Are Wildcat fans living in the Golden Age of Arizona Football? If the program’s recent success in the NFL Draft is any indication, then the answer is yes. On Friday in Pittsburgh, that success continued with Treydan Stukes being selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2nd Round of the NFL Draft with the 38th overall pick.
The Wildcats have now produced NFL Draft picks in three consecutive years, the most since a seven-year span from 2006-2012, that included former UA standouts such as Antoine Cason, Rob Gronkowski, and Nick Foles. It’s also the first time since 2009-2011 that Arizona has three consecutive top-50 selections in the NFL Draft, joining offensive lineman Jordan Morgan (No. 25, 2024) and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (No. 8, 2025).
Stukes is the first Arizona defensive back selected in the NFL Draft since 2018, when the Tennessee Titans drafted Dane Cruikshank. He’s also the highest-drafted defensive back since Antoine Cason, a first-round selection by the San Diego Chargers in 2008.
Following a strong senior campaign, it was never a matter of if, but when and where Stukes would hear his named called in the NFL Draft.. The redshirt senior returned from a season-ending injury in 2024, starting in all 10 games he appeared in 2025. He finished with 52 tackles, six pass breakups, and was one of three players to lead the team with four interceptions, with none better than his highlight reel pick against ASU in the Territorial Cup win in Tempe. He earned AP Third Team All-American honors and Second Team All-American honors from Sporting News, and was also a First Team All-Big 12 selection.
Stukes is the definition of an Arizona Wildcat. He arrived in Tucson in 2020, Kevin Sumlin’s final season as head coach, as a zero-star walk-on from Phoenix earning his way on to the field. Despite a head coaching change, Stukes stayed, logging 128 tackles and 21 pass breakups in three seasons under Jedd Fisch, including a 10-win season in 2023 that culminated in a Alamo Bowl win over Oklahoma. And when Brent Brennan arrived in 2024, Stukes remained loyal, bouncing back from injury in Brennan’s first season to help lead the Wildcats to a nine-win season and Holiday Bowl appearance as a senior in 2025.
He now joins a Las Vegas Raiders team that features defensive standouts Maxx Crosby and Nakobe Dean. He also heads to Vegas alongside No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Stukes is the first of three former Arizona players that hope to hear their names called in Pittsburgh this week, alongside fellow defensive backs Dalton Johnson and Genesis Smith. Both project to be Day Three selections.