It’s been a winning weekend for the Wildcats. On Friday, Arizona defeated Houston 27-3 to keep its bowl game hopes alive. On Saturday, Brent Brennan and Co. landed a commitment from 2025 three-star linebacker Myron Robinson. And on Monday morning, Arizona defensive back Genesis Smith was named Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
Alongside Genesis Smith, Colorado defensive lineman Amari McNeil and West Virginia linebacker Reid Carrico also took home Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors. It’s the first time this season the conference has split a weekly honor three ways.
Smith played one of his best games as a Wildcat in the win over the Cougars. He finished with seven total tackles, including six solo tackles, 1.5 TFLs (tackles for loss), and a pass breakup. Smith also accounted for two of Arizona’s three turnovers, recovering a fumble and snaring an interception in the first half.
The sophomore defensive back becomes the fourth Wildcat to take home a Big 12 weekly honor this season, joining wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (September 2), cornerback Tacario Davis (September 30), and kicker Tyler Loop (October 7).
Kicker Tyler Loop was snubbed from at least a share of the Special Teams Player of the Week award, after connecting on an Arizona program-record 62-yard field goal to end the first half.
This weekend, Arizona heads to Fort Worth for a matchup with the TCU Horned Frogs (6-4). The game kicks off at 1:00 PM MST and is available to stream on ESPN+.