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Even though Salgado-Medina's family moved roughly 10 minutes up the road from Lake Forest, California, to Mission Viejo, California, in Orange County, "everyone only played football."

Growing up in Mission Viejo, Salgado-Medina "was the only kid that was like, 'Let's go play soccer,' and everyone was like, 'Nah, bro, let's go play football,'" said the Arizona kicker and punter.

"I got caught up in the mix, so I begged my mom to play (football)," said Salgado-Medina.Ìý

Salgado-Medina's first position in youth football was defensive end, because "I was a little chubbier then and then I grew — string bean," he said. Once his height complemented his weight, "I got into high school and started kicking," Salgado-Medina said. Salgado-Medina played at Mission Viejo High School, one of the top high school football programs in Orange County, where he was challenged to kick and punt.Ìý

"Got there and they were like, 'Hey, if you really want to do this, you can,'" said Salgado-Medina. "'You just have to put time and effort in.' I did that and now I'm here. ... My mom went to school and my dad worked all his life, so sports was not really a thing until I started playing (football). No one knew what football was in my family until I started playing. It's cool that everyone follows it now."Ìý

Salgado-Medina, who is competing to be Arizona's starting punter or kicker or both, specialized in kicking and punting at Mission Viejo.Ìý

"Throughout high school, I never told myself I was one or the either," Salgado-Medina said. "I never said I was specifically a kicker or specifically a punter. I always saw myself as someone that was able to do both, and certain colleges saw me as someone doing both. Some saw me as a kicker, some saw me as a punter. Whatever they want me to do, I'll do it."Ìý

At Mission Viejo, Salgado-Medina averaged 37.2 yards per punt and had a career-best 61-yarder. Salgado-Medina also placed 31 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. As a kicker, Salgado-Medina made 27 of 35 field goals, including a career-long 52 yards. He also had 124 touchbacks on 192 kickoffs.

Salgado-Medina signed with Arizona's 2024 recruiting class in December 2023, before former head coach Jedd Fisch and the rest of his staff left for Washington. Even though Salgado-Medina had the option to be released from his national letter of intent, the kicker stuck with his commitment.ÌýÌý

"Both coaching staffs treated me like family," he said. "It was very hard. I didn't know they were going to leave. They left and the new staff came and welcomed me with open arms. It felt like a family ever since. They gave me an opportunity to stay, so I stayed."

Tucson and the UA "is different and a little slower than Cali," which Salgado-Medina found appealing.Ìý

"I've been in Cali all my life and I kind of wanted to leave a little bit," he said. "I like it out here."Ìý

As a freshman last summer, Salgado-Medina was thrown into an Arizona special teams unit that had NFL-bound kicker Tyler Loop, who had an all-time career with the Wildcats. Loop ended his five-year career at Arizona with an 83.8% field-goal rate, which currently ranks 39th in college football history. Loop's 327 points are the third-most in program history behind Max Zendejas (360) and Art Luppino (337).

Loop was 6 for 9 in field goals of at least 50 yards in 2024, which included a program-record 62-yard field goal. Loop owns the UA single-game school record with five field goals against Texas Tech. In his last two seasons at Arizona, Loop had 126 touchbacks in 140 attempts (90%).

Salgado-Medina said he "learned a lot" from Loop last season.

"Preparation is key and the way you do everything must be professional," Salgado-Medina said. "Like, recovery the night before games, taking everything serious, even the little things. ... I'm excited to see how he does and excels over (in the NFL). It's a dream of his and I'm excited to see."

Loop, long snapper Justin Holloway and Cash Peterman, who Salgado-Medina is competing with for the starting kicker role, and Australia punter Lachlan Bruce mentored Salgado-Medina, who was the only underclassman of the group.ÌýÌý

"I learned a lot from the guys around me," Salgado-Medina said. "Everyone was a senior in the unit and I was just a freshman coming up, so everyone took me under their wing and told me not to stress and overthink things and just stay calm and cool and do your job because there's a reason why you're here."Ìý

With Loop finishing out his career, Salgado-Medina shouldered punting and field-goal holding responsibilities, which he had never done before — and he struggled at times. Salgado-Medina had three poor holds that led to two missed PATs and a field goal.Ìý

"It already happened in the past and I can't go back and fix it, but learn from it and be hungry to learn," he said. "Sometimes as a freshman, you can get knocked down and discouraged, but you just gotta keep going. That's part of it."Ìý

Salgado-Medina, who started 10 games at punter as a true freshman, had the most punt attempts (39) at Arizona last season and averaged 43.3 yards per punt. He had 15 punts land inside the 20-yard line.

The second-year kicker and punter is playing under first-year special teams coordinator Craig Naivar, who replaced current defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales. Naivar "always brings the energy every single day in the meetings," said UA receiver and returner Luke Wysong.

Added Wysong: "A great guy and he really knows what he's talking about all the time. ... He's a well-rounded coach."

Salgado-Medina is competing with walk-on punter Jordan Forbes and Peterman for punter and kicker this spring and has a slight edge on both. Arizona recently signed San Diego-area punter and kicker Tyler Prasuhn for 2025. Prasuhn is the son of former Arizona kicker John Prasuhn and made 18 of 22 field goals at Carlsbad High School (California).Ìý

Salgado-Medina hasn't kicked a field goal longer than 48 yards and has missed a few throughout the spring.Ìý

"I'm just worried about making the kicks right now," he said. "I'm not really worried about distance right now. When that comes, it'll come."

Salgado-Medina "has done a heck of a job" this spring, Naivar said, but the Wildcats are "still trying to figure out what avenue he does." Kicking? Punting? No one has done that on a full-time basis since Nick Folk in 2006.Ìý

"Which one does he do?" Naivar said of Salgado-Medina. "We have a really good option there with having his ability to do both. Whatever he does not do, he'll obviously be a tremendous backup in that regard, if he only does one of them. He gives us some options and has a really strong leg, so I'm excited about the progress he's made and where he's at.

"That gives us a direction of where we go now with summer workouts, fall camp and how he acclimates as we fill that room with additions, as well, because we will make some additions. ... We'll be building some continuity, depth and try to get the best players out there for Saturday afternoons and Saturday nights."

Long snapper needed as transfer portal opensÌý

Arizona will enter the final two practices of its spring schedule without a long snapper, which the Wildcats are "a work in progress in that department."

Trey Naughton, the Wildcats' only listed long snapper on roster, entered the transfer portal, which officially opened for business on Wednesday.

Naughton, a Tucson native and former Salpointe Catholic Lancer, transferred to Arizona from Western Kentucky last season.

Arizona recently hosted , a class of 2025 prospect who played in the Navy All-American Bowl in San Antonio in January.Ìý

Extra points

–ÌýTexas Tech transfer left tackle Ty Buchanan, who missed last week for personal reasons, returned to practice and started at left tackle on Tuesday. Buchanan started alongside left guard and former nose tackle Chubba Ma'ae, Hawaii transfer center Ka'ena Decambra, right guard Alexander Doost and Michigan transfer right tackle Tristan Bounds. Redshirt junior Michael WootenÌýwas also mixed in with Arizona's starters.Ìý

–ÌýArizona's second offensive line unit included redshirt freshman left tackle Matthew Lado, walk-on Zarius Wells at right guard, center Ise Matautia, Portland State transfer Isaac Perez and Wooten and Bounds at right tackle.

–ÌýRunning back Kedrick Reescano had one of the top plays on Tuesday, taking a screen pass down the left sideline for an 80-yard touchdown.Ìý

–ÌýSix ex-Wildcats from the 2024 team were named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society list for this year:ÌýkickerÌýLoop, center Josh Baker, tight end Roberto Miranda, wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig, defensive end Lance Keneley and offensive lineman Joey Capra. The criteria for the NFF Hampshire Honor Society is athletes must maintain a 3.2 GPA throughout their entire career, contribute as a starter and have a bachelor's degree.Ìý