Heading into the offseason, one of the biggest question marks for Brent Brennan and Co. was the offensive line. And while replacing Ty Buchanan, Chubba Maae, and Ka’ena Decambra was never going to be easy, the Wildcats did get a big break that keeps one of their most important pieces up front in Tucson for another year. On Tuesday, the NCAA granted offensive lineman Tristan Bounds a medical redshirt and additional year of eligibility to return to Arizona.
Bounds suffered a season-ending leg injury in Arizona’s upset win over No. 25 Cincinnati in November, missing the final three games of the season, including the Holiday Bowl against SMU. He confirmed via social media that he is running it back, posting “Let’s ride” on X, formerly Twitter, following the news.
The Wildcats were already bringing back starting right guard Alexander Doost, but the return of Bounds shores up at least one half of the offensive line. Arizona has addressed the remainder of the front five with the transfer portal.
Former Washington Husky Zach Henning is joining the Wildcats with two years of eligibility remaining and will replace Decambra at center. Brent Brennan, Josh Oglesby, and the staff have also added a familiar face in San Jose State transfer Nate Hale, who could lineup at right tackle if Bounds moves over to protect quarterback Noah Fifita’s blindside. Hale also has two years of eligibility remaining as well.
The final spot on the line to fill is left guard, with the natural choice being Rhino Tapa’atoutai, who has experience at tackle. It also possible that BYU transfer Jake Griffin, who appeared in 10 games for the Cougars in a limited capacity, could compete to replace Tucson favorite Maae.
The Wildcats could still look to add another offensive lineman or two via the transfer portal, especially with the departure of rotational pieces Michael Wooten and Jordan Brown. One thing is for certain – spring camp will be a good indication of who Seth Doege and the offensive staff trust to protect the best quarterback in program history for his final season in Tucson.
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