 for the season, range in capacity from 16 to 20 people. A Cat's Club season ticket starts at $1,110. More information can be found at .Ìý